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   Lake County, orginally named Aishum after a well-known Potawatomi chief, was set off in 1840 and attached to Oceana County. In 1843 it was renamed to Lake for the numerous lakes in the county. For the next 30 years, it was attached to neighboring counties until organization in 1871. Chase, first settled in 1867, was the first county seat. Baldwin became the county seat in 1875. Baldwin was settled in 1872 and is named after Henry P. Baldwin, Governor of Michigan from 1868-1872.

White pine forests covered Lake County in the 1870's and helped make Michigan a leading lumbering state. Today the Manistee National Forest and the Pere Marquette State Forest covers much of Lake County.