Now in the center of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the town of Empire, Michigan was founded in 1851 and incorporated in 1895. It's named after the schooner "Empire" which was icebound in the city during a storm in 1865.

Empires main industry was lumber, with the Empire Lumber Company in operation from 1887 to 1917. The city beach provides some spectacular views of Sleeping Bear Dunes. Photo by Dave Alexander.