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 The Ottawa purchase unit was approved by the National Forest Reservation Commission in 1928. Acquisition progressed favorably and on January 27, 1931 the purchase unit was proclaimed the Ottawa National Forest by the President. The gross area of the original forest was 253,551.07 acres. The first extension consisted of 465,007.64 acres and was approved in September, 1933. The aggregate gross area of the forest was then 718,558.71 acres. The Gogebic purchase unit was approved on January 21, 1935, and consisted of 1,026,329.43 acres. This unit was added to the Ottawa National Forest by Presidential proclamation on January 11, 1937. The total gross area of the forest is now approximately 1.5 million acres.
The administration of the Ottawa National Forest is vested in the Supervisor and Rangers. The original unit consisted of one Ranger district in Kenton. It was first administered under the immediate supervision of the Supervisor of the three Upper Michigan National Forests, who had his headquarters in Munising.
The Ironwood office was established February 28, 1935 and the Ottawa National Forest has since been administered as a separate unit.
In February, 1935, the Iron River Ranger District was created and on March 1, 1935 the Watersmeet Ranger District was established. In the spring of 1935 the Wakefield, Ontonagon, Bergland and Marenisco Ranger Districts were authorized.
The Wakefield district headquarters was transferred to Bessemer in May, 1937. The Bessemer and Marenisco Ranger districts were consolidated on July 6, 1937 and are now administered as one district out of the Ironwood office..
Today the Ottawa National Forest has five separate district offices located at Iron River, Kenton, Ontonagon and Watersmeet with the Forest Supervisor's office and Bessemer Ranger District office located in Ironwood. The J.W. Toumey Nursery and the Ottawa Visitor Center, also part of the Ottawa are both located in Watersmeet, MI.
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