Otsego County, Michigan: History
The county was created in 1840 as Okkuddo County (meaning "sickly water," although the reason for using a name with such a negative meaning is lost). The name was changed to Otsego in 1843, possibly named after the county in New York, with the name ultimately deriving from a Mohawk or Oneida word meaning "place of the rock." It was organized in 1875. On May 20, 2022, an EF3 tornado struck the county seat of Gaylord killing 2 and injuring 44 while causing major damage to the downtown business district and severely damaging a mobile home park.