The French fort built here in 1691 controlled southern Michigan’s principal Indian trade routes. Missionaries and fur traders were here already. The fort became a British outpost in 1761. Two years later it was one of the forts seized by Indians . . . — — Map (db m1628) HM
The Four Flags Hotel opened with much fanfare on July 6, 1926. The newly formed Niles Hotel Corporation had raised $350,000 to build a hotel on the site of the Pike House hostelry. Chicago architect Charles W. Nicol designed the hotel, which was . . . — — Map (db m1629) HM
John and Horace Dodge.
Auto barons John (1864–1920) and Horace (1868–1920) Dodge were born and raised in Niles. During the 1830s, their grandfather, Ezekiel, had migrated from Massachusetts to Niles, where he ran a steam engine . . . — — Map (db m1707) HM
John Johnson Sr. donated property for this cemetery in 1838. His son Samuel had been buried on the land in 1835. John Johnson Jr. was among the township's first white settlers. The Johnsons and many pioneers are buried here. All but 20 of the 211 . . . — — Map (db m64953) HM
(Obverse Side)
Michigan Central Railroad Depot
This Richardsonian Romanesque-style depot was constructed in 1892 by the Michigan Central Railroad Company. Seeking to create a lasting impression of Michigan for passengers . . . — — Map (db m68480) HM
The local Methodist Episcopal Society, the oldest Methodist society in Berrien Township, was organized in 1840. In 1846 it voted to name its church in honor of Bishop Thomas A. Morris, then the head of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Michigan. . . . — — Map (db m64952) HM
Sportswriter, humorist, sardonic observer of the American scene, Ring Lardner was born in the house across the street on March 6, 1885. Possibly the best-known American author in the 1920s, he began his career writing sketches of sporting events for . . . — — Map (db m1632) HM
The Roman Catholic Church in Niles traces its origin to the Indian Mission established at nearby Fort St. Joseph in the late 1600’s. Reestablished at Bertrand, three miles south of Niles, in the 1830s, the mission moved into town in 1849 and was . . . — — Map (db m1606) HM
In 1851 the Reverends J.W. Hackley and D.G. Lett organized the Second Baptist Church under the Anti-Slavery Baptist Association. The first of four churches—a log building—was erected on the southeast corner of Sixth and Ferry streets. In . . . — — Map (db m1607) HM
The Chapin House.
This Queen Anne style house, completed in 1884, was the Henry A. Chapin family home until 1902. In 1932, when the City of Niles bought the property at auction for $300, the Chapin children stipulated that it be used only for . . . — — Map (db m1706) HM
This is the oldest existing church structure in Niles, located in the oldest Episcopal parish in the Diocese of Western Michigan. The first Episcopal service in Niles was conducted by Bishop Philander Chase in 1832. The parish was organized in 1834. . . . — — Map (db m1634) HM
In 1839 circuit riders from Ohio began preaching in Niles, using the barroom of a local hotel. In 1832 nine worshipers formed the Methodist class that grew to be the Wesley United Methodist Church. They dedicated their first house of worship in . . . — — Map (db m1605) HM
In 1854 Robert Hogue (1846-1905) migrated from Pennsylvania to Pipestone Township with his family. At age seventeen, he began teaching in a local school. He attended Adrian College, later graduating from the University of Michigan before he resumed . . . — — Map (db m64868) HM
William Burnett, an American patriot from New Jersey, established a trading post on the bank of the St. Joseph River immediately east of this point between 1775 and 1782. He was the first permanent white resident of this area. He married Kakima, . . . — — Map (db m64855) HM
Here in November 1679, on the Miami River, as the St. Joseph was then called, La Salle, the French explorer built a fort as a base for his western explorations. Here he awaited the Griffin, the upper lakes' first ship. When the ill-fated . . . — — Map (db m64837) HM
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, local river captains, mill owners, merchants and other professionals built homes in this neighborhood. Over one hundred of their homes remain. They exemplify popular architectural styles . . . — — Map (db m64856) HM
This cannon, captured in the Spanish-American War by Admiral Dewey, was presented to Three Oaks when its citizens raised $1,400 for a memorial to the men of the battleship Maine. This was the largest contribution, per capita, of any community in the . . . — — Map (db m1603) HM
