About Mastodon Township

Mastodon Township’s original people were the Anishanabe; the people of the Three Fires, Ojibwa, Odawa and Potawatomi. After Columbus returned to Spain, a wave of exploration began as news of the “New World” reached Europe. Some of the earliest explorers to our area were the French who were zealous to convert the Native American to the Christian Creed. A young explorer, Etienne Brule, lived with the Native Americans and mapped out new water-ways, thus the “Brule River” came to be as the dividing line between Wisconsin and Michigan. In 1775 President Thomas Jefferson designated all territory west of the Allegheny Mountains to the Mississippi River and from the Ohio River to the Canadian Border as the Northwest Territory. Five states were to be formed from this territory, one of them being Michigan.

Mastodon Township was formed in 1885 and is located in Iron County, in the southwest portion of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Mastodon Township is made up of 83,789.80 acres containing the Village of Alpha as well as numerous lakes, rivers, streams, wooded areas, and agricultural land. The permanent resident population of Mastodon Township according to the 2020 census was 668. Historically, iron ore mining was the major source of income for the area. According to local legend, while sinking a mine shaft, mastodon bones were discovered and, on this basis, Mastodon Township received its name.

Mastodon Township has an abundance of wildlife, four very distinct seasons, and numerous activities available. As a result, our economy is mainly based on small businesses, year-round tourism and logging. It truly is a quiet, peaceful place to visit, play and live.