The town was incorporated in 1879, and the name of the county seat of Antrim County became Bellaire.  Origin of the name goes back to t he surveyors, those brave young men who first trod the miles and miles of section lines mapping this “uninhabitable swamp.”  One such man was Ambrose E. Palmer.  Along with recording of the town lines and ranges, he observed that the town that would eventually grow in this ;lovely Intermediate River Valley should be named Bell-wire because of the clearness and purity of the air.  Earlier a post office called Keno served the area on the east side of the river, and the settlement along the river was at one time called Intermediate Rapids.        

The town and surroundings grew steadily. As the lumbering faded, some of the families that had been mill workers homesteaded the already cleared land.  Some land that had been. held by railroad companies was sold or reverted back to the state and offered back to homesteaders.  Farmers grew and shipped for, most, grain and cream to market centers like Grand Rapids.  Grist mills here made flour from home-grown grain, and a beanery was built to clean and sort local beans for marketing.  In the first three decades of her corporate life, Bellaire’s population figures reached and held quite steadily add above 1000 inhabitants.

In 1902 a dam was built across the Cedar River to provide Bellaire with electricity.  And in 1907 a larger dam was built in Bellaire across the Intermediate River to make electricity  for the city of Charlevoix, some 30 miles north of Bellaire.  The second dam made quite a change in the scenery.  About 6 miles of the river north of town was now a lake.  At Elk Rapids a dam was also erected.  This raised the water level of several lakes, then one affecting Bellaire the most being Grass Lake whose size was increased to 1800 acres.  Now boats could travel easily above and below the town.  Two favorite pleasure boats that plied the waters carrying happy sightseers up and down the chain of lakes were the Mable and the Ruth.  

Resorting has played a prominent part in the continually changing picture of Bellaire.  Before the turn of the century excursion trips were conducted to Northern Michigan by railroads.  Portable cottages to be used for bath houses, hunters’ cabins, fruit stands and the like were advertised by a firm in Grand Rapids, guaranteeing delivery anywhere for not more than $5.00 freight charges.

“Fisherman’s Paradise” was the first resort in the area.  Built by H.D. Smith, he brought folks from as far away as Chicago and gave them a real “away from it all” vacation.  A speciality of Fisherman’s Paradise was a real native Indian hired to make canoes all summer.  This display of local authentic craft delighted the city folks and brought them and their friends back again and again.

Old-time summer residents tell of the trails they used to travel to get here to occupy their summer cottages, especially the ones coming north Fromm Grand Rapids who drove their first autos up the 200 mile “wilderness trail.”  Earlier, vacationers came by lakes fro Chicago to Harbor Springs and Elk Rapids, but until the railroads came through the interior the resort business did not blossom as it did around the Lakeport towns.  Auto travel at first was a far cry from the modern variety.  Comfort stations ceramic-tiled and automatically ventilated were not yet considered the most necessary part of a gas station.  But along every reasonably good road the ever-faithful country school would appear about every four miles, each having the familiar “boys” and “girls” at the back of the lot.  these served as the first roadside rest areas and nobody felt they were trespassing, after all, weren’t they public property?  And tax-supported?

Many resorts and lodges have been built over the years and moire appear yearly; the first lodgings to spring up were the hotel type of accommodations, then for several years only private summer homes began to circle every lake and line the river banks.  Resorting in recent years has become a year-round business, winter sports having a large following and winter travel being made easy and safe.

After World War I, the timber long gone, many workers from lumber related industry went Minto other businesses or farming, which was proving to be less lucrative an occupation the first predicted. Some folks went to the city to seek factory jobs.  Bellaire, along with the rest of Northern Michigan, was suffering an economic decline several years before the stock market crash of 1929.  Not a town to boom and bust, but rather a steady, hold-the-line type of a town, she was destined to suffer another blow, but to pull herself up again. and not only to survive, but to prosper.

