Ogemaw County is said to be named after the Chippewa Indian Word for "chief" or "Boss". In Chippewa that word is pronounced " Ogema " some people take this a step further and say the county was named after a prominent Saginaw Valley Indian Chief, named "Ogemaw- ki-keto ". Ogemaw County is located in the northeastern section of Michigan 's Lower Peninsula . When the settlers first arrived near Ogemaw Springs in 1875 they set up a lumber mill and the county was organized. The county seat is West Branch located at the junction of M-55 and M-30 which is also the largest city in the county (2003). This town was named because of its location on the west branch of the Rifle River and West Branch began as a result of the railroads building a line through the area to transport lumber from the mill in Ogemaw Springs. Today West Branch retains its character through careful preservation of its turn-of-the-century style buildings and architecture. Ogemaw County has also maintained its small town charm due to carefully planned growth. Ogemaw County 's economy is supported through tourism, the auto-industry, plastics manufacturing, agriculture, and Oil production in the southwest corner of the county. The terrain in Ogemaw County is hilly and features many small lakes and streams, including the Rifle River.

Ogemaw County Websites and Locations of Interest

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

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