Cass County, Michigan
Cass County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 41°55′N 85°59′W / 41.91°N 85.99°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Michigan |
Founded | 1829[1] |
Named for | Lewis Cass |
Seat | Cassopolis |
Largest city | Dowagiac |
Area | |
• Total | 508 sq mi (1,320 km2) |
• Land | 490 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
• Water | 18 sq mi (50 km2) 3.6% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 51,589 |
• Density | 105/sq mi (41/km2) |
Congressional district | 5th |
Website | www |
Cass County is a
Cass County is included in the
History
The county is named for
Cass County was not as heavily forested and had more fertile prairie land than other nearby areas of Michigan. During early settlement, it attracted numerous settlers who wanted to farm and grew more rapidly in population.
The county quickly developed industry as well. As early as 1830, a carding mill was started in the county on Dowagiac Creek, a branch of the
Among the most prominent early settlers of Cass County were Baldwin Jenkins and Uzziel Putnam, who both came from Ohio by way of the Carey Mission in Berrien County. Jenkins had been born at Fort Jenkins in Green County, Pennsylvania, and had migrated to Tennessee. He left that state as he was opposed to the institution of slavery. Putnam, who had lived in Massachusetts and New York, migrated to Cass from Erie County, Ohio, by way of Fort Wayne. These settlers, and their families, established the nucleus of the village of Pokagon on Pokagon Prairie in 1825. The next year, a settlement was made on Beardsley's Prairie, where the village of Edwardsburg was laid out in 1831.[6]
The village of
Black settlers
After 1840, the black population of Cass County grew rapidly as families were attracted by white defiance of discriminatory laws, including the
In 1847 and 1849, planters from Bourbon and Boone counties in Northern Kentucky led raids into Cass County to recapture escaped slaves. They were "surrounded by crowds of angry farmers armed with clubs, scythes, and other farm implements", resisting their attempt.[8]
The raids failed to accomplish their objective but strengthened Southern demands for passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which required residents and law enforcement even in free states to support capture of refugee slaves, and increased penalties for failure to do so. Biased toward slaveholders and slavecatchers, it required little documentation and put free blacks at risk for capture and sale into slavery. Many in the North resisted the law, especially in abolitionist strongholds, and it increased tensions contributing to the Civil War.[9]
Cass County became known early on for the anti-slavery attitudes of its population. Pennsylvania
Historical markers
Some 26 historical sites in Cass County have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated by state historical markers as of December 2009.[11]
Name of Site | City Location | Date Listed | Marker erected |
---|---|---|---|
Cass County Courthouse | Cassopolis
|
12/14/1976 | 08/17/1977 |
Cass County Office Building / Masonic Temple | Cassopolis
|
07/23/1985 | N/A |
Centennial Hall Building | Marcellus, Michigan | 03/19/1980 | N/A |
Chain Lake Baptist Church Cemetery | Calvin Township, Michigan | 12/05/1986 | 04/07/1992 |
First Methodist Episcopal Church | Dowagiac
|
07/18/1996 | 10/12/1999 |
First Methodist Episcopal Church of Pokagon | Pokagon Township
|
04/01/2002 | N/A |
First Universalist Church of Dowagiac | Dowagiac
|
05/30/1984 | 09/08/1982 |
Jarius Hitchcox House | Union | 12/10/1971 | N/A |
Indian Lake Cemetery | Silver Creek Township
|
03/15/1990 | N/A |
Carroll Sherman Jones House | Marcellus, Michigan | 03/15/1990 | N/A |
George Washington Jones House
|
Marcellus, Michigan | 12/09/1994 | 01/17/1986 |
Joseph Webster Lee House | Ontwa Township
