43 entries match your criteria.
Historical Markers and War Memorials in Van Buren County, Michigan
Adjacent to Van Buren County, Michigan
▶ Allegan County (51) ▶ Berrien County (70) ▶ Cass County (33) ▶ Kalamazoo County (40) ▶ St. Joseph County (36) ▶ Lake County, Illinois (61)
Touch name on list to highlight map location.
Touch blue arrow, or on map, to go there.
GEOGRAPHIC SORT
| On West Monroe Street (State Highway 43) just west of North Center Street, on the left when traveling east. |
| | To the honor of A. Lincoln Post No. 19, Dept. Of Mich. Grand Army of the Republic whose 296 members fought from 1861 till 1865 to save the Union, and to A. Lincoln Woman’s Relief Corps No. 89, whose devoted services for forty years have helped . . . — — Map (db m150271) WM |
| Near W. Kalamazoo Street at Oak Street, on the right when traveling west. |
| | This Pump Jack is typical of the many that were in operation in Bloomingdale in the late 30's and early 40's.
On August 13th, 1938, after several days of drilling on the Wiggins Farm, which borders the village on the north, the Fisher McCall . . . — — Map (db m69950) HM |
| Near W. Kalamazoo Street at Oak Street, on the right when traveling west. |
| |
(Side One)
Bloomingdale Oil Boom
This 90 ft, 1930's era oil derrick is typical of the many drilling rigs that occupied the landscapes around bloomingdale during the late 1930's.
It was originally located in Mt. Pleasant, . . . — — Map (db m69929) HM |
| On N. Van Buren Street at W. Spring Street, on the left when traveling north on N. Van Buren Street. |
| |
(Center Monument)
Dedicated to
all Veterans, men
and women who have
served our country
in peace and war.
Their memories
will never die.
(Left Tablet)
In memory of the
VETERANS
of all wars.
Erected by . . . — — Map (db m69952) WM |
| Near N. Van Buren Street at W. Spring Street, on the left when traveling north. |
| |
(Side One)
Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad
On April 14, 1869, Kalamazoo businessmen filed articles of incorporation establishing the Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad Company. Final construction on the line was completed in . . . — — Map (db m69951) HM |
| On Main Street (State Highway 140) north of Lake Street (34th Avenue), on the right when traveling south. |
| | This structure was the township's first commercial building and an integral part of Covert's development. In 1871 Packard and Sons Lumbering Company hired Will Frary to build a general store. Under George Michel's proprietorship from 1885 to 1915, . . . — — Map (db m69956) HM |
| On Main Street (State Highway 140) south of Orchard Street, on the right when traveling south. |
| |
The citizens of Covert
Township with solemn
pride and reverent
gratitude honor those
who gave their lives
to win World War II
1941 — 1945
William O. Bigoness Jr.
Walter J. Fitch
Edward H. Hecker
George E. Husek . . . — — Map (db m69958) WM |
| On E. Delaware Street (State Highway 51) east of Phelps Street, on the left when traveling east. |
| | Constructed at the turn of the century, this building replaced the original 1870 township hall. A Georgian Revival brick and stone structure, it was dedicated on September 19, 1901. Besides township activities, the hall has been the setting for . . . — — Map (db m68410) HM |
| On County Road 215 (52nd Street) at 84th Avenue, on the left when traveling north on County Road 215 (52nd Street). |
| |
(Obverse Side)
Hamilton Grange Hall
Local farmers organized Hamilton Grange No. 355 in 1874 and built this hall the following year. Lacking a town center, area residents congregated at the hall, which hosted elections and . . . — — Map (db m68413) HM |
| Near Red Arrow Highway 0.2 miles from CR 681, on the right when traveling east. |
| | This two and a half story brick building was constructed in 1884 as the county poorhouse and infirmary. Here lived the indigent and mentally retarded from Van Buren County. Able-bodied residents worked on the grounds and on the adjacent farm where . . . — — Map (db m44795) HM |
| Near N. Nursery Street 0.2 miles north of Acorn Lane, on the right when traveling north. |
| | Grape growing began in Lawton in 1868 when A.B. Jones planted 100 vines. By 1900 many eastern Van Buren County farmers converted their land to vineyards. In 1903 the Lawton Vineyard Company built a winery on this site, which William C. Houppert . . . — — Map (db m68432) HM |
| On N. Main Street (State Highway 40) north of James Street, on the left when traveling north. |
| |
Our
Fallen Heroes
From
1861 to 1865 — — Map (db m68411) WM |
| On W. Michigan Avenue 0.1 miles west of Gremps Street, on the right when traveling west. |
| |
(Front Side)
Dedicated in honor to the life of Charles R. Maxwell
Born in Lawton, MI April 8, 1927. Charlie was the youngest of four children of Tom and Isa Maxwell. He graduated from Lawton High School and received a baseball . . . — — Map (db m68437) HM |
| On S. Kalamazoo Street (State Highway 40) at E. Paw Paw Street, on the right when traveling north on S. Kalamazoo Street. |
