Alpena, Michigan - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Alpena is a city in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

of Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

and the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

of Alpena County

Alpena County, Michigan

Alpena County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,598. The county seat is Alpena. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.It was founded originally in 1840 as Anomickee County...

. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan

Northern Michigan

Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...

. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve is a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary on Thunder Bay, part of Lake Huron, within the U.S. state of Michigan. The sanctuary and underwater preserve protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks ranging from nineteenth...

is located in the city. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census

United States Census, 2010

The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...

. The population swells with a large number of visitors in the summer.

Despite its small population, it is by far the largest city in the sparsely populated Northeast Michigan (lower peninsula) area, serving as its commercial and cultural hub. It is considered to be one of the two anchor cities of Northern Michigan

Northern Michigan

Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...

, along with Traverse City

Traverse City, Michigan

Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...

. The Alpena Regional Medical Center is a federally designated rural regional medical referral center, and is the largest employer in the city.

Development

The region, known as the "Sunrise Side" from its location on the east shoreline of Michigan, was first a site of commercial fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

activity and is still home to extensive commercial fishing activities. Later the region, like much of Michigan, was shaped by the logging era of the 1800s. Today, Alpena is known for its limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

quarry, one of the largest in the world, owned and operated by the Lafarge

Lafarge

Lafarge is a French industrial company specialising in four major products: cement, construction aggregates, concrete and gypsum wallboard. In 2010 the company was the world's second-largest cement manufacturer by mass shipped behind Holcim.-History:...

corporation and is a major cement manufacturer and exporter. Alpena is also the world headquarters of Besser Company, a manufacturer of concrete

Concrete

Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...

block machines. Tourism (fishing, hunting, camping and a variety of water sports) is also important to Alpena's economy. A

In February 2007 Bizjournals ranked Alpena as the hottest retirement destination in the Great Lakes area

Great Lakes region (North America)

The Great Lakes region of North America, occasionally known as the Third Coast or the Fresh Coast , includes the eight U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as the Canadian province of Ontario...

and #44 nationally.

The city has a number of notable buildings, including the Art deco

Art Deco

Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...

Alpena County Courthouse

The Alpena County Courthouse Alpena County's first courthouse was destroyed by a fire on December 12, 1870. Its replacement met a similar fate on December 22, 1932. The current courthouse built in 1934 is an historic Art deco courthouse building located at 720 Chisholm Avenue in Alpena,...

, and Temple Beth El

Temple Beth El (Alpena, Michigan)

Temple Beth-El is a reform Jewish synagogue in Alpena, Michigan.The temple is located at 125 White Street in a vernacular style building built in 1889, making it one of America's relatively few surviving 19th century synagogues....

, one of the Oldest synagogues in the United States

Oldest synagogues in the United States

The designation of the oldest synagogue in the United States requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest congregation...

Geography and climate

According to the United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 23.5 km² (9.1 sq mi). 8.4 square miles (21.8 km²) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) (7.71%) is water. The city is on the shore of Lake Huron

Lake Huron

Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...

's Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay (Michigan)

Thunder Bay is a bay in the U.S. state of Michigan on Lake Huron. The bay extends from North Point at to South Point at .The city of Alpena lies at the mouth of the Thunder Bay River at...

, with Alpena Township

Alpena Township, Michigan

Alpena Township is a civil township of Alpena County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 9,788.- Communities :* The City of Alpena is surrounded by the township, but is administratively autonomous...

surrounding it on land.

Access to natural resources and water transportation has been important in development of the community. Light stations and lighthouses surround Alpena. Several islands off the coast in Thunder Bay are part of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge

The Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for eight Michigan islands in the North American Great Lakes. Owned by the United States federal government, they were set aside for ecosystem protection purposes by President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1943.Charity, Little Charity,...

, and Scarecrow Island is part of the Michigan Islands Wilderness Area

Michigan Islands Wilderness Area

Michigan Islands Wilderness Area, a relatively small wilderness area of 12.5 acres , consists of Pismire Island, Scarecrow Island, and Shoe Island within the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. These three islands, which constitute part of the group of islands that make up the larger...

