John Crawford Chapter, NSDAR

Almont, Michigan

The historic village of Almont, the sixth oldest village in the state of Michigan, is nestled among the fertile farms and lush woodlands of eastern Lapeer County.  Its Victorian charm is enhanced by its tree-lined streets and neat gardens and lawns.

The Almont area was first settled by James Deneen in 1828 in the area north of Dryden Road and Van Dyke, followed by Jonathan Sleeper and Oliver Bristol in 1830. Oliver Bristol’s frame house still stands today south of the four corners. During a prolonged winter in 1832, wolves that were prevalent in the area killed one of Bristol’s valuable cows. Despite a fractured limb, Bristol shot and killed a marauding bear with a flintlock rifle in the center of what would become the village of Almont. Lapeer County and Almont Township were formed in 1834, in preparation for statehood. Oliver Bristol became the township’s first supervisor, and the township was named Bristol in his honor. Mail delivery also began in 1834; being carried once a week on horseback from Royal Oak.

In 1836 the Almont area was platted and given the name Newburg. It consisted of five homes, a hotel, general store, schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, and cobbler. Dramatic increases in population at this time lead to clearing of the land for development for crops and orchards, the lumber being processed by Webster’s saw mill in town. The name of the town was changed in 1846 to Almont, in honor of Juan Almonte, a Mexican diplomat, ambassador and general. In 1909, the community tradition of homecoming, held every five years, began. Current and previous residents of Almont gather to celebrate the heritage and history of Almont.

The most notable person from Almont is Major General Morin Shoemaker, retired. He was born in Almont in 1924, graduated from Almont High School in 1941, and West Point in 1946. He was commissioned in the infantry, and earned his aviator’s wings in 1960.  In 1965, he assumed command of 1^st Squadron 9^th Cavalry, which was the only Army air cavalry squadron at the time. After returning to the U.S. and a tour at the Pentagon, he returned to Vietnam for the third tour of duty. Shoemaker retired from the army in 1982 to the Fort Hood, Texas area, and remained active in community service. General Shoemaker is Michigan’s only four-star general.