The quaint little village of New Era was founded in 1872 by Doctor Spaulding. He owned the Spaulding Saw Mill & came up with the name "New Era" due to all the new wonderful inventions of the time, like the telephone,the typewriter & the installation of the first elevator. New Era is located just 30 miles midway between the cities of Muskegon & Ludington on Old Route 31 or Oceana Drive, about three miles from U.S. 31 freeway. There is a nice little parking area where you can park & begin your biking or hiking on The Hart-Montague Rail Trail, a 22 mile long State Park Rail Trail, which passes just behind the downtown area. New Era is close to Stony Lake, The "Big Lake", Lake Michigan & The Silver Lake Recreation Area. New Era has many little shops in the Mall,a restaurant, gas station, bank, hardware store, feed mill, churches, hair salons, dairy, post office , golf course, insurance agency & car dealership. Just out side New Era there's a petting zoo & farm market that's great fun for the whole family. The Village of New Era has certainly seen many changes over the past 125 years & the pioneer spirit that founded the town still lives on today.