Historical Markers and War Memorials in Allegan County, Michigan
Allegan is the county seat for Allegan County
Adjacent to Allegan County, Michigan
Barry County(39) ► Kalamazoo County(100) ► Kent County(115) ► Ottawa County(83) ► Van Buren County(76) ► Lake County, Illinois(67) ► Kenosha County, Wisconsin(39) ► Racine County, Wisconsin(42) ►
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On Chestnut Street at Hubbard Street, on the right when traveling south on Chestnut Street.
Allegan County's name was coined by the noted student of the Indians, Henry Schoolcraft. The county was set off in 1831 and organized in 1835. Settlement of the county seat, Allegan, was promoted in 1835 by eastern capitalists who were attracted by . . . — — Map (db m69891) HM
On Walnut Street at Hubbard Street, on the right when traveling south on Walnut Street.
On June 15, 1858, the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd was organized; its parish was admitted into the Diocese of Michigan two years later. Built in 1866-69, this Gothic structure was designed by Gordon W. Lloyd and first used for Divine . . . — — Map (db m69890) HM
Near Brady Street east of Riverfront Plaza, on the right when traveling east.
By resolution of the Allegan City Council, this park is dedicated to the memory of
JAMES E. MAHAN, M.D.
1895–1984
Dr. Mahan ministered to the needs of the Allegan area -- both in the personal and public health fields -- from 1931 . . . — — Map (db m69900) HM
On State Street (2nd Street) south of Brady Street, on the left when traveling south.
This simply ornamented wrought-iron bridge was built in 1886. It replaced an earlier wooden one that had begun to fall into disrepair. Designed by the King Iron Bridge and Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the double-intersection Pratt . . . — — Map (db m69901) HM
On Riverfront Plaza west of Brady Street, on the right when traveling east.
"MEET ME AT COOK PARK, ALLEGAN, MICHIGAN"
The steamer Mildred carried passengers to and from Cook Park until about the time of W.W.I. The park was located at Cady's Grove, about three miles upriver from the dock behind the bank in Allegan, . . . — — Map (db m69899) HM
On Center Street at Mixer Street, on the left when traveling east on Center Street.
Side 1
In 1866, faced with the growth of what were then the separate villages of Douglas and Dudleyville, Saugatauk Township Districts No. 3 and 4 merged forming Union District No. 3. The Douglas Union School opened for classes in . . . — — Map (db m45325) HM
On Center Street at Union Street, on the left when traveling east on Center Street.
Dutcher Lodge No. 193
Masons from Douglas, Fennville, and Saugatauk chartered Dutcher Lodge No. 193 on January 19, 1867. From 1867 to 1870 they held meetings in a building owned by Worshipful Master Thomas Dutcher. In 1875, the western . . . — — Map (db m45393) HM
On Center Street west of North Union Street, on the right when traveling west.
From about 1854 to at least 1863, this surfboat was used for lifesaving purposes near the Saugatuck Lighthouse. It was one of 48 used on the Great Lakes and one of 137 used nationally. Joseph Francis, owner of the Francis Metallic Lifeboat Company, . . . — — Map (db m182126) HM
Mt. Baldhead is one of Michigan’s tallest dunes. Local Indians used it for their White Dog ceremonial sacrifice. In 1884 it became a park with camping at the foot and observation tower on top. In 1890, the first Fat Mans Club dune climb took place, . . . — — Map (db m73645) HM
On Hamilton Street west of North Union Street, on the right when traveling east.
Just north of here, where the river enters Lake nMichigan (the "n"
is silent), the once proud island nation of Singapore washed ashore
in the same storm that took the Edmund Fitzgerald, which may
explain the unusual devotion of Singapore's . . . — — Map (db m160034) HM
On Lakeshore Drive south of 123rd Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
Surveyed in 1839, the village of Pier Cove was once hailed as "the busiest port between St. Joseph and Muskegon." Before the Civil War, Pier Cove was a bustling community and a major point for lumber distribution, with ships departing daily carrying . . . — — Map (db m73498) HM
Near W. Center Street west of N. Union Street, on the right when traveling west.
