Once the prospering hub of northern Michigan, Thompsonville saw its good fortune decline after the virgin forests were logged out. Gone was the lumber that provided the raw supplies for its mills and factories. Eventually, the railroads disappeared, too, ending a heyday era railway traffic that brought passengers and commerce. This book is the story of the travails of a small northwest Michigan village that enjoyed robust and rapid growth at the turn of the 19th century but lost its stature over time. Early on, Thompsonville served as a busy hub of two trains lines, one heading to Frankfort and the other to Traverse City and eventually Petoskey, Michigan. But its early prosperity quickly flagged after the virgin forests were depleted by lumbering operations. Add to the mix multiple downtown fires and dam failures. New businesses (which didn’t depend on lumber) tried to make a go of it, but success was elusive. Some nearby towns and villages suffered the same fate and became ghost towns. Yet Thompsonville somehow managed to hold on. The book concludes with a hopeful chapter about the village’s revitalization, thanks to the Betsie Valley Trail and nearby Crystal Mountain Resort, which are drawing an influx of outdoor enthusiasts and new residents, who treasure the rivers, forests and fresh-water lakes. In his thoroughly researched and delightfully illustrated Thompsonville in Time: A Northwest Michigan Story 1890- 2021 , Charles T. Kraus brings a fresh view to Thompsonville's unique history which truly began late in the 19th century when two rail lines crossed in the middle of Benzie County Michigan. Building on Bryce Gibbs' earlier Thompsonville: A History , Kraus covers it all-all aspects of Thompsonville life, from work to play, bringing to life a Thompsonville lost in the first half of the 20th century to the decline of the lumber industry and the railroads. JOHN FIERST, public service librarian (retired), Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University BiographyAuthor Charles "Chuck" T. Kraus serves as a board member of the Benzie Area Historical Society and Museum, the sponsor of Thompsonville in Time. His research for the State of Michigan Historic Marker in Thompsonville led him to writing this book to commemorate the fascinating history of this oft-overlooked town. Prior to moving to northwest Michigan in 2016, Kraus worked as a urologist in Canton, Ohio, for thirty-five years in private practice. Drawn by northwest Michigan's natural beauty, he and his family annually summered on Glen Lake for twenty-five years. Kraus and his wife, Judy, long dreamed of settling here permanently and now live in Weldon Township. Kraus completed the Northwest Michigan College Northern Naturalist Certificate in 2021. He serves on the Benzie Parks and Recreation Commission and the Weldon Township Planning Commission. He also serves as an alpine ski patroller at Crystal Mountain, a ski and golf resort located a stone's throw from Thompsonville. For recreation he enjoys fly fishing, biking, photography, reading history, and teaching his grandchildren to appreciate the natural world.