Built in 1924 by Louis and Lena Gordon, and expanded four years later, Gordon Beach Inn was the centerpiece of the Jewish resort subdivision of the same name. The Gordons operated the inn for a decade before losing it during the Great Depression. . . . — — Map (db m64829) HM
The Bronson library originated in the early 1880s as the Ladies Library Association. In 1888 the township assumed ownership. Built with funds donated by steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie, the Classical Revival Bronson Public Library opened on May 23, . . . — — Map (db m64550) HM
One of the great routes for the pioneers coming west was the Chicago Road. The survey of the road began at Detroit in 1825 and followed closely the Sauk Trail which Indians had marked and traveled for centuries before the coming of the white man. . . . — — Map (db m64549) HM
(Obverse Side)
Branch County
Branch County, named for John Branch, President Andrew Jackson's secretary of the navy, was one of thirteen counties established by the Michigan Territorial Legislature in 1829. The village of Branch, . . . — — Map (db m66759) HM
Organized in 1837, the same year that Coldwater became a village, the local Presbyterian society held services in various quarters until 1844 when it erected its first church. It completed the present Romanesque Revival-style brick church in 1869 at . . . — — Map (db m122218) HM
On this site lived Cyrus Gray Luce, twenty-seventh Governor of Michigan. Born in Ohio in 1824, he moved to Branch County about 1849. He soon became involved in township, local and state politics, serving on the Board of Agriculture, in the . . . — — Map (db m66760) HM
H.C. Lewis Art Gallery
Businessman Henry Clay Lewis and his wife, Alma, built the original part of this structure in 1869 to house their extensive art collection and make it available to the public. The Italianate building complimented the . . . — — Map (db m103503) HM
(Front Side)
According to a long-standing Quimby family tradition, early aviatrix Harriet Quimby was born in the Coldwater area on May 1, 1875, to Ursula (Cook) and William Quimby. She spent her childhood in Arcadia, Michigan, and Arroyo . . . — — Map (db m67528) HM
The first formal step toward the founding of a state library association was taken by Mary A. Eddy, of the Coldwater Free Public Library, in a letter to Henry M. Utley of the Detroit Public Library on January 13, 1891. They had discussed this matter . . . — — Map (db m66717) HM
State Public School at Coldwater
In 1871 the Michigan legislature authorized the building of a special state public school to furnish temporary support and instruction for dependent and neglected children between the ages of four and . . . — — Map (db m68976) HM
Potawatomie Indians ceded Coldwater Prairie to the United States in 1827. The Indians called it “Chuck-sew-ya-bish,” meaning “cold spring water.” Coldwater is located at the junction of Old Sauk and Fort Wayne Indian trails. . . . — — Map (db m65858) HM
This impressive Second Empire style home with mansard roof was constructed in 1875 for Jay M. Chandler (1850-1884) and his young bride Frances. On this site from 1847-1871 had stood the Parrish flouring mill. Jay, the fourth son of locally prominent . . . — — Map (db m66761) HM
Methodists held the first religious services in Girard Township. Organized in 1832 by the Reverend Ezekiel Gavit, a circuit rider, the congregation met in homes and a school until a church was built in 1844. When that structure burned in 1887 it was . . . — — Map (db m165218) HM
(Front Side)
In 1906 Quincy businessman Charles W. Bennett and steel entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie both offered to build a library in Quincy Township. Carnegie required that the township provide the land and name the building after him. . . . — — Map (db m66774) HM
On March 7, 1837, the Reverend Calvin Clark of Homer led sixteen people in organizing the First Congregational Church of Union City. The congregation is likely the oldest of this denomination in the state. This Romanesque Revival building dates from . . . — — Map (db m65805) HM
On March 17, 1847, the Union City Iron Company was incorporated with leading citizens of the town as stockholders. The company was formed to produce iron from the bog and kidney iron ore deposits in Union and neighboring townships. A furnace was . . . — — Map (db m65808) HM
(Side One)
