Michigan Counties: History and Information

Find a brief history of Michigan Counties

The earliest counties were organized by the territorial government as areas became settled. The first county was Wayne. Michigan had 38 counties by the end of the year in which it became a state (1837). Throughout the years some county names and many county borders have changed.

The names of Michigan's 83 counties reflect the state's Native American, French, British and early American heritage. Thirty-two counties have names drawn from Native American languages; 29 are named for people; 16 are named for natural features such as rivers that already had been given names; and 6 have names meant to describe the county's geography (e.g., Hillsdale).

Themes exist for the names of some counties.

In 1829 the legislature set off 12 new counties, naming eight of them for President Andrew Jackson and members of his cabinet: Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Eaton, Ingham, Van Buren.

Cass County was also created in 1829 and named for Lewis Cass, the Territorial Governor at the time. Cass later served in Jackson's Cabinet, making a case for it to be included as a cabinet county. Livingston County was created in 1833 and named for Edward Livingston, Jackson's Secretary of State at the time.

1. Barry County, Michigan, named for US Postmaster General William T. Barry
2. Berrien County, Michigan, named for US Attorney General John M. Berrien
3. Branch County, Michigan, named for US Secretary of the Navy John Branch
4. Calhoun County, Michigan, named for US Vice President John C. Calhoun
5. Cass County, Michigan, named for Jackson's second Secretary of War, Lewis Cass
6. Eaton County, Michigan, named for Secretary of War John Eaton
7. Ingham County, Michigan, named for US Secretary of the Treasury Samuel D. Ingham
8. Jackson County, Michigan, named for Andrew Jackson himself
9. Livingston County, Michigan, named for Jackson's second Secretary of State, Edward Livingston
10. Van Buren County, Michigan, named for US Secretary of State (later Vice President and then President) Martin Van Buren
    

In 1840 the legislature changed the names of 16 counties and gave 5 counties names from Ireland: Antrim, Clare, Emmet, Roscommon and Wexford.

Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, author and Indian agent, mixed words and syllables from Native American, Arabian and Latin languages to make up Native American-sounding words for some of the 28 counties set off in 1840. They include Alcona, Allegan, Alpena, Arenac, Iosco, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Oscoda and Tuscola.

Coincidentally, it was Jackson who, as one of his last acts in office, signed the 1837 bill making Michigan the 26th state.