. Charity, Little Charity

Little Charity Island

Little Charity Island is a small island in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. The 5.4-acre island is located in Sims Township, Arenac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Acquired by the U.S...

, Scarecrow

Scarecrow Island

Scarecrow Island is a small, 7-acre island in Lake Huron. It forms the southern limit of Thunder Bay and helps define the harbor of Alpena, Michigan...

, and Thunder Bay Island

Thunder Bay Island

Thunder Bay Island is a island in Lake Huron. The island is one of eight constituent islands of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The island is part of Alpena Township in Alpena County...

s form the Lake Huron

Lake Huron

division of the Michigan Islands NWR. There are lighthouses on Charity (abandoned) and Thunder Bay Islands.

Air

Alpena County Regional Airport

-Top Destinations:- External links :* , official site* from USGS The National Map...

(IATA: APN, ICAO: KAPN, FAA LID: APN) is the northeast lower peninsula of Michigan's main commercial airport and handles daily Delta Connection

Delta Connection

Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...

flights to Detroit

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

and Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...

operated by Mesaba Airlines

Mesaba Airlines

Mesaba Airlines is an American regional airline based in Eagan, Minnesota. The airline operates under Mesaba Aviation, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corporation...

. It is a public-use airport located in Wilson Township, Michigan six miles (10 km) west of the central business district of Alpena. The Michigan Air National Guard

Air National Guard

The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...

Combat Readiness Training Center co-utilizes the airfield.

Rail

Alpena is situated along the Lake State Railway, formerly the Detroit and Mackinac Railway

Detroit and Mackinac Railway

The Detroit and Mackinac Railway , informally known as the "Turtle Line", was a railroad operating in the northeastern part of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The main line stretched from the southern hub at Bay City, to its northern hub at Cheboygan...

(D&M). Earlier railroads that served Alpena were built and owned by the Alger Smith and Co. logging company: (1) the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad which entered Alpena from the south around 1886; and (2) the Alpena and Northern Railroad

Alpena and Northern Railroad

The Alpena and Northern Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated briefly in northern Michigan during the 1890s.The company incorporated on July 28, 1893, with the intention of building a line from Alpena to Mackinaw City, on the south shore of the Straits of Mackinac...

Major highways

	US 23 U.S. Route 23 in Michigan US Highway 23 is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan, it is a major north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Lower Peninsula... serves Alpena on its way along the Lake Huron Lake Huron Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States... shoreline. It has been designated the "Sunrise Side Coastal Highway", and runs along (or parallels) the Lake Huron shore. To the north, it passes Grand Lake Grand Lake (Presque Isle, Michigan) Grand Lake is a lake in Presque Isle County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Grand Lake is a substantial lake of approximately 7 miles in length and up to 1.5 miles in width... and Long Lake Long Lake (Alpena County, Michigan) Long Lake is lake in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lake is on the boundary between Alpena County to the south and Presque Isle County to the north near Lake Huron in Northern Michigan.... , then to Rogers City Rogers City, Michigan -Commercial airports:The nearest commercial airports are Alpena County Regional Airport an Cherry Capital Airport -US Highway Business Loops:* BUS US 23-Intercounty Highways:* F-21-Demographics:... , through Cheboygan Cheboygan, Michigan Cheboygan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,295. It is the county seat of Cheboygan County.... , and on to Mackinaw City Mackinaw City, Michigan Mackinaw City is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census the population was 859. The name "Mackinaw City" is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a village... , where it ends at I-75 Interstate 75 Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border... and the Mackinac Bridge Mackinac Bridge The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the bridge is the third longest in total suspension in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages... . On US-23 as it crosses Squaw Bay just south of Alpena exists a sign which notes that it rests on the 45th parallel, indicating travelers are halfway between the equator and the North Pole. This is one of 29 places (six are in Michigan) in the U.S.A. where such signs are known to exist.
	M-32 M-32 (Michigan highway) M-32 is a state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is an east–west route running from M-66 in East Jordan to US Highway 23 in Alpena. It runs via Gaylord and Atlanta through forested terrain... ends its 100 miles (160.9 km) easterly route from Lake Michigan Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron... to Lake Huron traversing the northern lower peninsula within downtown Alpena at the intersection of US 23.
	M-65 M-65 (Michigan highway) M-65 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The highway runs between termini on US Highway 23 near Omer and Rogers City in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of the state. M-65 runs inland through several small communities in the region, passing through forests and fields along... is a few miles west of town, but is a more direct route to the south than US-23, which meanders along the lake shore through many villages and towns.

Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 11,304 people, 4,874 households, and 2,865 families residing in the city. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

was 1,348.9 per square mile (520.8/km²). There were 5,200 housing units at an average density of 620.5 per square mile (239.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.66% White

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.42% African American

Race (United States Census)

, 0.43% Native American

Race (United States Census)

, 0.48% Asian

Race (United States Census)

, 0.01% Pacific Islander

Race (United States Census)

, 0.09% from other races

Race (United States Census)

, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic

Race (United States Census)

or Latino

Race (United States Census)

of any race were 0.59% of the population.

There were 4,874 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.2% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,353, and the median income for a family was $40,056. Males had a median income of $34,534 versus $21,951 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

for the city was $17,476. About 10.4% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line

Poverty threshold

The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country...

, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Alpena, along with the rest of Alpena County and portions of Presque Isle County

Presque Isle County, Michigan

Presque Isle County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 14,411. The county seat is Rogers City....

, is served by Alpena Public Schools

Alpena Public Schools

Alpena Public Schools is a Michigan school district encompassing all of Alpena County and, in Presque Isle County, all of Presque Isle Township and part of Krakow Township...

. Alpena Public Schools was established as the first county-wide school district in the state of Michigan in 1963. The district has one high school

Alpena High School (Michigan)

Alpena High School is a public high school for students in grades 9-12 located in the city of Alpena, Michigan. For the 2005-06 school year AHS reported an enrollment of exactly 1,600 students. The current school building opened in 1967. There was an addition in 1998-99 where a new wing was...

, a junior high, an alternative/adult high school, and eight elementary schools. The elementary schools are Besser, Ella White, Hinks, Lincoln, Sanborn, and Wilson Elementary Schools. Geographically, it is the largest school district in the Lower Peninsula, encompassing more than 620 square miles (1,605.8 km²).

There are three private schools in Alpena. All Saints Catholic School is affiliated with the four Roman Catholic parishes in the city (St. Anne's, St. Bernard's, St. John the Baptist and St. Mary the Immaculate) and provides preschool to 6th grade education. Immanuel Lutheran School is supported by the Immanuel Lutheran Church and has preschool to 8th grade classes. The Alpena SDA Elementary School is a Seventh-Day Adventist school that has offers elementary education. Bingham Arts Academy, a charter school run by Mosaica, also provides classes from preschool to 8th grade.

Alpena is also home to Alpena Community College

Alpena Community College

Alpena Community College is a public two-year college located in Alpena, Michigan, United States, and was founded in 1952. The college has a main campus in Alpena and another campus, Huron Shores, located on the former in Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan.The college offers two-year...

. ACC is a two-year associates program that has partnerships with Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor University is a Christian institution of higher education located in Spring Arbor, Michigan, in the United States. SAU is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church...

and several other Michigan institutions. Within Alpena Community College is the World Center for Concrete Technology (WCCT). The WCCT draws a worldwide enrollment of students for classes in Concrete Technology that is unparalleled anywhere else, even including a Master Blockmakers Degree for 5-class-accomplished students.

Economy

While tourism is an important component of the area's economy, both Alpena and Rogers City have an industrial base. In particular, Alpena is home to the LaFarge Company's cement plant and to Besser Block Co. (maker of a concrete block making machinery), as well as a drywall board manufacturing facility owned by Decorative Panels International. Rogers City is the location of the world's largest limestone

Limestone

quarry, which is used in steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

making in the Great Lakes and Rust Belt

Rust Belt

The Rust Belt is a term that gained currency in the 1980s as the informal description of an area straddling the Midwestern and Northeastern United States, in which local economies traditionally garnered an increased manufacturing sector to add jobs and corporate profits...

regions.

