Arcadia's Prehistory. Glaciers recede, then...

10000 B.C.

Glaciers that had covered the land recede to the north of the Arcadia area. The first vegetation is tundra. Inland you can find northern style parkland with mammoths and herds of caribou. (See Arcadia's Very Early History.)

7900 B.C.

Arcadia is situated in a spruce pine forest. Lakes, marshes, and bogs are common as are mastodons, smaller more scattered herds of caribou, giant beaver, elk, and moose. The ancestors of all native Americans were probably in the area following the caribou herds.

3000 B.C.

The Arcadia area landscape is evolving into a northern hardwood forest. Extensive sand dunes formed along Lake Michigan's eastern shores.

1100 A.D.

Arcadia begins to be used more as a warm season, residential encampment by small groups of native Americans, probably extended families. They hunted, fished, gathered edible plants, grew corn, made stone tools, and crafted goods from wood, bone, and hide. (See Native Americans in Arcadia.)

1670s

French clergy and explorers travel through the area. While returning to St. Ignace along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, Marquette dies and is buried near Ludington, Frankfort, or Manistee.

In his writings ("Journal D'un Voyage"), Charlevoix mentions the creek, which he calls St. Nicolas River, emptying into Bar Lake.

LaSalle, exploring the western portions of New France, travels south along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan to set up Fort Miami at the St. Joseph.