During 1836-37, cabinetmaker David Hull led the organization of the township's first religious society. Circuit-riding ministers held services for Union City's fledgling Methodist congregation on alternate Sundays. The group . . . — — Map (db m65806) HM
Methodists obtained a charter for Spring Arbor Seminary from the Territorial Council of Michigan in March, 1835. Later the institution was established in Albion on land donated by Jesse Crowell, a leading Albion pioneer and benefactor. In 1841 the . . . — — Map (db m27744) HM
"The Old Rugged Cross," one of the world's best-loved hymns, was composed here in 1912 by the Rev. George Bennard (1873-1958). The son of an Ohio coal miner, Bennard was a lifelong servant of God, chiefly in the Methodist ministry. He wrote the . . . — — Map (db m27745) HM
It was in the spring of 1911 that two freshmen at Albion College, Byron D. Stokes and F. Dudleigh Vernor, wrote the words and music for a song they called "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi." The song made a hit with their fraternity brothers, and . . . — — Map (db m27742) HM
(Front)
In February 1837 the Reverend Calvin Clark, a circuit riding pastor sent by the American Home Missionary Society, met with twenty-four persons and organized the Albion Presbyterian Church. The first church was built in 1840 on the . . . — — Map (db m28378) HM
Augustus P. Gardner (1817-1905), a wealthy hardware merchant, built this Victorian style house in 1875. A three-story, thirteen-room mansion with a mansard roof, it was Gardner's home until his death in 1905. In 1966, after decades of neglect, the . . . — — Map (db m116148) HM
In 1904 the Albion Malleable Iron Company began recruiting workers for its foundry. The arrival of six Russians from New York City marked the beginning of Albion's "Foreign Colony." By 1915 the Foreign Colony had grown to around 600 people of . . . — — Map (db m177134) HM
Marker Front:
On May 13, 1877, the second Sunday of the month, Juliet Calhoun Blakeley stepped into the pulpit of the Methodist-Episcopal Church and completed the sermon for the Reverend Myron Daugherty. According to local legend, Daugherty . . . — — Map (db m27817) HM
The first burial in this cemetery occurred in 1837, the year Michigan became a state. The previous year, land developer Jesse Crowell had purchased a one and one-half-acre parcel; he later cleared it for burials. In 1842 Crowell sold the land to the . . . — — Map (db m177130) HM
The first house at what was then known as the "Forks of the Kalamazoo" was erected near this site by Tenney Peabody, a New Yorker. To this cabin with its thatched roof of grass from the banks of the nearby Kalamazoo River, Albion's first settler . . . — — Map (db m27815) HM
Orlando C. and Adeline Gale erected this house in 1862. Built in the Italianate style, the house reflects the Gale´s prominence. Orlando and his father and brothers owned a succession of hardware and farm implement businesses in Moscow, Jonesville, . . . — — Map (db m177131) HM
The Albion College Astronomical Observatory was built in 1883-84 at the urging of Dr. Samuel Dickie, who later became president of the college. Dickie helped raise $10,000 to build and equip the facility. The observatory still harbors its original . . . — — Map (db m27743) HM
The Starr Commonwealth Schools In 1913 Floyd Starr purchased forty acres of land on Montcalm Lake to found Starr Commonwealth for Boys, a nonprofit home and residential school for wayward, delinquent and neglected boys. At that time, the only . . . — — Map (db m177156) HM
In 1855 Elder James Brown and his wife, Radley, established an African Methodist Episcopal Church in Battle Creek. The congregation met in members’ homes until 1860 when it moved into a church on the northeast corner of Maple and Van Buren Streets. . . . — — Map (db m177260) HM
Ernest W. Arnold designed this Beaux-Arts Classical-style city hall “to harmonize with the post office” located directly across Division Street. It was built in 1914 by Seirn B. Cole Construction at a cost of $305,000. The building’s interior is . . . — — Map (db m177335) HM
In September 1956, Battle Creek Community College opened near this site. Founded by Battle Creek Public Schools, it was originally housed in a Grand Army of the Republic Hall that was demolished in 1972. Begun with 176 full and part-time students . . . — — Map (db m177340) HM
The Battle Creek House, a stagecoach stop and the social and political hub of the settlement from 1836 to 1866, stood here. The balconied three-story inn was destroyed by a fire late in the 1860’s. In 1870 Daniel Reily put up a “solid brick” . . . — — Map (db m177277) HM