| | This building opened as the Paw Paw Public Library on June 26, 1920. Jackson architect Claire Allen designed the library, as well as the nearby county courthouse. Pennsylvania industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated $10,000 toward construction and . . . — — Map (db m68434) HM |
| On E. Michigan Avenue at N. Van Buren Street, on the left when traveling east on E. Michigan Avenue. |
| |
(Obverse Side)
St. Mark's Church
St. Mark's parish, organized at the county courthouse on February 22, 1851, is Paw Paw's oldest Episcopal congregation. The Reverend Voltaire Spaulding conducted the first service in a vacant . . . — — Map (db m68435) HM |
| On W. Michigan Avenue 0.1 miles west of Gremps Street, on the right when traveling west. |
| | One of the three great east-west routes of pioneer days, the Territorial Road from Detroit to St. Jos tapped the rich lands of the second "tier" of counties. Approved in 1829, the road was not surveyed through Van Buren County until 1835. Although . . . — — Map (db m68436) HM |
| On East Paw Paw Street 0 miles east of South Kalamazoo Street (Michigan Highway 40), on the right when traveling east. |
| | Van Buren County
Settlers attracted by lumbering came to this area in the 1830s. By the 1860s a mild climate, rich soil and easy access to the Chicago markets created a thriving fruit industry in Van Buren County. The county was one of . . . — — Map (db m59383) HM |
| Near South Kalamazoo Street (State Highway 40) 0.1 miles north of Commercial Avenue, on the left when traveling north. |
| | Completed in 1898, this structure was built as a waterworks station for the village of Paw Paw. Water from artesian wells powered the plant, first by steam and after 1908 by hydro-electricity. In the 1920s the wells were capped, and the structure . . . — — Map (db m59387) HM |
| On W. Michigan Ave 0.1 miles west of Gremps Street, on the right when traveling west. |
| |
(Obverse Side)
This memorial is dedicated to the life of William Killefer Jr.
Born in Bloomingdale, MI, October 10, 1887 and moved to Paw Paw (1888). "Reindeer Bill" Killefer played catcher for Paw Paw HS state champions of . . . — — Map (db m68382) HM |
| On Black River Street 0.1 miles south of Dyckman Avenue, on the right when traveling south. |
| | By: Chief Pokagon
"Our traditional account of South Haven given us by ki-os-ag (our forefathers) was held as sacred by them as Holy Writ by the white man. Long, long bi-bong (years) ago Ki-ji Man-i-to (the Great Spirit) who held dominion of . . . — — Map (db m119267) HM |
| Near Water Street 0.1 miles west of St. Joseph Street, on the right when traveling west. |
| |
The City of South Haven took a major step forward in providing utility services to residents in 1892 when a water pumping station was constructed on the lakeshore. In 1895, the City purchased its first electric generator. The original water . . . — — Map (db m119261) HM |
| On Black River Street 0.1 miles south of Dyckman Avenue, on the left when traveling south. |
| |
Commercial fishing was part of South Haven's diverse maritime economy from the 1860s until the 1970s. In 1932, Christopher Jensen, a Danish immigrant, opened a commercial fishery on the Black River near the Dyckman Avenue Bridge.
The Jensen . . . — — Map (db m119266) HM |
| On Water Street 0.1 miles west of Kalamazoo Street, on the right when traveling west. |
| |
South Haven emerged as a commercial shipping center in the 1850s. By the late nineteenth century, lumber, fruit, and other manufactured goods were transported between South Haven, Chicago, and other cities on steam vessels. Commercial shipping . . . — — Map (db m119257) HM |
| On Phoenix Street west of Broadway Street, on the right when traveling west. |
| | During the Korean War, Corporal Duane Edgar Dewey of the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines from South Haven, was the first person to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor from then President Eisenhower. He earned the nation’s highest award for heroism on . . . — — Map (db m61712) HM WM |
| On Kalamazoo Street at Phoenix Street, on the right when traveling south on Kalamazoo Street. |
| |
When South Haven became an incorporated town in 1869, it was a tiny but prosperous village with a bustling economy. Lake Michigan provided robust fishing, lumbering, shipping and fruit industries and the downtown business district grew quickly. . . . — — Map (db m119254) HM |
| Near Bailey Avenue (State Highway 43) 0.2 miles north of Aylworth Avenue, on the right when traveling north. |
| | This is the birthplace and early home of Dr. Liberty Hyde Bailey, South Haven's most distinguished son.
As a very young man he became interested in plants and trees. This interest and knowledge constantly grew until he became the nation's . . . — — Map (db m59421) HM |
| On Dyckman Avenue east of Black River Street, on the right when traveling east. |
| |
Today, crossing the Black River is a far simpler task than in the past. Early travelers relied on ferryboats to transport them across the river until 1856, when a wooden drawbridge was constructed.
