Harrisville is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alcona County. The population was 514 at the 2000 census. The city is surrounded by Harrisville Township, but is administratively autonomous. The place was first known as "Davison's Mill" after Crosier Davison, who in partnership with Simeon Holden, had purchased land and water power rights here in 1854. Benjamin Harris and his sons, Levi and Henry, of West Bloomfield, New York. A post office established in 1857 was named Harrisville, after the family operations. It was platted in 1870, incorporated as a village in 1887, and as a city in 1905. Harrisville is on the edge of Huron National Forest, which offers outdoor recreational opportunities such as hunting, swimming, cross-country skiing and trout fishing. The forest contains 330 miles of hiking trails. The Huron and Manistee National Forests were separately designated, but were combined in 1945 for administrative purposes. The Lake Huron beaches in and around Harrisville (including two state parks) have been recognized as being among the "top ten in Michigan. " "Old-fashioned lake vacations abound on this pretty stretch of Lake Huron. " Harrisville is situated along the Lake State Railway, formerly the Detroit and Mackinac Railway (D&M). The D&M passenger depot is made of stone, which makes it one of two along the railway (the other being in Standish). It is privately maintained by local citizens as part of the municipality's historical legacy.