|
03/19/1987 | N/A |
Mason District Number 5 Schoolhouse | Mason Township | 06/10/1980 | 10/06/1981 |
Methodist Episcopal Church | Dowagiac
|
01/20/2000 | 02/02/2000 |
Michigan Central Railroad Dowagiac Depot
|
Dowagiac
|
N/A | N/A |
George Newton House | Volinia Township
|
11/14/1974 | 10/07/1977 |
Poe's Corners | Newberg Township
|
03/21/1991 | 06/25/1991 |
Presbyterian Church of Edwardsburg | Edwardsburg
|
04/20/2000 | 06/09/2000 |
Sylvador T. Read House | Cassopolis
|
06/10/1980 | N/A |
Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church | Silver Creek Township
|
01/16/1976 | 07/19/1977 |
Smith's Chapel and Cemetery
|
Milton Township | 04/24/1979 | 04/07/1981 |
Sumnerville Cemetery | Niles, Michigan | 01/20/2000 | N/A |
Sumnerville Mounds | Dowagiac, Michigan | 01/20/2000 | 2000 |
Thompson Road/Air Line Railroad Bridge | Howard Township | N/A | N/A |
Underground Railroad Informational Designation | Vandalia, Michigan | 01/19/1957 | 04/12/1957 |
Wayne Township School District No. 7 School | Wayne Township
|
04/19/1990 | N/A |
Geography
According to the
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Van Buren County (north)
- St. Joseph County (east)
- Berrien County (west)
- Elkhart County, Indiana (southeast)
- St. Joseph County, Indiana (southwest)
Government
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 16,699 | 63.63% | 9,130 | 34.79% | 413 | 1.57% |
2016 | 14,243 | 63.04% | 7,270 | 32.18% | 1,082 | 4.79% |
2012 | 12,659 | 56.29% | 9,591 | 42.65% | 240 | 1.07% |
2008 | 11,114 | 47.14% | 12,083 | 51.25% | 379 | 1.61% |
2004 | 12,964 | 57.12% | 9,537 | 42.02% | 196 | 0.86% |
2000 | 10,545 | 53.19% | 8,808 | 44.43% | 472 | 2.38% |
1996 | 7,373 | 41.01% | 8,207 | 45.65% | 2,400 | 13.35% |
1992 | 7,391 | 36.44% | 8,047 | 39.67% | 4,845 | 23.89% |
1988 | 10,229 | 57.61% | 7,444 | 41.92% | 83 | 0.47% |
1984 | 11,647 | 63.32% | 6,634 | 36.07% | 113 | 0.61% |
1980 | 11,206 | 56.78% | 7,058 | 35.76% | 1,471 | 7.45% |
1976 | 9,893 | 55.15% | 7,843 | 43.72% | 203 | 1.13% |
1972 | 10,398 | 66.31% | 4,982 | 31.77% | 301 | 1.92% |
1968 | 6,996 | 46.93% | 5,616 | 37.68% | 2,294 | 15.39% |
1964 | 5,925 | 40.19% | 8,789 | 59.62% | 28 | 0.19% |
1960 | 8,585 | 56.79% | 6,468 | 42.79% | 64 | 0.42% |
1956 | 8,899 | 64.54% | 4,842 | 35.12% | 47 | 0.34% |
1952 | 8,479 | 64.86% | 4,500 | 34.42% | 93 | 0.71% |
1948 | 5,615 | 62.17% | 3,201 | 35.44% | 216 | 2.39% |
1944 | 6,566 | 65.33% | 3,417 | 34.00% | 68 | 0.68% |
1940 | 6,868 | 60.95% | 4,340 | 38.52% | 60 | 0.53% |
1936 | 4,525 | 43.74% | 5,114 | 49.43% | 706 | 6.82% |
1932 | 3,994 | 41.45% | 5,349 | 55.51% | 293 | 3.04% |
1928 | 5,720 | 70.24% | 2,346 | 28.81% | 77 | 0.95% |
1924 | 4,545 | 59.93% | 2,328 | 30.70% | 711 | 9.38% |
1920 | 4,498 | 74.25% | 1,286 | 21.23% | 274 | 4.52% |
1916 | 2,518 | 46.67% | 2,666 | 49.42% | 211 | 3.91% |
1912 | 1,462 | 27.14% | 2,076 | 38.54% | 1,849 | 34.32% |
1908 | 3,082 | 52.72% | 2,466 | 42.18% | 298 | 5.10% |
1904 | 3,150 | 57.61% | 1,937 | 35.42% | 381 | 6.97% |
1900 | 3,217 | 51.81% | 2,825 | 45.50% | 167 | 2.69% |
1896 | 3,034 | 49.05% | 3,012 | 48.70% | 139 | 2.25% |
1892 | 2,731 | 47.71% | 2,424 | 42.35% | 569 | 9.94% |
1888 | 2,929 | 50.62% | 2,564 | 44.31% | 293 | 5.06% |
1884 | 2,764 | 48.25% | 2,744 | 47.90% | 221 | 3.86% |
The county government operates the
In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
Elected officials
- Prosecuting Attorney: Victor Fitz
- Sheriff: Richard J. Behnke
- Register of Deeds: Monica McMichael
- County Treasurer: Hope Anderson
- Drain Commissioner: Jeff VanBelle
(information as of July 2019)
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1830 | 919 | — | |
1840 | 5,710 | 521.3% | |
1850 | 10,907 | 91.0% | |
1860 | 17,721 | 62.5% | |
1870 | 21,094 | 19.0% | |
1880 | 22,009 | 4.3% | |
1890 | 20,953 | −4.8% | |
1900 | 20,876 | −0.4% | |