Alpena's primary shopping center is the Alpena Mall, a small enclosed shopping mall

Shopping mall

A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...

featuring approximately 20 stores, with JCPenney as the anchor store

Anchor store

In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....

.

Fletcher Street Brewing Company is in Old Town on the Thunder Bay River.

Alpena is also home to the Alpena Thunder

Alpena Thunder

The Alpena Thunder are an independent Junior A ice hockey team. The team plays out of Northern Lights Arena in Alpena, Michigan.-History:The Franchise was formed in 2010 as an expansion franchise in the 2010-11 season of Northern Junior Hockey League. In August 2010 the Northern Junior Hockey...

hockey team.

Historical markers

There are seven recognized historical markers in the city:

Alpena City Hall
Alpena County Courthouse
The Daniel Carter Family, Alpena'a first settlers.
First Congregational Church [Alpena]
Monarch Mill
St. Bernard Catholic Church
World's Largest Cement Plant

Print

The Alpena News
Alpena News
The Alpena News is a general daily newspaper in the City of Alpena, Michigan. USA. It has an approximate circulation of 10,000, and is published by Ogden Newspapers Inc. News reports are available on line. The paper was founded in 1902. The paper currently has between 20 to 50 employees.It is...

is the daily newspaper of record for much of northeastern lower peninsula of Michigan.
Daily editions of the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...

and The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...

are also available throughout the area.

AM

Call Sign	Frequency	Format	City Broadcast From
WHAK	960	Country	Rogers City
WATZ WATZ (AM) WATZ is a radio station broadcasting an News-Talk format. The station is licensed to the city of Alpena, Michigan, it serves the Alpena metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in 1946 and has maintained the WATZ call sign since it signed on...	1450	Talk/News	Alpena Alpena Alpena may refer to several places or things in the United States, especially in Michigan.-Places:Alpena, Arkansas, a town located in Boone County, ArkansasAlpena, South Dakota, a town located in Jerauld County, South Dakota-In Michigan:...

FM

Call Sign	Frequency	Format	City Broadcast From
WPHN	90.5	Religious	Gaylord Gaylord, Michigan Gaylord is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,681. It is the county seat of Otsego County. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord; it is by far the smallest settlement serving as the location of an active Roman...
WCML	91.7	Public	Alpena Alpena Alpena may refer to several places or things in the United States, especially in Michigan.-Places:Alpena, Arkansas, a town located in Boone County, ArkansasAlpena, South Dakota, a town located in Jerauld County, South Dakota-In Michigan:...
WFDX	92.5	Classic Hits	Atlanta Atlanta, Michigan Atlanta is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan, along the 45th parallel. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 757 at the 2000 census...
WKJZ	94.9/98.1	Variety Hits	Hillman Hillman, Michigan Hillman is a village in Alpena and Montmorency counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 685 at the 2000 census. Nearly all of the village is located within Hillman Township , with only a tiny portion extending into Green Township .-Geography:According to the United States Census...
WATZ	99.3/96.7	Country	Alpena Alpena Alpena may refer to several places or things in the United States, especially in Michigan.-Places:Alpena, Arkansas, a town located in Boone County, ArkansasAlpena, South Dakota, a town located in Jerauld County, South Dakota-In Michigan:...
WHAK WHAK-FM WHAK-FM is a radio station licensed to Rogers City, Michigan. It serves the Alpena, Cheboygan and Mackinaw City areas. It broadcasts an oldies music format featuring hits of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s...	99.9	Oldies	Rogers City
WWTH WWTH WWTH and WHAK , Thunder Country, are a pair of radio stations broadcasting a country music format to northeastern lower Michigan. Additionally, the group has a translator, W231BF,...	100.7/94.1	Country	Oscoda
WMJZ	101.5	Variety Hits	Gaylord Gaylord, Michigan Gaylord is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,681. It is the county seat of Otsego County. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord; it is by far the smallest settlement serving as the location of an active Roman...
WKJC WKJC WKJC is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Tawas City, Michigan, United States, it first began broadcasting in 1980 at 103.9. WKJC is locally programmed....	104.7	Country	Tawas City
WHSB WHSB WHSB is a 100,000 watt radio station licensed to Alpena, Michigan broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format...	107.7	Hot AC	Alpena Alpena Alpena may refer to several places or things in the United States, especially in Michigan.-Places:Alpena, Arkansas, a town located in Boone County, ArkansasAlpena, South Dakota, a town located in Jerauld County, South Dakota-In Michigan:...