The School House opened its doors in 1867, replacing a one-room school nearby. Known then as the Douglas Union School and part of a new public school consolidation movement in Michigan, the school offered classes at all grades—pioneering in . . . — — Map (db m73644) HM
On W. Center Street west of N. Union Street, on the right when traveling west.
On its winding path to Lake Michigan, the Kalamazoo River separates the land of Saugatuck and Douglas. While the north bank pioneer settlements of Saugatuck and Singapore got their start in the 1830's, it was not until the 1850's that the opposite . . . — — Map (db m73643) HM
Near Old Allegan Road, 0.3 miles east of 58th Street.
Spanning the Kalamazoo River, this 422-foot bridge is one of Michigan’s longest pony truss highway bridges, and among the oldest surviving swing bridges in the United States. The Milwaukee Bridge and Iron Company fabricated the $5,000 structure, . . . — — Map (db m73574) HM
Near Old Allegan Road, 0.2 miles north of 57th Street, on the left when traveling north.
1825 - Trading post established by Louis Campau (a Frenchman) at the mouth of the Rabbit River approximately one mile upstream from what is now New Richmond.
1825 - Mack’s Landing trading post established where Purdy’s Landing is now . . . — — Map (db m73571) HM
Near Old Allegan Road, 0.3 miles east of 58th Street.
New Richmond got its start in 1836, when three eastern investors, led by John Allen of Ann Arbor, arranged to found a city here. John Allen, a Virginian by birth, purchased 2240 acres in Allegan County on the north side of the Kalamazoo River just . . . — — Map (db m73573) HM
Near Old Allegan Road, 0.3 miles east of 58th Street.
The railroad has been a central component of New Richmond’s history from the very beginning. The first railroad bridge crossing the Kalamazoo River at New Richmond was completed in 1871. It was originally built for the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore . . . — — Map (db m73572) HM
On W. Main Street (State Highway 89) west of Maple Street, on the right when traveling west.
The early settlement that eventually became Fennville was established where two log roads crossed at a low place along the town line road between Manlius and Clyde Townships. Early maps show a church and sawmill on the high ground to the west of . . . — — Map (db m73526) HM
On 38th Street, 0.3 miles north of 144th Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
A Dutch settlement known as Oakland sprang up in this area about a decade after the founding of nearby Holland in 1847. Many residents worshipped with the Vriesland and Drenthe congregations until they formed their own churches. One group, North . . . — — Map (db m73681) HM
On Ottogan Street (E. 32nd Street), 0.2 miles east of 52nd Street, on the right when traveling east.
Members of the First Reformed Church in Holland founded this congregation in 1866 to provide a place of worship for the settlers living southeast of town. Heavy immigration from the Netherlands prompted this move. The Dutch language was used . . . — — Map (db m73682) HM
On Church Street, 0.1 miles south of 146th Avenue, on the left when traveling south.
(Side One)
Erected in 1862, this church was the center of the Dutch immigrant community. The first settlers in this area arrived in early 1847 led by the Reverend Albertus C. V. Raalte. In June of that year a separate group of seventy . . . — — Map (db m73685) HM
On East 147th Avenue, 0.5 miles east of South Waverly Road (54th Street), on the right when traveling east. Reported damaged.
The main portion of this building was the residence of George N. Smith, a Congregational missionary to the Indians in this area and at Waukazoo's Village on nearby Lake Macatawa. The mission was named after an Indian convert. Built in 1844-45 by . . . — — Map (db m73683) HM
Near Church Street, 0.1 miles south of 146th Avenue, on the left when traveling south.
In memory of the First Pioneers of Graafschaap of which the following are buried here
Lambert Tinholt 1849
Infant Neerken 1850
Geesje Kropschot 1850
Geert Kamps 1850
Roelafje Schrow 1850 . . . — — Map (db m73687) HM
On 142nd Avenue, 0.1 miles west of Beeline Road, on the right when traveling east.