1910 | 20,624 | −1.2% | |
1920 | 20,395 | −1.1% | |
1930 | 20,888 | 2.4% | |
1940 | 21,910 | 4.9% | |
1950 | 28,185 | 28.6% | |
1960 | 36,932 | 31.0% | |
1970 | 43,312 | 17.3% | |
1980 | 49,499 | 14.3% | |
1990 | 49,477 | 0.0% | |
2000 | 51,104 | 3.3% | |
2010 | 52,293 | 2.3% | |
2020 | 51,589 | −1.3% | |
2023 (est.) | 51,642 | [14] | 0.1% |
U.S. Decennial Census[15] 1790-1960[16] 1900-1990[17] 1990-2000[18] 2010-2018[2] |
As of the
As of the
There were 19,676 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.20% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were not family units. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.50% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,264, and the median income for a family was $46,901. Males had a median income of $35,546 versus $24,526 for females. The
Education
Higher Education
Cass County is home to Southwestern Michigan College. The college is a public two-year institution of higher education, the college is part of the Michigan community college system. The college is the largest employer in Cass County.
Libraries
Cass County has several library system which operate in the county. The Cass District Library is the largest library in the county, have branch located in 4 cities around the county. Cass District Library is the library system which services Calvin, Howard, Jefferson, LaGrange, Mason, Milton, Newberg, Ontwa, Penn, Pokagon, Porter and Volinia Townships.
The Dowagiac District Library serves the City of Dowagiac, Wayne Township, and portions of Silver Creek, Keeler, and Bainbridge townships. Marcellus Township also operates their own library apart from the Cass District library to service the residence of the village of Marcellus and the Township of Marcellus.
Southwestern Michigan College operates the Fred Mathews Library on its Campus in Dowagiac.
Communities
Cities
Villages
- Cassopolis (county seat)
- Edwardsburg
- Marcellus
- Vandalia
Civil townships
Unincorporated communities
- Adamsville
- Calvin Center
- Charleston
- Corey
- Glenwood
- Jones
- La Grange
- Penn
- Pokagon
- Sumnerville
- Union
- Wakelee
Indian reservation
- Cass County contains a large reservation of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, which also contains territories in Allegan, Berrien, and Van Buren counties, as well as extending south into the state of Indiana. The reservation headquarters are located in the county in the city of Dowagiac and also extends into the townships of Pokagon, LaGrange, Silver Creek, Volinia, and Wayne.
See also
- List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Cass County, Michigan
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Cass County, Michigan
References
- ^ a b "Bibliography on Cass County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 71.
- ^ Fuller, George Newman (1916). Economic and Social Beginnings of Michigan: A Study of the Settlement of the Lower Peninsula During the Territorial Period, 1805-1837, pp. 244-51.
- ^ Fuller (1916), pp. 261-62, 274.
- ^ Fuller (1916), p. 275.
- ISBN 0-8063-1755-8.
- ^ Benjamin C. Wilson, "Kentucky Kidnappers, Fugitives, and Abolitionists in Antebellum Cass County Michigan," Michigan History, July 1976, Vol. 60#4 pp. 339-358.
- ^ Fuller (1916), p. 302.
- ^ "Center for Geographic Information - Department of Information Technology". Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2009.. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
- ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
- ^ Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). "U.S. Census website". census.gov.
- ^ Statistical profile of Cass County, Michigan Archived April 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, United States Census Bureau, Census 2000
Further reading
- "Bibliography on Cass County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 19, 2013.