Hart, Michigan

49420

Hart, the county seat of Oceana County, is located along US-31 in the western portion of the county about seven miles from Lake Michigan. This scenic town is situated in between Hart and John Gurney Lakes, formed by dams on the Pentwater River. They can be seen from the north side of town, on a hill overlooking the water, as well as from Veterans’ Park below.

Hart was founded by several early pioneers, including Nelson Grove, the first to arrive in 1856. Another early settler was Wellington Hart, whom the township was named after a couple of years later. In 1862, Lyman Corbin built a sawmill and gristmill here, giving the area some permanence. Later, he built additional structures and helped officially plat the area in 1864, naming it after the township. It became the county seat in 1865, was incorporated into a village in 1885, later as a city in 1946.