Manton

History

The townsite was purchased and cleared in 1872 along the proposed route of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, by two local settlers, Ezra Harger and George Manton, and a third partner, William Mears. The place was known locally as Cedar Creek, but the railroad named the new station "Manton" after its first postmaster, George Manton. Manton was at one time the county seat for Wexford County. However, the county seat was forcibly moved to Cadillac in the Battle of Manton. In 1993, an Old Order Amish community was started near Manton, most of the members coming from the Evart-LeRoy area or from Vestaburg in Michigan. The community is more open to "seekers" – people who want to join the Amish – than other Old Order Amish communities. They are affiliated with the Amish community in Smyrna, Maine, which was founded as one of the "Christian Communities" under the leadership of Elmo Stoll, but joined the Amish, when the "Christian Communities" disbanded.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (3.11%) is water. The city of Manton is surrounded by Cedar Creek Township. However, the two municipalities are administered separately. * is a freeway that bypasses the city to its east. It has its final freeway exit (exit 191) with M-42 and Bus. US 131 just southeast of the city before becoming a two-lane highway north of Manton and continuing north to Kalkaska and Petoskey. * is a business loop of US 131 that starts at M-42 and US 131 (exit 191), runs through Manton, and runs out of town for before meeting the US 131 freeway at a normal intersection. * runs concurrently with Bus. US 131 into Manton for a mile before ending at an intersection with 7th Street and Main Street. Bus. US 131 turns north without M-42.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,910
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,833
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,629
• Hairy Woodpecker

  Leuconotopicus villosus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,517
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,499
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,476
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,399
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  1,256