Omer, Michigan
| Omer, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location of Omer, Michigan |
|
| Coordinates: 44°2′51″N 83°51′16″W / 44.04750°N 83.85444°WCoordinates: 44°2′51″N 83°51′16″W / 44.04750°N 83.85444°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Arenac |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.16 sq mi (3.00 km2) |
| • Land | 1.13 sq mi (2.93 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) |
| Elevation | 610 ft (186 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 313 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 302 |
| • Density | 277.0/sq mi (107.0/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 48749 |
| Area code(s) | 989 |
| FIPS code | 26-60660 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0634057 |
Omer is a city in Arenac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 313. Though self-proclaimed through signage on US 23 as "Michigan's Smallest City," it is actually the second-smallest city in the state as of the 2010 census. The smallest city distinction as of 2010 belongs to Lake Angelus in northern Oakland County, with a population of 290.
Omer was founded by George Gorie and George Carscallen, who set up a sawmill along the Rifle River in 1866. The town was originally named Rifle River Mills, but Carscallen, the first postmaster, wanted to rename the town Homer. However, he found a post office in another town called Homer, Michigan and simply dropped the leading H, producing the final name. The community receive a station on the Detroit and Mackinaw Railroad, while in 1872 the area was platted. In 1883, Omer was split off from Bay County into the newly formed Arenac County.
Omer was incorporated as a city in 1903. A fire in 1914 almost eliminated the city, destroying 40 buildings and ending the early thrive that Omer had. Two years later, a flood curtailed rebuilding efforts by washing out the local dam.
Omer is the location of the story of the "cussing canoeist", the man who received a ticket under a century-old law for shouting a long stream of expletives in the presence of a woman and her two young children after he fell out of a canoe on the Rifle River. The American Civil Liberties Union intervened on the canoeist's behalf and got the law struck down in court.
The second concerns the successful secession of two households from the city because the City of Omer was charging them a water tax while refusing to deliver water service to their property.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.16 square miles (3.00 km2) of which 1.13 square miles (2.93 km2) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) is water.
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