Hastings in Barry County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Early Hastings
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2017
1. Early Hastings Marker
Barry County, organized in 1839, was named after U.S. Postmaster General William Barry. Hastings, the county seat, was platted in 1836 and chartered as a village in 1855. The present courthouse was completed in 1892. A newspaper was published here in 1851, and in 1869 the first railroad reached town. Dr. William Upjohn, founder of the pharmaceutical firm that bears his name, established his practice here after the Civil War and perfected a process for the commercial manufacture of the friable pill. Judge Ella C. Eggleston, one of the first women probate judges in the state, began her term of office here in 1919.
Erected 1969 by Michigan Historical Commission. (Marker Number S291.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Science & Medicine • Settlements & Settlers • Women. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1839.
Location. 42° 38.911′ N, 85° 17.414′ W. Marker is in Hastings, Michigan, in Barry County. It is on West State Street just east of South Broadway Street (State Highway 37), on the right when traveling east. Marker is located near the northwest corner of the Barry County Courthouse grounds, facing
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in West Michigan and in Greater Grand Rapids. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Governor Kim Sigler (within shouting distance of this marker); George W. Lowry House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Railroad Depot (about 400 feet away); This Block of Brick Paving (about 400 feet away); Hastings City Bank (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Hastings City Bank (about 500 feet away); Methodist Episcopal Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Striker House (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hastings.
Also see . . .
1. About Hastings. City website entry (Submitted on March 19, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. William E. Upjohn. Wikipedia entry:
Upjohn practiced medicine for 10 years in Hastings, Michigan. In his home, Dr. Upjohn experimented with ways to improve the means of administering medicine. He invented the easily digested friable pill, for which he received a patent in 1885. In 1886, he founded The Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company in Kalamazoo to manufacture friable pills and served 40 years as company president. (Submitted on May 20, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2017
2. Early Hastings Marker
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2017
3. Barry County Courthouse
Credits. This page was last revised on December 16, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 20, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,154 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 20, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
