Insight into Mary's move to Montcalm County 1850's to 1880's

Lifelong resident and genealogist Judy Hardy wrote this about Montcalm County at the time that Mary Sophia Harvey would have moved there:

"Montcalm County didn't become a county until 1850 and even into 1870 it was pretty remote here.  Most of the county was covered with white pine trees so tall and thick they blocked out the sun.  It wasn't until the mid 1870's to 1880's that the lumbermen moved in and started harvesting all the trees.  The county was flooded with 'transient' people here only to work in the lumber camps and mills.  People could come here and not be found.  Saloons sprung up everywhere.  Lots of drinking and all the ills that go with it.  Once the lumber was gone so were many of the men.  Those that stayed behind were farmers.  It was no place to be if you were a young mother with no husband.  There were a few 'rich' people in some of the small towns-- those that owned businesses or banks, lumber and mill owners, but many were poor, hard working families with little or nothing.  They didn't always have the means to even erect a tombstone on their graves when they died.  I should send you the history of Stanton-- interesting reading and very representative of many of the towns in this county.  Lumber made the towns and when lumber left the towns barely survived."  (email dated 6 November 2005)

Judy sent me the history of Stanton, which can be found at http://www.migenweb.org/montcalm/history/articles.htm

I found the account by Mrs. F. W. Van Patten most engaging.  But all of the information describes a very rural, untamed wilderness when Mary came.