It was first settled in 1871 by civil war hero Captain Charles Pease, who served as an escort and guide for land speculator Lars Kovala at the time.[4][5] Was given a post office and named Barkville on Nov 30 1877. Its first postmaster was Luke D. McKenna. It was renamed Bark River in 1882. Its first post office was renamed on July 11, 1899.[6]
^*Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities (Paperback). Great Lakes Books Series. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. p. 43. ISBN081431838X.
^Cheney Sentinel. 13 September 1889. p. 1, col. 2. (A newspaper in Cheney, Washington).
^*Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities (Paperback). Great Lakes Books Series. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. p. 43. ISBN081431838X.