This 1838 Michigan Map Will Leave You With So Many Questions
This map of Michigan from decades before the Civil War will leave you with so many questions. The map was produced less than a year after Michigan became a state, and there have been lots of changes since then. There are many, many locations on the map that no longer exist today.
Here are the stories behind a few of them.
Ingham Court House and Biddle City
There's no Mason here. Ingham County shows the central location of the county seat, but it's not called Mason yet. And look where Lansing should be. The map only shows Biddle City.
Mason in Van Buren County
But you will find a Mason listed as the county seat of Van Buren. That southwest county only has one location you'll recognzie today - South Haven. Long gone are Lafayette and Lit. Pound.
Someone took the 'burgh out of Jackson. The city has worn three permutations of the name. Before it became just Jackson, it was Jacksonburgh (as shown on this map) and, briefly, Jacksonopolis.
All of Northern Michigan was just two counties
Only the southern third or so of the state's now 83 counties had been laid out by the time this map was produced. Most of northern Lower Michigan - everything north of Oceana, Isabella, Gladwin and Arenac Counties was Michilimackinac County while the entire Upper Peninsula was labelled as Chippeway County, the forerunner of today's Chippewa County - with its seat at Sault Ste Marie.
Click here to see the full image of the map and a print may be purchased here.
[reddit]