Television

Alpena is the third smallest (208) Nielsen

Nielsen Media Research

Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...

Designated Market Area (DMA)

Media market

A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...

in the United States.

There is only one locally programmed terrestrial Television station

Television station

A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...

located within the Alpena DMA:

Channel 11, cable 10: WBKB-TV
WBKB-TV
WBKB-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Alpena area of Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11 from a transmitter south of Hubbard Lake near M-72 in Alcona County. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 10 and...

- (CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

, Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...

on DT2 and cable 13)

Rebroadcasts of other television stations include:

Channel 6, cable 6: WCML-TV
WCMU-TV
WCMU-TV, channel 14 is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station for much of the northern portion of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, with a coverage area spanning three television markets and small portions of several others. The network is based at Central Michigan...

- (PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....

) - feed of WCMU-TV
WCMU-TV
WCMU-TV, channel 14 is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station for much of the northern portion of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, with a coverage area spanning three television markets and small portions of several others. The network is based at Central Michigan...
Channel 18: W18BT
W18BT
W18BT is a low-power television station licensed to Alpena, Michigan. It is currently a repeater that broadcasts programming from the Trinity Broadcasting Network, via satellite. The station broadcasts on UHF channel 18, with no current digital channel....

- (TBN
Trinity Broadcasting Network
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...

) - national feed

Cable only television:

Cable 3: Alpena Community College
Alpena Community College
Alpena Community College is a public two-year college located in Alpena, Michigan, United States, and was founded in 1952. The college has a main campus in Alpena and another campus, Huron Shores, located on the former in Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan.The college offers two-year...

educational television
Cable 21: "Alpena CW" - (The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...

)

Northeast Michigan is also served by selected major network affiliates from the Northern Michigan and Mid-Michigan DMAs, as well as CBC Television

CBC Television

CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...

programming from CBMT

CBMT

CBMT-DT is the CBC's television station in Montreal, Quebec. Programming on CBMT is seen on a network of more than 50 rebroadcasters throughout Quebec and in three communities in northern Manitoba: Brochet, Poplar River, and Shamattawa.-History:...

in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

. Cable television

Cable television

Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...

service is provided within Alpena and many outlying communities by Charter Communications

Charter Communications

Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...

Annual cultural and sporting events

There are many recurring local activities. A calendar is available.

Alpena Blues Festival, late June at The Alpena Fair Grounds and Merchant Building.
Alpena County Fair, Alpena County Fairgrounds.
Besser Museum Log Cabin Day, last Sunday in June. Approved by the Michigan legislature passed a bill to make Log Cabin Day an annual event to be held on the last Sunday in June. The Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan spotlights their own two log cabins on this day and celebrates by offering old fashioned, family-pleasing activities.
Garden Walk fundraiser for Shelter, Inc, nine gardens in July.
Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival second weekend in October, which provides funding and support for lighthouses
Habitat for Humanity-Alpena Area "Drive to Build" Charity Golf Outing
Hillman Street Drags, first weekend in July, downtown, Hillman, Michigan.
Lafarge Downtown Alpena Riverfest, in mid-June. Family event centered on the Thundre Bay River, celebrating Alpena's lumbering history. Professional lumberjack shows, entertainment, music, storytelling, chainsaw carving, food, fun and games.
Michigan Brown Trout Festival, a week in mid-July.
Presque Isle Harbor Wooden Boat Show, mid-June.
Ramblin' Rods Car Show, second weekend in August at Mich-E-Kewis Park, Alpena.
Sunrise Side Heritage Bike Ride, first weekend in September. Ride Along Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...