This firehouse, which opened on July 2, 1904, was the last one in the city to use horse-drawn equipment. Hubert C. Scofield, architect of Fire Station No. 3, designed the Richardsonian Romanesque building, built at a cost of $8,099. In 1917 the . . . — — Map (db m177261) HM
The second Battle Creek Post Office, one of Albert Kahn’s earliest commissions, opened in 1907. He designed the structure with reinforced concrete supports, an innovation he later used in his internationally renowned factory designs. The building’s . . . — — Map (db m177338) HM
Battle Creek Sanitarium The Battle Creek Sanitarium opened in 1866 as the Western Health Reform Institute. The institute was founded on health principles advocated by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. In 1876 Dr. John Harvey Kellogg became the . . . — — Map (db m177255) HM
This country schoolhouse, one of a vanishing type, was built in 1859 and named after Ira Beckley, an early settler. During the first year, thirty-three pupils used a library of forty-two books for a seven-month session. Instruction was offered in . . . — — Map (db m190180) HM
This farm has remained in the Bryant family since 1844 and retains much of its original Civil War era appearance. The ruins of stone fences erected without mortar still stand as a rare reminder of early settlement. Mary Bryant Mayo (1845-1903), . . . — — Map (db m178045) HM
C. W. Post A native of Springfield, Illinois, Charles William Post came to this city in 1891 as a patient at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. In 1892 he opened his own sanitarium and dedicated himself to developing and manufacturing healthy food . . . — — Map (db m177336) HM
This is Battle Creek, where the leading producers of ready-to-eat cereals are located. Early attempts to process grains into appetizing new foods for Sanitarium guests revolutionized the eating habits of people everywhere. Made in Battle . . . — — Map (db m177263) HM
Del Shannon In late 1960 the Hi-Lo Club, located on this site, “rocked” when the Charlie Johnson Band played Runaway for the first time. Johnson, whose real name was Charles Westover, was born in Grand Rapids and raised in Coopersville. . . . — — Map (db m177464) HM
Erastus Hussey Stationmaster
Erastus Hussey came to Michigan from New York State in 1824 and purchased land in Wayne County. Hussey returned to New York for a time, but in 1839 he and his wife, Sarah, purchased a building located about 125 . . . — — Map (db m177310) HM
The First Baptist Church, oldest church in Battle Creek, was organized in April 1835, with nineteen charter members. Meetings were held in the log schoolhouse the first few years. The present site was bought from Sands McCamley in 1843 for $275. The . . . — — Map (db m177332) HM
Congregationalists joined Presbyterians in organizing a church in 1836. When a split occurred in 1883, they formed the Independent Congregational Church. Chicago architect Joseph C. Llewellyn designed this Neo-classical church, built in 1907, to . . . — — Map (db m177272) HM
James S. and Ellen G. White were among the founders of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which was organized in Battle Creek in 1863. Long participants in the Adventist movement, they cam to Battle Creek in 1855 when the . . . — — Map (db m144851) HM
Kellogg Community College began in 1956 as Battle Creek Community College. It was housed in a Grand Army of the Republic Hall on College Street. Its enrollment quickly expanded beyond the location's capacity, and in 1958 city voters passed a millage . . . — — Map (db m177253) HM
Three generations of doctors made this structure their home. The attractive Victorian house was built by Dr. Arthur H. Kimball in 1886. Kimball, a city health official, came to this area in 1883. His son, Arthur S. Kimball, became Battle Creek’s . . . — — Map (db m177271) HM
The first Methodist class in this area met in the home of Daniel Thomas in 1833. Three years later services were being held in the log schoolhouse. In 1841 the first structure for religious services in the village was built by the Methodists 150 . . . — — Map (db m177334) HM
The Michigan Central Railroad Depot opened on July 27, 1888. Rogers and McFarlane of Detroit designed the depot, one of several Richardsonian Romanesque-style stations the Michigan Central built between Detroit and Chicago in the late nineteenth . . . — — Map (db m177339) HM
