Onondaga, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Onondaga is an unincorporated community in Onondaga Township
in the southwestern corner of Ingham County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is situated on the Grand River
at 42°26′39"N 84°33′44"W approximately 20 miles south of Lansing
and approximately 15 mile northwest of Jackson
.
nation of Onondaga
, historically based in New York. A post office was first established at the place about 1844, with Perez Howland as the first postmaster. In 1847 Perez Howland built a grocery. A post office was operated from the grocery. Cyrus Baldwin subsequently purchased the building and converted it into the "Onondaga Hotel".
The first store of any consequence in the place was established in 1867 by John Sherman. The European-American plat of the village of Onondaga was laid out by John Sherman and others, on July 13, 1870. Several buildings had previously been erected, but the place dates its permanent growth from this time.
It was also about that date that the Grand River Valley division of the Michigan Central Railroad
was built through the town, which brought more settlers and businesses. Sherman donated land for the depot.
The first church, called the First Congregational Church
of Onondaga, was built in 1877.
Onondaga Township, Michigan
Onondaga Township is a civil township of Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,958 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
in the southwestern corner of Ingham County
Ingham County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 279,320 people, 108,593 households, and 63,744 families residing in the county. The population density was 500 people per square mile . There were 115,056 housing units at an average density of 206 per square mile...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is situated on the Grand River
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
at 42°26′39"N 84°33′44"W approximately 20 miles south of Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
and approximately 15 mile northwest of Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
.
History
European-American settlement began in the mid-19th century, with most migrants coming from New England and New York. The township and community were named after the IroquoisIroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
nation of Onondaga
Onondaga
- Native American/First Nations :* Onondaga people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois League* Onondaga , Onondaga settlement and traditional Iroquois capital* Onondaga language- Geology :...
, historically based in New York. A post office was first established at the place about 1844, with Perez Howland as the first postmaster. In 1847 Perez Howland built a grocery. A post office was operated from the grocery. Cyrus Baldwin subsequently purchased the building and converted it into the "Onondaga Hotel".
The first store of any consequence in the place was established in 1867 by John Sherman. The European-American plat of the village of Onondaga was laid out by John Sherman and others, on July 13, 1870. Several buildings had previously been erected, but the place dates its permanent growth from this time.
It was also about that date that the Grand River Valley division of the Michigan Central Railroad
Michigan Central Railroad
The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...
was built through the town, which brought more settlers and businesses. Sherman donated land for the depot.
The first church, called the First Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
of Onondaga, was built in 1877.
External links
- History of Onondaga Township from History of Ingham and Eaton Counties, Michigan by Samuel W. Durant, Published 1880 (the history section of this article incorporates material from this article)
- History of Onondaga Township PDF copy of Chapter 14 from The Pioneer History of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, Secretary of the Ingham County Pioneer and Historical Society, published 1923