Isabella County, Michigan

Isabella County is named after the great Queen Isabella of Spain for her patronage of Columbus. Before its organization in 1831, the area was inhabited by Chippewa Indians. Early white explorers included Father Henry Nouvel, who spent the winter here in 1675 as missionary to the Indians. The first permanent settler was David Ward, who built a sawmill in the Mt. Pleasant area, harvesting the great expanse of white pine during the mid 1800�s. He eventually became the first lumber baron in Michigan to reach "millionaire" status. In 1927, oil was discovered in the northeast section of the county, since then a significant contribution to the economy. The county also became the home of Central Michigan University, founded in Mt. Pleasant in 1893.

Today, Isabella County has grown to a population of over 60,000. Mount Pleasant, the county seat, is its largest community, playing host to many university students and visitors to the new casino east of town. Other communities include Shepherd and Rosebush, which are primarily agricultural, along with some small manufacturing.

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