Shiawassee County. The population was 20,000 in 1870, 69,770 in 1990;
housing units was 25,833 in 1990; location is 4257'N 849'W; land area is 538.84 square miles
(344,859 acres); water area is 1.94 square miles (1,239 acres)
Click on high lighted names
for more History.
Thanks to Lila Han who supplied the information below.
Bancroft--- location is 4252'43"N 843'50"W; elevation is 854
feet.
Population was 599 in 1990; housing units was 209 in 1990; land area is 0.54 square miles
(345 acres). Zip Code is 48414.
BenningtonLocated on Bennington Road in Bennington Township.
Byron---location is 4249'22"N 8356'40"W in Burns Township.
Founded in 1824 by Judge Samuel W. Dexter. Major Francis J. Provost became the first postmaster here on Aug. 12, 1837.
Followed by Holden White in 1842. The village was incorporated in 1873, with Charles H. Lemmon as President.
Byron was a station on the Ann Arbor Railroad. The Post Office is still open with a zip code of 48418.
The
population was 573 in 1990; housing units was 219 in 1990; land area is 0.74 square miles (473 acres); water
area is 0.02 square miles (12 acres).
Carland--- location is 433'29"N 8418'17"W; elevation is 762 feet. In Fairfield Township, the village began as a station on the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northern Railroad in 1884 and was named after one of it's early settlers. A Post Office was opened on Dec. 3, 1884, with Ezra Lattimer as its first postmaster. The Post Office was kept in a home into the 1950's. Remaining today is a Methodist Church, a few homes and the grain elevator, owned by Gary Bendall.
Corunna located in Caledonia Township, the
first government purchase was made by Jonathan Kearsley in 1832. John Davids and family from New York became
the first settlers in 1836. The Shiawassee County Seat Company (Alexander McArthur, Andrew Mack and Horace
Comstock) platted the village in 1837. The Post Office opened here on July 24, 1838 with Joel K. Ankrim as
its first postmaster. It became the County Seat in 1840. The village was incorporated as a village in 1858
and as a city in 1869.
It is believed to have been named by Mr. Mack after LaCoruna, Spain, where he had
embarked with sheep which he brought over the Cumberlands to Cincinnati at the age of 24.
The population
was 3,091 in 1990; housing units was 1,152 in 1990; location is 4259'N 847'W; land area is 3.09 square miles
(1,976 acres); water area is 0.04 square miles (28 acres.
Zip Code is 48817.
Durand (Vernon Center) is located in Vernon Township.
The State of Michigan Railroad Museum is located here. The population was 4,283 in 1990, elevation is 796 feet
and the Zip Code is 48429.
Hendersonville now HendersonLocated in Rush Township.
Laingsburg (Nebraska)located on Grand River Rd. 8 miles west of M-52.
in Sciota Township. This beautiful stretch of Grand River Rd. has a unique cannopy
of trees. Laingsburg was founded by tavern keeper, Dr. Peter Laing in 1836. Henry Smith became its first postmaster
on Nov. 22, 1841 with the office being named Nebraska on July 8, 1854, but changed back to Laingsburg on Feb.
4, 1862. The village was not platted until 1860 when the Jackson, Lansing and Northern (now Michigan Central)
Railroad came through. It was incorporated as a village in 1871 and as a city in 1951.
This part of Shiawassee
County has seen a building boom, as many residents work in Flint and Lansing. The population was 1,148 in 1990;
housing units was 430 in 1990; location is 4253'N 8421'W; land area is 1.59 square miles (1,017 acres);
water area is 0.01 square miles (4 acres).
Zip Code is 48848.
Lennon is located in Venice Township on M-13, Genesee County line, between M-21 and I-69. This village was founded by Peter Lennon Sr. who got the Grand Trunk Railroad through here and it's depot built. He also built an grain elevator and other businesses soon followed. Lennon's farm was actually in Clayton Twp. of Genesee County when he became postmaster on July 6, 1880, but the Post Office was transferred across the county line into Shiawassee on Feb. 2, 1889. The Zip Code is 48449.
