Hillsdale, Michigan

49242

Photos courtesy of:
Ken Huisjen

Hillsdale is the county seat of Hillsdale County. It is located in the center of the county and was named after the county for the rolling "hills and dales" of the surrounding countryside northwest of Baw Beese Lake. Hillsdale features a diverse economy, which includes a significant amount of auto industry-related manufacturing and small business. Hillsdale is also the home of Hillsdale College, the first coeducational parochial college in the state, established in 1844. A main feature of the area is the downtown courthouse square, which features uniquely styled, turn-of-the-century buildings, along with the stately Victorian architecture of the court building itself.

Hillsdale was first settled in1834 by Jeremiah Arnold, who moved here from De Peyster, New York. The land was officially platted a year later. It prospered in its early years during the 1840’s because the Michigan Southern Railroad had an unexpected delay in construction and the town became the end of the line. Thus, it grew large enough to be incorporated as a village in 1847, and later as a city in 1869.

Hillsdale, Michigan

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Hillsdale, Michigan

49242

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