County: Cass (14)

Cass County, Michigan was named after Lewis Cass, the Michigan Territorial Governor at the time the county was created in 1829. Cass was instrumental in making treaties with Native Americans that opened up the land to white settlers. He was also the Democratic nominee for President in 1848.

Cass County was originally inhabited by the Hopewellian Civilization between 100-400 B.C. Later, three bands of Native Americans, including the Potawatomi, made Cass County their home. Today, over 1,500 Potawatomi descendants live and work in Cass County.

The first governmental seat of Cass County was Geneva, a small community in Penn Township. In 1832, Cassopolis was designated as the county seat. The first store in Cassopolis opened in 1832.

Created from: Michigan Territory (1829)

Boundary finalized:  1837

Population: 1900 = 20,876  | 2000 = 51,589


Notes


Time Line

1829. October 29. CASS created by Michigan Territory from Non-County Area 1 attached to LENAWEE; CASS not fully organized, not attached. (Mich. Terr. Laws, 2:sec. 12/p. 737)

1829. November 4. CASS fully organized. BERRIEN and VAN BUREN attached to CASS; part of Non-County Area 1 detached from LENAWEE, attached to CASS. All attachments were for administrative and judicial purposes. (Mich. Terr. Laws, 2:744-746)

1831. March 2. CASS lost all of attached Non-County Area 1 to creation of ALLEGAN and OTTAWA; Non-County Area 1 eliminated. (Mich. Terr. Laws, 3:secs. 4-5/p. 871 )

1831. March 3. CASS lost small area to ST. JOSEPH. (Mich. Terr. Laws, 3:889)

1831. September 1. BERRIEN fully organized, detached from CASS. (Mich. Terr. Laws, 3:902-903)

1837. April 3. VAN BUREN fully organized, detached from CASS. (Mich. Acts 1837, ann. sess., no. 51/p. 97)

Source: [NL]

Bibliography

The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:

  • [AAB| = All Aboard!, by Willis Dunbar, Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids ©1969.
  • [AAN] = Alpena Argus newspaper.
  • [AARQJ] = American Association of Railroads Quiz Jr. pamphlet. © 1956
  • [AATHA] = Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association newsletter "The Double A"
  • [AB] = Information provided at Michigan History Conference from Andrew Bailey, Port Huron, MI

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