Lost cities, towns, and counties of Michigan

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The following is a list of cities, towns, villages and counties of Michigan that no longer exist as separate entities but are generally still inhabited. Many of these were settlements that faded away or were swallowed up into larger adjoining communities.

Lost cities generally fall into three broad categories: those whose disappearance has been so complete that no knowledge of the city existed until the time of its rediscovery and has been studied, those whose location has been lost but whose memory has been retained in the context of myths and legends, and those whose existence and location have always been known, but which are no longer inhabited.

Lost towns are listed by their former name, the present-day county where they are located, and their location relative to present-day maps. If further information about these communities is available it is included briefly as well. This list is not comprehensive.

  • Village of Grape, Monroe County, on the north side of River Raisin, 6 miles west of present-day Monroe, Michigan
  • Village of Steiner, Monroe County, at the intersection of Norfolk Southern Railroad and Steiner Roads, 4 miles north, northwest of Monroe
  • Village of Stoney Creek, Monroe County, 4 miles north of Monroe east of where Interstate 75 crosses Stoney Creek
  • Standale, Kent County, near the intersection of M-45 and M-11 in Walker. Formerly an independent, unincorporated community of some significance to the local area, it was in Walker Township, which incorporated as the City of Walker in the 1960s. It still exists in the names of several businesses and churches, as well as the official name of the business district along Lake Michigan Drive. Many locals still refer to their hometown as Standale, rather than Walker.
  • Kelloggsville, Kent County, near the intersection of 44th St. and Division in the suburbs of Grand Rapids. This was formerly a community of local significance, including its own still-existent school district (Kelloggsville Public Schools). It was situated partially in Paris Township and partially in Wyoming Township. These two townships incorporated as the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming respectively, thus taking any official Kelloggsville designation with them, although there are still churches with that name, and many people within the area will refer to it as such.