Shoreline (US 23
U.S. Route 23 in Michigan
US Highway 23 is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan, it is a major north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Lower Peninsula...

) from the Arenac County
Arenac County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 17,269 people, 6,710 households, and 4,717 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 9,563 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...

fairgrounds to Mackinac Bridge
Mackinac Bridge
The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the bridge is the third longest in total suspension in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages...

then South to West Branch on M-33
M-33 (Michigan highway)
M-33 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from Interstate 75 at Alger in Arenac County north to M-27 near Cheboygan. In between, the trunkline runs through rural sections of the northeastern Lower Peninsula including state and national forest areas...

and M-55
M-55 (Michigan highway)
M-55 is a state trunkline highway in the northern part of the US state of Michigan. M-55 is one of only three state highways that extend across the Lower Peninsula from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan; the others are M-46 and M-72. The highway crosses through rural forest and farmlands to connect...

. This is a 400-mile long organized ride.
Thunder Bay Arts Council's "Art on the Bay" at beautiful Bay View Park in Alpena. A Juried Fine Arts and Fine Crafts Fair which coincides with The Michigan Brown Trout Festival.
Thunder Bay Lanes has hosted a long-running annual 6-man team Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...

tournament in March. It also occasionally hosts the Northern Michigan Men's and Women's championships.
Thunder Bay Maritime Festival is presented by the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve is a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary on Thunder Bay, part of Lake Huron, within the U.S. state of Michigan. The sanctuary and underwater preserve protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks ranging from nineteenth...

and Underwater Preserve in Alpena, MI.

Local cultural and eleeomosynary institutions

Thunder Bay Theatre is northeast Michigan's only professional theatrical group, and regularly presents productions.
Youth Sailing Instruction and Training is offered by the Alpena Yacht Club.

Local libraries, museums and landmarks

The Alpena County Library
Alpena County Library
Alpena County Library is a public library in Alpena, Michigan, United States.- History :Located in downtown Alpena, Alpena County George N. Fletcher PublicLibrary was established in 1967 as a county library. Prior to 1967, the public...
The Jesse M. Besser Museum for Northeastern Michigan and Planetarium.
Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, also known as Thunder Bay National Marine Museum and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve is a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary on Thunder Bay, part of Lake Huron, within the U.S. state of Michigan. The sanctuary and underwater preserve protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks ranging from nineteenth...

Notable residents

There are a great many citizens, too numerous to list here, who were important in founding Alpena, and making Alpena grow and prosper over the years. Notable people were born in, or have lived in, Alpena, include:

Paul Bunker
Paul Bunker
Paul Delmont Bunker was an American football player and soldier. Bunker attended the U.S. Military Academy and became the first football player at West Point to be selected as a first-team All-American by Walter Camp. Bunker was chosen as an All-American at the tackle position in 1901 and...

, 1901 and 1902 All-American football player at Army and College Football Hall of Famer
William Comstock
William Comstock
William Alfred Comstock was an American politician as the 33rd Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan.-Early life:...

, 33rd governor of Michigan, also buried there
Leon Czolgosz
Leon Czolgosz
Leon Czolgosz was the assassin of U.S. President William McKinley.In the last few years of his life, he claimed to have been heavily influenced by anarchists such as Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman.- Early life :...

, Presidential assassin
Bob Devaney
Bob Devaney
Robert S. "Bob" Devaney was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1957 to 1961 and at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1962 to 1972, compiling a career college football record of 136–30–7...

, former football coach for several college
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

and highschool football teams
Robert L. Emerson
Robert L. Emerson
Robert L. Emerson is a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He was member of the Michigan Senate having served as the Democratic Minority Leader. He represented the 27th District in Genesee County, which encompasses the city of Flint.Emerson was born in Alpena on March 23, 1948....

, politician
Paola Giangiacomo, news reporter, former WBKB anchors
Stanley Grenz
Stanley Grenz
Stanley James Grenz was an American Christian theologian and ethicist in the Baptist tradition.-Early years:...

