In every successful community, there are people who work hard and volunteer harder. These are the movers and shakers who work their day jobs, and then go on to serve on boards or committees, secure grants, mentor our youth, or quietly place flags where our war heroes have been laid to rest. They build on our shared foundation and continue to enhance our community. Several more will publish randomly. Send us the names of the faces you'd like to see here.

EMIL JOHNSON - (1886-1963) ) Documents show that Emil started taking pictures in Mancelona around 1906. He and his family were living on Maple Street, and he had a photography studio. Through his photography, Emil preserved the history of townspeople, farmers, businesses and school children. He photographed the roads and festivals. Beginning early 1910, Emil took class photos for Mancelona High School. The school burned in 1946 and class photos were destroyed. When Emil died in 1963, his house was sold along with everything in it. The Mancelona Area Historical Society was able to acquire Emil’s photography equipment. His camera, equipment and hundreds of photos and thousands of glass plate negatives are on display in the museum. The Historical Society used Emil’s glass plate negatives to reproduce many of the class photos that were destroyed in the fire. The Historical Society published a book, Emil Johnson - Light Messenger: A Pictoral History of People and Places from Mancelona. It is available at Mancelona Twp. Library.