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History
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![Lawton's American Legion Building [Click here to view full size picture]](media/history/tn_1lawtonamlegion.jpg)
Van Buren County is located in Southwest Michigan bordering on Lake Michigan on the West and Kalamazoo County on the East. Its Southern border is 21 miles from the Indiana stateline and on the North it borders Allegan County.
Van Buren County has a proud history paralleling the story of statehood. Settled for the most part by New York Dutch and new Englanders, it was formed into a County by an Act of the Legislative Council of Michigan and approved October 29, 1829, in the same Act that created Cass, Berrien and Kalamazoo Counties.
It was not until 1837 that the people of Van Buren County were deemed sufficiently numerous to justify them in assuming the responsibilities of local self government. On March 18, 1937 an Act organizing the County was approved by the Governor of Michigan.
Van Buren County, named after U.S. President Martin Van Buren, has come a long way since its residents traded with the Potawattomi Indians and followed their trails with pioneer roads. Population trends indicate it is located in a growing area of the state.
The County is known as the fruit basket of Michigan. The growing season opens with asparagus harvest in May and closes in the fall with apples and grapes. The Lawton, Porter and Paw Paw area is the grape capital of the County with each accommodating the fruit processors and wineries. Bangor, Bloomingdale, Hartford and Lawrence grow premium peaches and apples; Keeler has extensive strawberry beds, Hamilton produces acres of pickling cucumbers and the large blueberry plantations are located in Columbia and Geneva.
Though Van Buren County is known as an agricultural county, suburbia is invading its borders. Population increases reflects the East side is the growth area and the County's location on the Lake Michigan shoreline indicates the trend of increased tourism.
To update information on this page please contact Tina Leary at 423-7341 or LEARYT@vbco.org
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Cemeteries
County Buildings
Historic Sites
Historical Associations
Museums
Township Histories
Village of Lawton
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Page Last Updated: 10/28/2009
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![Lawton's American Legion Building [Click here to view full size picture]](javascript:showPic(new picObj('media/history/1lawtonamlegion.jpg', 'Lawton\'s American Legion Building',350,262));)