"The Oil Capital of Michigan" - Mount Pleasant, 1928-1970s

You all know Mount Pleasant – it's the county seat of Isabella County and is smack in the Isabella Indian Reservation.

FAST FACTS:
Pre-1860s: The Chippewas occupied the land
1862: The Homestead Act brought many European immigrants and white settlers
1875: A fire that started at the corner of Broadway and Main streets destroyed a good portion of downtown
1879: The Library, Literary, and Musical Association of Mount Pleasant was established 1890: Mount Pleasant Business College is founded
1892: College name changed to Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, today known as Central Michigan University
1893: The government opens the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School, which persuaded Native American children to shun their heritage customs and learn how to live among the European-Americans
1933: After 40 years, the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School closed down.

Since the school closed, it took many decades for this and other similar schools to realized their mistake and the damage it caused the children.

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1928: Mount Pleasant struck oil. On a farm owned by a family named Lilly, oil was discovered, which eventually produced hundreds of barrels per day. Mount Pleasant's oil boom lasted a few decades - the amount of oil decreased, but the legacy lives on. The high school's mascot is called 'The Oiler', and the city became known as “The Oil Capital of Michigan".

Because of this oil strike, Mount Pleasant became known as the center of oil in Isabella County and the rest of the state as well. In fact, the city's seal includes an oil well, along with a Native American, wheat, and graduation cap.

Mount Pleasant had an oil refinery at 600 W. Pickard that operated from the 1930s to the early 1970s. After 40-some years, it was taken out of commission and destroyed.

Below is a gallery of vintage Mount Pleasant photos...