Alpena

Town and administrative headquarters of Alpena County, northeast Lower Peninsula, Michigan, USA; population (2000) 11,300. A port at the mouth of Thunder Bay of Lake Huron, it is situated 100 km/62 mi southeast of Cheboygan. The original trading post (1835) became a major sawmilling centre in the late 1800s. When limestone quarrying began (1903) the cement works became the largest employer. Cement remains an important industry; other manufactures include paper products, auto trim, machinery, hydraulic cylinders, and beverages.

Alpena is a year-round resort with an annual winter carnival. The city's Sportsmen's Island has a wildlife sanctuary, and Thunder Bay Underwater Preserve (1981), on Lake Huron just outside Alpena, contains approximately 80 shipwrecks. The town is home to Alpena Community College (1952).