Out of the Wilderness

Out of the Wilderness is the story of a Michigan farming town so small it does not appear on most maps. Driving through the crossroads with its lonely stone church and wooden hall, you would think, 'Nothing much has ever happened here." In that, you would be mistaken. Not only is the story of this small, tenacious community filled with unexpected drama, but there is the sense that one is reading a cultural, social, and political history of the United States in microcosm. From Indian tribes to French explorers and fur traders, loggers and settlers, the dramatic impact of the Civil War, the First and Second World Wars, the Great Depression, and the changing landscape of rural America, the story of Sitka has it all.

Well-organized, gripping, and personal tales of the hardships, joys, and heroism of pioneer America. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in tracing local history or genealogy. The author has been intricately connected to the area through her ancestors and has given the story a feeling of being there and watching it all happen.

Tom Porritt,

Editor, Twig Talk, Muskegon County Genealogical Society

Anyone interested in Newaygo County history will treasure this book for its comprehensive glimpse into the lives and livelihoods of those who settled, worked, and developed the area that would eventually become Sitka.

Katherine Russell,

Terry Wantz Historical Research Center, Fremont

Well researched and written. ...The information regarding lumbering and the civil war is very informative. This is a good picture of life in rural Michigan. I would highly recommend this book for education purposes in schools...

Pamela Miller,

Historian, White Cloud Community Library