The Village in the Knuckle of the Michigan Thumb

The little village of Fostoria lies in Tuscola County, in the knuckle of the Michigan Thumb.

It was originally hunting grounds for the Sauk tribe before Michigan Governor Henry Crapo came in and ended up owning a good hunk of this pine-tree-rich land. He made sure a railroad came through to help boost the village and it benefitted once the Pere Marquette Railway came through.

Fostoria was once called ‘Watertown’, although historic details sometimes get messed up. Some old maps show Watertown in the exact location of Fostoria, and some sites claim Watertown became known as ‘Markell’ which is four miles northwest where the Watertown church is located.

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No matter which is correct, in 1881 Fostoria was named after Crapo's foreman, Thomas Foster. In retrospect, it’s better the village was named after Foster instead of Crapo.

Fostoria’s original post office operated from July 1882 until May 1883; when the railroad stopped operating, that was it for the town. The economy lagged and sagged but it feverishly held on with determination - and it's still there for you to drive through and enjoy its historic value.