Cass County, Michigan

Cass County is located in southwest Michigan. It was organized in 1829 and named after the former territorial governor, Lewis Cass. This area was originally inhabited by 3 bands of Potawatomis, with European settlers moving there in the 1820�s. An old Indian trail ran east/west across the southern portion of the county, which later became US-12 and for awhile was the main road from Chicago to Detroit.

Cass County also had its role in the Civil War as a location for the Underground Railroad. Assisted largely by Quakers, many Black slaves were successfully settled there. The William Jones House, just outside of Cassopolis to the east, represented a successful "end of the line" to many.

Today, Cass County is both a rich agricultural area as well as a popular tourist spot. It plays a major part in pork production in Michigan as well as other feed crops like soybeans and corn. It also contains over 250 lakes and several nature preserves, which makes for great water sports, hiking and bird-watching. Its largest community is Dowagiac to the northwest, with Cassopolis, the second largest city, as the county seat.

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