History>Historical Timeline for Montcalm County

Historical Timeline for Montcalm County

10,500 BC Probable date for arrival of humans in Michigan. 8000 BC Documented evidence for Early Americans along the Flat River. 1800 Fur trading reached into Montcalm County. 1836 By the Treaty of Washington, 4/5 of Montcalm County had been ceded by the Indians (Ottawas, Chippewas, Potawatomies, Ojibwas) with rights to hunt, fish, etc. until the land was needed for settlement. 1837 Luther Lincoln believed to be the first settler Montcalm County. Michigan becomes the 26th State of the Union. 1844 John Green becomes Greenville's first settler. 1845 Montcalm Township formed five years before Montcalm County was organized. 1847 Lansing established as State Capital. 1849 Two local Native Americans, Wis-to-gan and Pan-de-gar-cow-an, purchased 41.75 acres from the government within the original corporate limits of Greenville. 1850 Montcalm County was organized as a separate entity: Bushnell, Eureka and Fairplain Townships were organized. 1852 Bloomer Township organized. 1853 Danish immigrants arrive in Montcalm County. 1856 Crystal and Evergreen Townships were established. 1857 Cato, Ferris, Pierson and Sidney Townships were established. 1860 Stanton became the county seat. 1861 Pine and Winfield Townships established. 1861-1865 Men from Montcalm County served in the Civil War. 1864 Day, Douglass, Home and Maple Valley Townships were established. 1866 First log run on the Flat River. 1867 Belvidere Township was established. Amsden in Fairplain Township was founded by J.P. Shoemaker. 1869 Reynolds and Richland Townships organized. 1860's-1870's Railroads come to Montcalm County. 1870 Pierson in Pine Township was named after David and Orson Pierson who settled there in 1854. Langston in Pine Township was platted. 1874 Fenwick in Fairplain Township was established. 1875 The Turk Lake Evangelical German Lutheran Society (later the Turk Lake United Methodist Church) was the first Congregation of this Society organized in Montcalm County. The first gas lights were lighted in Greenville. 1878 The first telephone in Greenville. 1879 Six Lakes in Belvidere Township was platted. 1886 Amble platted in July 1886 and named after the Rev. Ole Amble. 1887 The first electric lights in Greenville. 1890 The last log run on the Flat River and the end of the lumber era. 1907 Big White Fish Lake was platted and was the site of the largest resort in Montcalm County in the early 1900's. 1914-1918 Local citizens served in World War I. 1928 Vigilantes were formed in the towns of Montcalm County to protect against bank robberies. 1929 Stock Market crash brought hardship to Montcalm County. 1931 Gibson, the world's largest ice refrigerator manufacturer, began to produce electric refrigerators. 1933 Oil leases obtained across the northern part of the County. 1934 Meijer grocery store opened in Greenville. 1935 Spectacular oil strike east of Crystal. 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and Montcalm County citizens prepared for war. 1942 Gibson converted to war production of the CG4A glider. 1944 "Flying Falcon" glider used in D-Day invasion of Normandy.