Postum Cereal Company Charles William “C. W.” Post (1854-1914) began his breakfast empire in 1892 when he opened La Vita Inn sanitarium on this site. Post’s first commercial success occurred in 1894 when he created the hot beverage Postum. In . . . — — Map (db m177342) HM
Calling themselves the Second Baptist Society, a small group of Battle Creek African Americans worshipped in their homes prior to 1849. That year, led by the Reverends Parmelee and Harris of the white First Baptist Church, they officially organized . . . — — Map (db m177254) HM
This flamboyant Arts and Crafts style house was constructed in 1912. Its first resident, Seirn B. Cole (1861-1947), was a native of New Jersey. He and his wife, Elizabeth Farmer, lived in Detroit before they moved here where Cole was the contractor . . . — — Map (db m177341) HM
Battle Creek is closely identified with Adventist history. The first church built by Seventh-Day Adventists was erected here in 1855 and the General Conference organized in 1863. The denomination’s first world headquarters, publishing house, . . . — — Map (db m177259) HM
The Quaker meetinghouse on this site was purchased at auction by local Catholics in 1863. St. Philip Roman Catholic Church has been on this corner since then. Its first school opened in 1880. The current Romanesque building, dedicated in 1930 after . . . — — Map (db m177273) HM
In 1839 Battle Creek’s first Episcopal service was conducted. Regular services were held in the schoolhouse after 1841 by the Rev. Montgomery Schuyler, then rector at Marshall. In appreciation he was given a team of horses. In 1842 Bishop Samuel . . . — — Map (db m177275) HM
Near this spot, facing the Indian Trail, the village’s first public school was erected in 1834. Built of logs, its floor, desks, and benches were constructed of lumber floated down the river from Bellevue’s sawmill. Warren B. Shepard, the first . . . — — Map (db m177313) HM
World War I created the need for increased medical care for returning soldiers. Veterans Hospital No. 100, a 500-bed neuropsychiatric facility that opened in 1924 on the grounds of Fort Custer, originally consisted of twenty-two Neo-Georgian . . . — — Map (db m190181) HM
Ward Mill Site In 1845 Joseph M. Ward (1822-1902) joined William Fargo in a livery and freight business, located on the corner of State and Jefferson Streets. In 1849, Ward bought an interest in a woolen mill on the nearby creek, which he . . . — — Map (db m177321) HM
This brick structure with arched windows and a decorative cornice was built in 1876, five years after Homer incorporated as a village. A fire station, jail, and city offices initially occupied the building which is located in the center of the . . . — — Map (db m78879) HM
The First Presbyterian Church of Homer was organized with thirty-four members under the direction of the Reverend Elijah Buck in 1838. Shortly afterwards, services were held in the “Session House,” which served the group until 1853, when the . . . — — Map (db m223759) HM
This site on Territorial Road was a gift of Seeley Neal (1778-1862) from 640 acres acquired from the government in 1831. Neal, a veteran of the War of 1812, built the first log house in the township. His was the first family to locate in the . . . — — Map (db m226150) HM
Presto-Change-O! From saloon to billiard parlor, to clothing store, to bakery, to museum, this edifice, built in 1868, has known many transformations. Since April Fools' Day 1978 it has housed a unique collection that celebrates the magician's arts . . . — — Map (db m28371) HM
Butler-Boyce House This handsome Italian Villa, with paired arched windows, is adorned with combined cupola and railing. Edward Butler (1814-1881) merchant, banker and first treasurer of Calhoun County, built the residence in 1858-61 on land . . . — — Map (db m177249) HM
First held in 1839, the Calhoun County Fair has continued to this day as one of Michigan’s foremost agricultural attractions. Floral Hall, the oldest building on the fairgrounds, was constructed in 1860 in the then-popular octagon style. The wings . . . — — Map (db m225528) HM
This 1860 building is the last of three Gothic Revival schools in Marshall. The name comes from its location on a site proposed for the Michigan state capitol. Donated to the Marshall Historical Society by the Board of Education in 1967, it is today . . . — — Map (db m177162) HM
Gorham (1812-1901) came to Marshall in 1836 from New York State. First a merchant, he became a banker and in 1865 organized the First National Bank of Marshall, now the Michigan National Bank. He was a defendant in the famous Crosswhite fugitive . . . — — Map (db m225807) HM