Laketown Township was settled by Dutch immigrants who arrived in the area in 1847. Originally part of Newark Township, Laketown was set off in 1858 and named for its proximity to Lake Michigan. Officials did not have a meeting hall until 1884 when . . . — — Map (db m73641) HM
On E. Main Street at Franklin Street, on the right when traveling east on E. Main Street.
In Memory of Hopkins Township Veterans Lost in Wars
Civil War
Frederick A. Brewer 6-17-1865 • Darwin E. Calloway POW • William Everhart 3-28-1863 • Reuben Grommon 6-21-1865 • Reuben Hoffmaster 2-19-1865 • Homer . . . — — Map (db m74605) HM
On E. Main Street at Clark Street, on the right when traveling east on E. Main Street.
In Memoriam
U.S.S. Maine
Destroyed in Havana Harbor
February 15th 1898
This tablet is cast from metal recovered from the U.S.S. Maine — — Map (db m74606) WM
On E. Main Street at Franklin Street, on the right when traveling east on E. Main Street.
Jonathan Olin Round built the first log cabin in the area known as Hopkinsburg in 1837. His family came to join him in 1838. Other settlers soon followed. They settled in Hopkinsburg due to the good farmland the creek flowing through, providing . . . — — Map (db m74604) HM
On 10th Street at Templeton Street, on the right when traveling north on 10th Street.
On the 8th day of January, 1836, Mumford Eldred along with his second wife, Jane, and five children, settled on 40 acres in section 29 of Martin Township. The land included a 30 acre clearing on which the northern edge lived a small band of . . . — — Map (db m74657) HM
Near 10th Street north of Lee Street, on the right when traveling north.
We honor these Veterans who gave their lives while serving our Country. Their sacrifice and devotion helped preserve our freedom.
William Cornelius - 1862 - Army • Amasa Carpenter - 1863 - Army • Alvah Green - 1863 - Army • Alfred Leonard - . . . — — Map (db m74650) WM
On E. Allegan Street (State Highway 89) east of N. Fair Street, on the left when traveling east.
The Otsego Methodist Church was organized in 1842 and served by a traveling minister. The first church was built on this site in 1847. On December 22, 1889, over 900 townspeople attended the dedication of the present church. Many donated money . . . — — Map (db m69960) HM
On Jefferson Road, 0.1 miles west of 19th Street, on the right when traveling west.
Settled in 1831 by the Hull Sherwood and Giles Scott families of Rochester, New York, the Pine Creek area was first called “New Rochester.” Allegan County’s first grist mill was constructed here in 1834, attracting customers from miles around, and . . . — — Map (db m74596) HM
Near N. Farmer Street south of Helen Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
Dr. Samuel Foster and his family built the first frame structure just west of here on the banks of the Kalamazoo River in the fall of 1831. First called “Allegan,” the name was changed officially to Otsego in 1835 when land developer Horace . . . — — Map (db m73761) HM
On 142nd Avenue at 47th Street, on the right when traveling east on 142nd Avenue.
(Side One)
Overisel
Seeking religious liberty and better economic opportunity in a new land, the Reverend Seine Bolks and a congregation of about two dozen families, left Hellendoorn, Province of Overisel, The Netherlands, on . . . — — Map (db m73646) HM
Near N. Main Street north of E. Bannister Street, on the right when traveling south. Reported permanently removed.
Plainwell, formerly know as Plainfield, became an incorporated municipality in 1869, and later became designated as a city on March 12, 1934. The community is nestled along the banks of the Kalamazoo River and the Mill Race giving it the unique . . . — — Map (db m74530) HM
Near North Main Street just north of East Bannister Street, on the left when traveling north.
On January 26, 1886. twenty-five
businessmen founded the Michigan
Paper Company. Daniel Albertson, a
mill designer from Kalamazoo, built
the mill complex using slow-burn
construction methods. Supports were
made of concrete, steel or timber. . . . — — Map (db m230023) HM
Near W. Allegan Street (State Highway 89) at W. Bridge Street, on the right when traveling east.
