Van Buren County(76) ► ADJACENT TO VAN BUREN COUNTY Allegan County(53) ► Berrien County(80) ► Cass County(44) ► Kalamazoo County(100) ► St. Joseph County(55) ► Lake County, Illinois(67) ►
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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 scholarship from . . . — — Map (db m68437) HM
Isaac Watts Willard
In 1838, Isaac Watts Willard (1803-1879) and partners Peter Gremps and Lyman Daniels surveyed and platted the village of Paw Paw. That same year, Gremps and Willard opened a mercantile and grist mill in the village. . . . — — Map (db m182883) HM
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
(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
One of the three great east-west routes of pioneer days, the Territorial Road from Detroit to St. Joe 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
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
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
(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
This Italianate structure was once the home of the Paw Paw Fire Department, which was organized in 1868 and whose members served without pay or compensation. At the 100th anniversary celebration of the fire department, it was noted that, "over the . . . — — Map (db m217920) HM
Chartered in 1865, the First National Bank of Paw Paw served the local community for nearly 70 years. Originally located at 131 E. Michigan Avenue, the bank purchased the lots on which the present building stands in 1903. Tearing down two old frame . . . — — Map (db m217915) HM
After a great fire ravaged this section of the village on January 13, 1888, businessman George W. Longwell (1832-1919) purchased the two lots encompassing this block and constructed the present brick Italianate-style building. He and his brother, . . . — — Map (db m217921) HM
The architecture of the Pump House is unique with its exaggerated roofline and solitary chimney. Water was first pumped from local artesian wells or natural springs. In 1908, the pump was converted from steam to hydroelectric power.
The wells . . . — — Map (db m217923) HM
22 November 1976 A.D.
This block of stone set in the year of September 1875, by topographical engineers of the U.S. Lake Survey marks the precise position of Paw Paw on the map of the world, it being 42°, 13 minutes, one and 66-100 of a second . . . — — Map (db m217910) HM
Service Gun
presented to Van Buren County by
M. L. Decker and E. A. Wildey
This gun was in active service during the Civil War on the famous Mare Island off San Pablo Bay, California. — — Map (db m218110) HM
The clubhouse was dedicated in December 1913 to serve as an inspiration for members to "live in the upper realm of thought, feeling, and faculty." During the 19th century, women in America became prolific builders of vital community institutions. . . . — — Map (db m217912) HM
On Saturday, September 2, 1901, a vast crowd assembled to witness the laying of the cornerstone for the new courthouse. The courthouse was to be a fine example of American Neoclassical architecture. The architect was Claire Allen from Jackson, MI. . . . — — Map (db m217922) HM
Originally constructed as Van Buren County's first courthouse at a cost of about $2900, this two- story temple-style Greek Revival structure now serves as Paw Paw Village Hall. Featuring a gable roof, clapboard siding, front façade with a . . . — — Map (db m217918) HM
