County note shelf
Saint Joseph County Porch Notes
Stories, practical details, outdoor places, tax quirks, and local history connected to Saint Joseph County. This shelf has 4 practical notes and 15 local stories.
19 notes
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- History and cultureA women's club saved Three Rivers' Carnegie libraryThe 1904 library was judged unsafe in 1978, but a local club leased and restored it; today it is the Carnegie Center for the Arts.
- History and cultureWhere Michigan's land was sold: the White Pigeon Land OfficeWhite Pigeon's 1831 federal land office handled nearly 260,000 acres at $1.25 an acre before the district office moved to Kalamazoo in 1834.
- History and cultureConstantine, the Seed Corn Capital of the WorldConstantine, platted in 1831 as Meeks Mills, grew into a seed-corn powerhouse the Michigan Legislature formally named 'Seed Corn Capital of the World.'
- History and cultureThe Marantette House, where a trading post met a treatyPatrick Marantette built his 1835 Greek Revival house beside a Potawatomi trading post on the St. Joseph at Mendon; a descendant later ran General Motors.
- History and cultureThe Anglican monks of St. Gregory's AbbeySt. Gregory's Abbey near Three Rivers is a rare Benedictine monastery in the Episcopal Church, where monks have kept the seven-times-a-day office since 1946.
- History and cultureThe auditorium three women left to SturgisSturgis got a grand 1955 civic auditorium because three women — the Sturges sisters and Emma Young — willed their fortunes to building it.
- History and cultureThe Burr Oak farmer who put the railroad on three wheelsGeorge Sheffield of Burr Oak patented a three-wheeled railroad velocipede in 1879 after his hand-built track car helped stop a train wreck.
- History and cultureKirsch, the curtain-rod maker of SturgisCharles Kirsch founded a drapery-hardware company in 1907 that grew into a major Sturgis employer and a name found on curtain rods worldwide.
- History and cultureSturgis, the Electric City, and its own damSturgis has run its own electric utility since 1896 and built a hydroelectric dam on the St. Joseph River that began making power in 1911.
- History and cultureThe Langley Covered Bridge near CentrevilleBuilt in 1887, the 282-foot Langley Covered Bridge north of Centreville is Michigan's longest remaining covered bridge.
- History and cultureCentreville is Michigan's oldest surviving Amish settlementResearchers identify Centreville, founded in 1910, as Michigan's oldest surviving Amish settlement. The latest Young Center table also makes it the largest settlement listed under Michigan.
- History and cultureColon: the Magic Capital of the WorldColon is known as the Magic Capital of the World, with Abbott Magic, the annual Magic Get-Together, and Lakeside Cemetery's magician graves.
- History and cultureThree Rivers, where three rivers meetThree Rivers is named for the meeting of the St. Joseph, Rocky, and Portage rivers, with a historic downtown and St. Gregory's Abbey.
- History and cultureThe Tiny Michigan Town That's the 'Magic Capital of the World'Colon wears the 'Magic Capital of the World' nickname with good reason: Abbott's has made tricks there since 1934, magicians gather each August, and Lakeside Cemetery holds famous performers.
- History and cultureThe Centreville fair began in 1851 and got a second start in 1916Centreville's fair began in 1851, was discontinued after financial trouble, and returned under the Grange in 1916.
- Home and propertyBuying on (or near) a St. Joseph County lake? A few things to knowSt. Joseph County lake homes can come with managed lake levels, special assessments, lake boards or associations, and lake-specific boating rules.
- Home and propertyOutside town, most St. Joseph County homes are on a well and septic — inspect before you buyMost St. Joseph County township homes use private wells and septic systems, and the county does not require a sale-time inspection.
- Money and taxesBuying in a township? Watch for special assessments on top of your taxesMichigan township buyers should check for special assessments that can add separate road, sewer, water, lighting, sidewalk, or drain charges.
- Money and taxesIn Michigan, you get two property-tax bills a year — not oneMost Michigan property owners get separate summer and winter tax bills, with local rules deciding what lands on each bill.