The Soule Memorial Fountain was built in 1907, donated by Mrs. Carrie Soule in memory of her late husband, George Gary Soule.
The fountain was destroyed in 1953 when a truck driver from the Grand Rapids Hide Company was on his way to the . . . — — Map (db m74673) HM
On Grand Street at Hoffman Street, on the left when traveling north on Grand Street.
All Saints Episcopal Church An Episcopal parish was organized in Saugatauk on All Saints Day, November 1, 1868. Services were held at various locations until 1873. In 1871 the parish purchased property. Detroit architect Gordon W. Lloyd . . . — — Map (db m45324) HM
Near Shore Acres Drive, 0.2 miles west of 138th Avenue.
Chicago inventor and businessman Dorr Felt built this house as a summer home for his wife, Agnes. Felt held numerous patents, mostly notably for the Comptometer, the first machine to do complex calculations. In 1919 Felt purchased more than 750 . . . — — Map (db m73640) HM
On Hoffman Street at Griffith Street, on the left when traveling east on Hoffman Street.
On January 11, 1860, eight years before Saugatuck was incorporated as a village, a council of area Congregational leaders met in the Pine Grove schoolhouse and organized a church. During the summer the congregation built a church on this site, which . . . — — Map (db m45457) HM
On Culver Street at Griffith Street, on the right when traveling west on Culver Street.
Roger E. Reed, whose father was a blacksmith and carriage maker, built this structure in 1905. The front of the building housed an office and carriages, while the back was a stable of 25 stalls. Here travelers boarded stages bound for Holland, Grand . . . — — Map (db m45238) HM
The village of Saugatuck built this structure in 1904
to house the community’s first water pumps. The
building’s construction cost about $720.
The pumps were part of a water system designed by
John W. Alvord, an engineer from Chicago. The
two . . . — — Map (db m154313) HM
On Butler Street at Culver Street, on the left when traveling north on Butler Street.
Beneath the sands near the mouth of the Kalamazoo River lies the site of Singapore, one of Michigan's most famous ghost towns. Founded in the 1830's by New York land speculators, who hoped it would rival Chicago or Milwaukee as a lake port, . . . — — Map (db m45269) HM
On Old Allegan Road, 0.1 miles west of New Richmond Road, on the right when traveling east.
When Allegan county was organized in 1835, the only road from the interior to Lake Michigan followed an Indian Trail along the Kalamazoo River. In 1838 Ralph Mann of Connecticut was supervising improvements at the short-lived town of Richmond. He . . . — — Map (db m73603) HM
Near Old Allegan Road, 0.1 miles west of New Richmond Road.
You are near the center of Historic Saugatuck Township in River Bluff Park. The first settlers came here to a howling wilderness in the early 1830's. Within the township, Saugatuck is a half-mile to the west on the Old Allegan Road. Across the . . . — — Map (db m73604) HM
On 124th Avenue east of Pearl Street, on the right when traveling east.
In the 1870's the Village of Shelbyville was created by the arrival of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad. Shelbyville was named after the first railroad station agent, Mr. Shelby. Since there was already a Michigan town named Shelby, the . . . — — Map (db m74594) HM
On S. Main Street at Pine Street, on the right when traveling north on S. Main Street.
Upon her death in April 1899, Julia Robinson Henika bequeathed two thousand dollars to the Wayland Ladies Library Association for construction of a library building. Her husband George H. Henika, and mother, Mary Forbes, later donated additional . . . — — Map (db m73679) HM
On N. Main Street at E. Superior Street, on the right when traveling north on N. Main Street.
It is hard to imagine now, but 200 years ago, the place we know as Wayland was densely forested and the people who lived here, the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of the Pottawatomi, lived in settled villages, farming, hunting, and gathering the rich . . . — — Map (db m73677) HM
