How the Shiatown Dam got it's name

Back in 1836, Charles Bacon filed survey documents from the area (aka a plat file) to start a company involved with the buying and selling of land.

On July 12, 1837, Lemuel Brown, postmaster, opened the Post Office as Shiawassee. 1837 is also the time when Michigan became a state.

On May 26, 1857, the Post Office was renamed Shiawassee Town

The city was planned as a possible State Capital with 90 city blocks, two town squares and a park. 

Today it is a sparsely populated community with approximately 3,000 people for all of Shiawassee Township

Records indicate a dam was first built on the Shiatown site in 1840

In 1904 the original Shiatown Dam was replaced, and the Shiawassee Light and Power Company built
a structure for hydroelectric power generation and operated the facility until 1911.

In 1911 the Shiawassee Light and Power Company sold the hydroelectric dam to Consumers Power Company.

In 1955 Consumers transferred ownership to Shiawassee and Vernon Townships.

In 1964 Vernon Township transferred their share to Shiawassee Township.

During the 1960's, Shiawassee County operated the dam and impoundment as a recreational facility

In the early 1970's,  the formal ownership of the site was taken by Shiawassee County

In 1986 , Shiawassee County sold the dam to the Grand River Power Company.

Between 1986 - 1999, a  total of four different start-up power companies attempted ownership

In 1999 the private owner of the dam defaulted on taxes and the Shiatown Dam reverted to state ownership

The State of Michigan , in one form or another, call it what you will, HAS OWNED the Shiatown Dam since 1999

In 2011, The Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority had issued a report to the DNR regarding status
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