Wellington was a farming community that was formed as farmers began settling there in the late 1870’s to take up land left by the lumbering companies. Many of those farmers were Civil War veterans. Wellington existed officially from 1881 until 1918, that being the period of time that the Wellington Post Office was in operation. During that 31 year period the post office had 8 different locations, as whom ever was the post master kept the post office in his house. One of those locations is where Wellington Farm, USA is today.
One of those very early settlers was Wellington Batterson, a Civil War Veteran. He homesteaded to the area in 1874. He helped to organize Crawford County, he wrote the charter that created it and when the county was organized in 1879 he was appointed its first judge, a position which he held well into the 20th century and he was recognized as one of the most prestigious judges in Northern Michigan. It is likely that the post office and the community were named after him.
In 1918 the duties of the Wellington Post Office were taken over by the nearby city of Grayling and slowly the community of Wellington began to disappear. A few of the old homes and farm buildings still exist, but most of what was once a bustling farming community is now gone.
Wellington Farm, USA is a 60-acre living history complex depicting life as it was lived in a Midwestern farming community during the Great Depression. It is the creation of a local resident who, by his own admission, was born more years ago than he would like to admit on a farm in northwest Lower Michigan. The only son of a farmer and a school teacher, he earned degrees from Central Michigan University and Michigan State University. In 1960 he began a 31 year in education teaching music and theatre. For 17 years he was director of Adult and Community Education. With a background in farming and an avid interest in history he began to accumulate a vast collection of agriculture related tools and machinery. With his wife’s encouragement he combined his passions into what has now become Wellington Farm, USA. The farm opened in 1996 with one storage building, a sawmill and an outhouse. Today the complex has 26 structures and offers guided tours. Visitors are fascinated and entertained by the buildings, complete in every historical detail and the dress and storytelling of the very capable and knowledgeable guides.
The first historic building to be moved to Wellington Farm, USA was the Stittsville Church. Built in the thriving lumber era community of Stittsville in 1882, the church served its congregation well for about 100 years, but as the population of the area declined, so did the congregation and eventually there were not enough people attending services to provide for the upkeep of the building. It stood vacant for about 30 years. In 2005 it was moved to Wellington Farm, USA to save it from destruction. The building is now fully restored and is open for visitors to see. The building is used occasionally for weddings, memorials and a regular church service every Sunday during peak season.
Since the moving of the Stittsville Church to Wellington Farm, USA, three other historic buildings have made their way to the living history complex. It is a 1934 structure which was built on the shores of Higgins Lake by the CCC program. Another is the Toboggan House from a now defunct ski resort. The most recent building to be brought to the farm is a 1927 Montgomery Ward House which is currently under restoration and will be opened mid season of 2019 as the focal point of the Annis Farmstead.
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