, Christian theologian
MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

players Blaise Ilsley
Blaise Ilsley
Blaise Francis Ilsley , is an American former Major League Baseball left-handedpitcher who played in with the Chicago Cubs, and is now a minor league baseball pitching coach for the Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League, the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.-Early and personal...

, Dan Rohn
Dan Rohn
Daniel Jay Rohn is a former infielder and administrative coach in Major League Baseball. Rohn was drafted as a second baseman by the Chicago Cubs in the 4th round of the 1977 amateur draft, and made his major league debut on September 2, 1983...

and Kevin Young
Kevin Young (baseball)
Kevin Stacey Young is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals . He batted and threw right-handed. Young helped end the most recent baseball players strike in the MLB representing the Pittsburgh Pirates...
Betty Mahmoody
Betty Mahmoody
Betty Mahmoody is an American author and public speaker best known for her book, Not Without My Daughter, which was subsequently made into a film of the same name...

, author of Not Without My Daughter
Not Without My Daughter
Not Without My Daughter is a film released in 1991 depicting the escape of American citizen Betty Mahmoody and her daughter from her husband in Iran. The film was shot in the United States and Israel, and the main characters are played by Sally Field and Alfred Molina...
Harvey Marlatt
Harvey Marlatt
Harvey Marlatt was a professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons from 1970-1973. He played in 61 games as a Piston and scored 225 points. Before joining the Pistons, he played basketball for Eastern Michigan University. Marlatt ranks fifth on the all time EMU scoring list with 1680...

, former Detroit Pistons player
Michael Bailey Smith
Michael Bailey Smith
Michael Bailey Smith is an American movie and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the hit television series Charmed, where he played Belthazor, The Source of All Evil, a Grimlock leader and Shax.-Early life:...

, actor
K.J. Stevens, novelist and short story writer

Alpena in popular culture

The 1991 feature film Not Without My Daughter
Not Without My Daughter
Not Without My Daughter is a film released in 1991 depicting the escape of American citizen Betty Mahmoody and her daughter from her husband in Iran. The film was shot in the United States and Israel, and the main characters are played by Sally Field and Alfred Molina...

starring Sally Field
Sally Field
Sally Margaret Field is an American actress, singer, producer, director, and screenwriter. In each decade of her career, she has been known for major roles in American TV/film culture, including: in the 1960s, for Gidget or Sister Bertrille on The Flying Nun ; in the 1970s, for Sybil , Smokey and...

and Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...

was based upon the true story of Betty Mahmoody
Betty Mahmoody
Betty Mahmoody is an American author and public speaker best known for her book, Not Without My Daughter, which was subsequently made into a film of the same name...

who was living in Alpena in 1984 during the events surrounding the film and novel of the same name.

Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...

and the film crew of Die Hard 2
Die Hard 2
Die Hard 2 is a 1990 action film and the second in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by Renny Harlin, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane...

used Alpena's airport
Alpena County Regional Airport
-Top Destinations:- External links :* , official site* from USGS The National Map...

to shoot several scenes of the film. Although the location was selected because snow was expected to be integral to the movie (and was moved from Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

's Stapleton Airport which had no snow), a dearth of precipitation in Alpena necessitated the use of artificial snow.

The nearby novelty attraction in Ossineke
Ossineke, Michigan
Ossineke is an unincorporated community in Sanborn Township, Alpena County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place used for statistical purposes. The population was 1,059 at the 2000 census. The community is located several miles south of Alpena on U.S. Highway 23...

features "Dinosaur Gardens" a handmade collection of prehistoric animals and dinosaurs was featured in the book Roadside America
Roadside America
Roadside America is an indoor miniature village and railway covering , created by Laurence Gieringer in 1935. It was first displayed to the public in the Rainbow Fire Company's building, and a separate exhibit was opened in Carsonia Park in 1938...

Alpena, or just its airport, is featured in the Season 5 Home Improvement episode Twas The Flight Before Christmas when Tim and Al fly up to Alpena in order to attend the Binford Winter festival, and for Tim to get Jill's Present. However, a snowstorm keeps the two stranded at the airport.

External links

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