From 1889 until 1968, an iron swing bridge . . . — — Map (db m119255) HM |
| On Black River Street 0.3 miles south of Dyckman Avenue, on the left when traveling south. |
| |
As the City of South Haven's population grew, and with the arrival of steamship and train passengers, a greater need for entertainment became realized. The popular pastime of the day was "bathing" - referred to as "swimming" today - in Lake . . . — — Map (db m119279) HM |
| On Black River Street 0.1 miles south of Dyckman Avenue, on the left when traveling south. |
| |
(panel one)
In 1939, the Sturgeon Bay Boat Works built the Evelyn S for William Seliman Fisheries of Manistique, Michigan. A typical wooden gill net fish tug design prevalent during this period, the tug was sheathed in steel . . . — — Map (db m119292) HM |
| Near Bailey Avenue (State Highway 43) 0.2 miles north of Aylworth Avenue, on the right when traveling north. |
| | This property, known as the Bailey Home, was purchased from Liberty Bailey, father of Dr. Liberty Hyde Bailey, by Frank E. Warner in 1918. Mr. Warner made this his home until his death in 1926.
Mr. Warner was a pioneer fruit grower of this . . . — — Map (db m59420) HM |
| Near Hubbard Street north of Michigan Avenue, on the right when traveling north. |
| | In 1906 the South Haven School District built this four-room school in Ward 2. The school, designed by Hussey and White of Lansing, was constructed at a cost of approximately $7,000. It was named for local businessman and school board president E.H. . . . — — Map (db m69992) HM |
| On Dyckman Avenue at Park Avenue, on the right when traveling east on Dyckman Avenue. |
| | The Haven peach varieties were developed here by Michigan State University's South Haven Experiment Station, under the direction of Professor Stanley Johnston. From 1924 to 1963, eight yellow-fleshed freestone varieties were selected from more than . . . — — Map (db m59418) HM |
| Near Water Street 0.1 miles west of St. Joseph Street, on the right when traveling west. |
| |
In 1861, the first piers appeared on the north and south side of the entrance to the Black River. The channel between the piers was dredged to allow access to larger ships. In 1867, the piers were extended and the channel was widened which . . . — — Map (db m119260) HM |
| Near Indiana Avenue at Monroe Street, on the right when traveling north. |
| | This school was built for Ward One of the South Haven School District in 1898. Constructed at a cost of nearly $5,000 by William Buck, the handsome two-story building was designed by Frank S. Allen. It later took its name from the street on which it . . . — — Map (db m69989) HM |
| On Bailey Avenue (State Highway 43) 0.2 miles north of Aylworth Avenue, on the right when traveling north. |
| | The world-famous botanist and horticulturist, Liberty Hyde Bailey, was born in this frame house. Here in wilderness surroundings he learned of wild animals and plants and attended the local village school. He graduated from Michigan Agricultural . . . — — Map (db m59419) HM |
| Near Water Street west of St. Joseph Street, on the right when traveling west. |
| |
The Lifesaving Station was a prominent landmark on South Haven's waterfront for more than a century before it was destroyed by fire in 1989. The U.S. Lifesaving Service (USLSS) built the lifesaving station in 1887 to ensure the safety of ships, . . . — — Map (db m119262) HM |
| On Lakeshore Drive 0.1 miles west of North Shore Drive, on the right when traveling east. |
| |
For over a century, South Haven's beaches, fishing, and boating have attracted tourists. By 1880, steamship lines and railroads brought thousands of visitors from Chicago, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Resort hotels, guesthouses, cottages, and . . . — — Map (db m119280) HM |
| On Lakeshore Drive 0.1 miles west of North Shore Drive, on the right when traveling east. |
| |
The resort industry thrived in the latter half of the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s. Visitors arrived from Chicago aboard steamships that sailed into South Haven harbor daily. The Dewey Hotel, the Avery Beach Hotel, the Newcomes, the . . . — — Map (db m119281) HM |
| On Pearl Street at Pearl Street, on the right when traveling north on Pearl Street. |
| | This federated women's club, founded as a reading circle in 1883 and named for Sir Walter Scott, merged with the Literary and Antiquarian Societies to build a clubhouse in 1892. John Cornelius Randall designed the sandstone Queen Anne structure, . . . — — Map (db m69991) HM |
| On Black River Street 0.2 miles south of Dyckman Avenue, on the left when traveling south. |
| |
Between 1866 and 1902, more than 50 wooden ships were built at shipyards along the banks of the Black River. The construction of these ships was financed by the ship owners, local merchants, groups of shareholders, and small shipping companies. . . . — — Map (db m119268) HM |
| Near Water Street 0.1 miles west of St. Joseph Street, on the right when traveling west. |
| |
The first light was erected in 1873 at the end of a 225 foot wooden pier that had been in use since 1861. The square pyramid wooden structure consisted of two rooms mounted on a raised platform. The bottom room was for oil storage, the top room . . . — — Map (db m119263) HM |
| On Dyckman Avenue at Park Avenue, on the right when traveling east on Dyckman Avenue. |
| |
To
Our Heroes
Veterans of the World War
1917 — 1918 — — Map (db m69990) WM |
| On Water Street at St. Joseph Street, on the right when traveling west on Water Street. |
| |
The South Haven Lightkeeper's dwelling was built by the United States Lighthouse Service in 1871-1872, when South Haven's first lighthouse was constructed.
The dwelling was last occupied by a lightkeeper in 1940, when technical changes . . . — — Map (db m119258) HM |
RSS Feed