Middletown is located within Caledonia Township between Owosso and Corunna. Although Middletown is not an incorporated city or even a village, it is home to nearly 1,000 people. According to the 2000 census, Middletown contained 374 households and 264 families residing in the community. M-71 or Corunna Avenue runs along the southern side of Middletown. A small business district includes a carpet store, bank, church, auto recycler, window company, cement foundation contractor and even a bed-liner manufacturer. Middletown is probably the best kept secret of Shiawassee County. The beautiful Shiawassee River guards the north side of Middletown. Owosso is only a 1/2 mile to the west and Corunna is located 1/2 mile to the east.
Morrice--location is 4250'19"N 8410'42"W in Perry
Township two miles east of Perry on Old Lansing Rd. (M-78). Joshua Purdy became the first settler here in
1836. William Morrice, for whom the village is named, came in 1837, followed by his brothers, John, George
and Alexander in 1838. The Morrices were natives of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Morrice was a station on the
Grand Trunk Railroad and Charles Tyler became the first postmaster on May 14, 1877, the year the village was
platted and recorded by Isaac Gale. Morrice was incorporated as a village in 1884. Morrice continues to
grow and the population was 630 in 1990; housing units was 234 in 1990; land area is 1.05 square miles
(674 acres).
Zip Code is 48857.
New Lothrop-- location is 437'0"N 8358'12"W -- population was 596
in 1990; housing units was 210 in 1990; land area is 0.79 square miles (505 acres); water area is 0.00
square miles (2 acres)
Zip Code is 48460
First named Latham or Lothrop, it is located in Hazelton Township. The first land entry was made in 1836 and the name was changed to New Lothrop as there was already another Lothrop Post Office in Michigan. Carlton K. Runnels became the first postmaster on May 20, 1879 and the village was incorporated in 1957.
Owosso(Big Rapids) located in Owosso
Township with the first land entry made by A.L. and B.O. Williams on Aug. 2, 1833. The first actual
settlement was made in 1835 by Elias Comstock, Lewis Findley and the latter's son-in-law, Kilburn Bedell.
In 1836, John Overton and David VanWormer erected a double log house near the Shiawassee River. This
settlement was first called Big Rapids, but was given the name Owasso on Nov. 4, 1838, when Daniel Ball
became it's first postmaster. The name was changed again to Owosso on June 8, 1875. This area was first
platted for the Williams brothers by Daniel Gould in 1838, incorporated as a city in 1859 and having the
distinction of never being a village.
The population was 16,322 in 1990; housing units was 6,716 in
1990; location is 4260'N 8411'W; land area is 4.86 square miles (3,111 acres); water area is 0.02 square
miles (10 acres).
Zip Code is 48867.
Perry (Perry Center) is located in Perry Township on land owned by Horace Green and Dr. Joseph P. Roberts.
Shaftsburg (Woodhull) located west of Perry in Woodhull Township
was named after Joseph Woodhull, who with his sons, John and Josephus, became the first settlers here
in 1836. The village was organized in 1838 with John Woodhull as its first supervisor. David J. tower
became the first postmaster on Jan. 14, 1850. The office was closed on Nov. 12, 1857, but was reopened
on Nov. 19, 1874. The village name was changed to Shaftsburg on Jan. 19, 1880.
4248'17"N 8417'35"W;
elevation is 887 feet.
Zip Code is 48882.
Vernon Located in Vernon Township, was
settled in 1833 by Henry Leach of Detroit, followed by a squatter named Lathrop and Jacob Wilkinson,
the first permanent settler. James Raten became the first postmaster on Sept. 6, 1842. The Detroit
and Milwaukee Railroad came through here in 1856. The village was first platted in 1850, but not
recorded until 1866. Milo Harrington opened the first store in 1857. The village incorporated in
1871, with Russell E. Bell, a former D. and E. engineer as its first president. It was named after
it's township which was named after George Washington's home, Mt. Vernon.
4256'21"N 841'46"W
--population was 913 in 1990; housing units was 321 in 1990; location is 4256'N 842'W; land area is
0.73 square miles (469 acres).
Zip Code is 48476.
Woodhull (Shaftsburg) located west of Perry in Woodhull Township
was named after Joseph Woodhull, who with his sons, John and Josephus, became the first settlers here in
1836. The village was organized in 1838 with John Woodhull as it's first supervisor. David J. Tower
became the first postmaster on Jan. 14, 1850. The office was closed on Nov. 12, 1857, but was reopened
on Nov. 19 1874. The village name was changed to Shaftsburg on Jan. 19, 1880.
4248'17"N 8417'35"W;
elevation is 887 feet.
Zip Code is 48882.