 Historically, Lake Cadillac was referred to as "Little Clam Lake".In 1873, local businessman George A. Mitchell founded the village of Clam Lake (renamed Cadillac, Michigan, in 1882) and constructed the Clam Lake Canal, connecting Little Clam Lake to Big Clam Lake.At the time, the canal enabled logging on the west side of Big Clam Lake; logs floated through the canal entered Little Clam Lake, on the east shore of which stood lumber mills, the railroad and the Village of Clam Lake.