The Eagle Block, built in 1867, housed five storefronts and a millinery. In April 1870, the Eagle Opera House opened on its third floor with "The Naiad Queen" operetta. The theater hosted a variety of live shows through 1903. That year, on . . . — — Map (db m177220) HM
The Reverend Thomas Z.R. Jones, a traveling missionary, began visiting the Marshall area in 1838. On January 16, 1840, he helped organize the First Baptist Church of Marshall with eight members. The group erected this church in 1850-51. They . . . — — Map (db m225881) HM
First Courthouse Established in 1829, Calhoun County made Marshall its county seat in 1831. It built its first courthouse on this site between 1837 and 1840. Designed in the Greek Revival style, the building had a rectangular footprint with four . . . — — Map (db m177324) HM
Gauss Ice House In 1883, J. Fred Gauss (1838-1902) bought an ice house 500 feet east of here. He harvested ice blocks from the Kalamazoo River’s mill pond, using sleds and horses to move them. In 1894, he added a steam-powered elevator to move . . . — — Map (db m177174) HM
State Senator James Wright Gordon built this Greek Revival house in 1839, the year he introduced a bill to make his town state capital. Land near his house had been selected for the capitol grounds. Marshall’s hopes were not fulfilled but Gordon . . . — — Map (db m177157) HM
In 1866 northern Civil War veterans organized the Grand Army of the Republic to fight for veterans' pensions and other benefits. Michigan's first chapter was formed the next year. National membership peaked in 1890 with 409,489 men, while . . . — — Map (db m28380) HM
Harold C. Brooks
Harold Craig Brooks (1885-1978) was Marshall's mayor from 1925 to 1931, patron, and philanthropist. His interest in city beautification set a standard for preservation and adaptive use as early as 1921. He owned and . . . — — Map (db m225783) HM
Abner Pratt settled in Marshall in 1839 and in the 1850s became Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court. In 1857-59 he was United States Consul to the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands. Returning home, he built this house in 1860 to recreate the island . . . — — Map (db m28384) HM
Horace Perrin Horace J. Perrin (1819-1880) was a prominent businessman and industrialist. Born in New York State, Perrin settled in Marshall in 1846 and founded a general store in the city’s growing downtown. An accomplished financier, he also . . . — — Map (db m177173) HM
Howard F. Young (1889-1934), a native of Allegan, designed this Marshall post office building in 1932. Young studied engineering at the University of Michigan and was involved in construction work in Albany, New York, Detroit and Kalamazoo. His . . . — — Map (db m28390) HM
Isaac E. Crary and John D. Pierce
When attorney Isaac E. Crary came to Marshall in 1832 from Connecticut, he became fast friends with another transplanted easterner, the Reverend John D. Pierce. Interested in government and education, . . . — — Map (db m225763) HM
Michigan's first congressman lived here from the early 1840s until his death in 1854. Located on lots one and two, original plat, lower village, the house was a wedding gift from his father-in-law, Judge Abner Pratt. Arriving here in 1831, Crary . . . — — Map (db m226057) HM
James A. Miner, born in Marshall in 1842, began studying law in Clinton, Iowa, in 1860. Completing his studies in Marshall, he was admitted to the Calhoun County bar in 1863. There he was circuit court commissioner (1866-1870) and prosecuting . . . — — Map (db m28393) HM
Jeremiah Cronin Jr. House This picturesque residence was erected in 1872 for Marshall merchant Jeremiah Cronin, Jr., and his wife, Susan. Local contractor Frederick N. Church constructed this house, as well as Cronin’s 1869 Michigan Avenue . . . — — Map (db m177247) HM
On this foundation stood the log house of the Reverend John D. Pierce. Born in New Hampshire, Pierce moved to Marshall in 1831, where he founded the Congregational church. In 1834 he and Isaac Crary designed Michigan's school system, and from 1836 . . . — — Map (db m28394) HM
In 1831 Sidney and George Ketchum located here on Rice Creek. This first settlement in Marshall consisted of a water-powered sawmill and log cabins. Until the twentieth century this was an important industrial area, containing at various times a . . . — — Map (db m177154) HM
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