One thing is for sure on the origin of the name for this county, it was named after the river that runs through it.   That river is the Manistee; some say the name refers to the reddish/brown ochre used for ceremonial decoration of the face and body. The word Manistee also has a symbolic meaning that loosely translated refers to the spirit of the wild. Indians valued the location of Manistee County so much the first pioneers who attempted to settle at the river's mouth were savagely driven off, that was until 1836 when the treaty of Washington was signed and that paved the way for settlers to settle in Manistee County. Like is the case for many of Michigan Counties, the area grew and prospered from lumber production but like is also the case, in 1871 fire leveled the area but it was quickly re-built.   The county seat of Manistee County is Manistee which is also the only city in the county(2003). The Town of Kaleva (Cal-live-a) is located in eastern Manistee County in the Maple Grove Township .   Kaleve has an interesting historical feature. It's a house built out of over 60,000 bottles, laid on their sides with bottom ends out. John J. Makinen, owner of the Northwestern Bottling Works started the home with bottles which mostly came from his business.   Today, tourism has taken a prominent position in the county, with the pristine Lake Michigan coastline and attraction of the Manistee River which offers fisherman a veritable supply of Salmon, along with many scenic canoeing spots.

Manistee County Websites and Locations of Interest

http://www.infomi.com/county/manistee/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manistee_County%2C_Michigan