On July, 14,1921, at 2:30 in the afternoon a cyclonic windstorm caused some electric wires to cohort circuit, setting fire to the barn of the Harley Smith residence.  Another building, a garage across the street, started burning in less than five minutes from the first.  Fearing the while town would go up in smoke, a hurry call to Mancelona, Central Lake, East Jordan and Traverse City was sent.  They all answered the calk to battle the rampant blazes with the Bellaire Volunteer Fire Laddies who had a stream of water on the flame in three minutes from the call.  East Jordan sent their equipment by rail, arriving just 28 minutes after the call was put in.

The fierce wind sent burning shingles flying through the air to start new fires on and under the either buildings.  at one time during the height of the excitement no less than 11 burning residences were counted.  The area was suffering from a severe drought that summer, rendering the wooden buildings tinder-dry and especially vulnerable to the fire fanned by the high velocity wind.  Cinders and sparks were carried eastward more than a mile. The Catholic Church, more than a half mile from the first fire, was discovered in flames and was reduced to s smouldering ruin in 15 minutes.  By early evening the combination of the brick walls of the stores in the “Dinsmore and Nixon” block and a sudden torrential downpour of rain stopped the fire and saved the remainder of the town.  In all 11 buildings in the business section and the Catholic Church were destroyed.

Included in the list of buildings lost or severely damaged were the Riverside Hotel, the unused Beanery building and machinery, McPherson’s carpenter shop, the Empress Theatre, F>W> Smith’s bakery, and four residences; the loss was estimated at $300,000 (1921).

The declining economy of the 20’s was matched bye the population pattern.  Although the older folks stayed – many of them had helped to build the town – the young people left in droves to find their fortune elsewhere.  In the 30’s the high school had 3 men teachers, one also being the superintendent.  The elementary grades doubled up, making two grades for each teacher, and the women teachers served as counselors for the high school girls.  Population figures at this time hit a low in the 300’s.

As the whole country began to brighten economically, so did Bellaire, and by 1940 she began to show some signs of new life.  City folk were ready to look for a more favorablemplace to raise their families, and some who had been away for 20 years or so were ready to retire and come “home.”  Some new businesses were starters in the burned out (north) end of the Main Street, including a motion picture theater and a restaurant.  But it was after World War II that growth was noticeable.  

Outside the incorporated village is where the growth and expansion really shows; every liken the entire area now is circled with summer and permanent homes.  Two large marines sell, store, and repair boats of all kins for both summer and local residents.  Two log cabin companies build pre-fab houses and ship them to all points in the U.S.  Development companies converged on the area in the mid-1960’s; they are subdividing old farms and large acreages and selling lots or small acreages to people looking for a peaceful spot in the country on which to build a place to come for the weekends or yo live permanently.

The little grassy landing strip on the last, east side of Intermediate River was Bellaire’s airport in the early years of aviation, but when flying really came into its own following World War II the county acquired the strip and it became the Antrim County Airport.  It now has 2 paved runways, is lighted all hours of darkness, and is large enough to accommodate “corporation jets.”

Each town in the county: Bellaire, Elk Rapids, Ellsworth, Central Lake and Mancelona has at least one factory of. its own and some have several.  In Bellaire, Lamina Bronze, Inc. makes bronze pins and bushings and employs well over 100 men from the area.  Another plant making switches for the auto. industry employs over 100 women.  each town also has its speciality shops such as ladies’ apparel, crafts and sewing shops, modern pharmacies, furniture and carpeting stores,, auto parts, as well as all kinds of services.  There are buildings contractors, heating, plumbing and air conditioning and small appliance specialists.  Big and powerful machines now do big jobs fast and expensively, compared to earlier times, but with the saving of precious time.  

In 1978 a new county building Wass built to replace the 1904-05 Courthouse of late Victorian design.  The new modern edifice is large enough to house all of the county offices and services that are now necessary to guide, guard, and govern the lives and the living of Antrim County’s estimated 15,000 residents.  And so the circle of controversy is now complete.  If the original Courthouse was built with some’ differences of opinions,” even being delayed 20 years or more, the 1978 model was also built that way.  (The delay was shorter, because of faster moving times.)

So now the pendulum haas swung a complete circle; in the late 1970’s Bellaire is – as in the beginning – into industry, resorting and county government.