Name

Township

Sec.

Location

Image/PDF 

Notes

Status

5 Corners

Ashland

1

96th, Colonial, & M37 (Mason)

No

Also in Grant, Garfield, and Brooks Townships. Not in Sandy's list.

Only houses and modern structures

Ashland

Ashland

25/36

136th & M37 (Mason)

History

 Brooks Township until Ashland was organized in 1854; named from the abundance of white ash timber in the area. John Betts became the first postmaster 2 June 1855 the office remained in operation until 16 January 1871; on 17 December 1894. The Ashland Centre post office was renamed Ashland but it was closed on 14 April 1904.

Only houses and modern structures

Ashland Center / Ashland Station

Ashland

15/22

120th & McClelland

History

Settled in 1850 to distinguish it from Ashland in the same county and township, it was given a post office named Lake, opened on 19 March 1869 with Rensselaer Brace as its first postmaster; the office was closed 14 September 1870, but restored again with Mr. Brace as postmaster on 7 December 7 1871 and operated until 31 October 1908; since the Ashland post office was now closed, Ashland Centre was given a post office under its own name, with Sullivan Armstrong becoming its first postmaster, May 6, 1879, but this was changed to Ashland on Dec 17, 1894 until it was closed on 14 April 1904.

Ashland Township hall, homes, & church located here

Dickinson

Ashland

History

Grant

Ashland

13/24

120th & M37 (Mason)

1, History

A station on the branch of the Chicago and Western Michigan Railroad was named Grant Station in honor of General U.S. Grant by Andrew Squier, who built a sawmill here in 1882. Grant Station received a post office May 14, 1892. The name was shortened to Grant on January 10, 1899; also called Grant Center from its location in the township. Incorporated as a village 1893.  

Now a modern community

Lambson

Ashland 

History

Located one half mile north of Ashland Station. Joel Fellows re-established the post office in his home at Lambson after it was closed at Ashland Station. 

Hawkins

Barton

2/3/10/11

17 Mile & Cottonwood

Named for George D. Hawkings, a storekeeper who became the first postmaster on November 13, 1889. The post office closed on September 14, 1903. (Vincent) (Grinnell, Norman E., Audit of Historical Settlements in Northern Newaygo County, 1976.) 

Parks

Barton

27/28/33/34

13 Mile & Cypress

On 4, January 4, 1892 John A. Bartman became the first postmaster. The post office closed on May 31, 1912. Named for the Parks family, who lived there.

Cole Creek  

Beaver

On April 27, 1904 farmer David Maynard became the first postmaster. The office remained in operation until 28 February 1907.  

Thompson Corners

Beaver

20/21/28/29

8 Mile & Comstock

Not in Sandy's list

Volney

Beaver

7/8/17/18

10 Mile & Dickinson

Gallery

A country store with a post office. Jesse P. Delong became the first postmaster on August 31, 1880. The post office was in operation from August 31, 1880 until August 16,1909. The names Olney and Viola were submitted to the post-office dept., however, towns with these names already existed. The postal service then took the V from Viola and added it to Olney to produce Volney. Plans were, at one time, to rebuild Volney as a religious community named Gracetown.   (Vincent) (Grinnell, Norman E., Audit of Historical Settlements in Northern Newaygo County, 1976.)

Still occupied by a few houses. Also site of Beaver Township hall. See the image gallery for further information.

Big Prairie

Big Prairie

16/17

20th & Elm

History 

First post office was established in 1852 February 4, closed September 3, 1909. Ephraim H. Utley was the first postmaster.  

Ox Bow / Oxbow

Big Prairie

27/28/33/34

40th & Cypress

Trumbull Corners

Big Prairie

4/5

Baseline & Elm

Also in Goodwell Township. Not in Sandy's list.

No evidence of any structures or past settlement.

Bridgeton

Bridgeton

13

112th & Warner

1 

First settled in 1849, Bridgeton Township was first organized in 1852. Its village began with the sawmill of Isaac D, Merrill (for whom Merrill Township, north of Bridgeton was named), in 1854. Both the town and the township were named for the bridge crossing the Muskegon River here; Amos Slater became the first postmaster 29 July 1857; the office closed 21 May 1860, but reopened 27 June 1861 to 31 December 1913.

McLean / McLean's

Bridgeton

9/10

108th & Green

1

Named for John W. McLean who became its first postmaster on 3 May 1898 the office stayed open until 31 May 1909.

Structure (former township hall) standing but inactive

Sitka

Bridgeton

5/6

96th & Dickinson

1, 2 

Named Sitka because of Sitka being in the news as the capital of Alaska, which the American government had just purchased from Russia on 1867. Halby W. Crawford became its first postmaster on 14 December 1868, the post office was closed on 2 February 1885 but was reopened 15 December 1891 to 31 October 1901. Also in Sheridan Township

A small, close knit and very friendly community still exists. United Methodist Church is still active.

5 Corners

Brooks

31

96th, Colonial, & M37 (Mason)

No

Also in Grant, Garfield, and Brooks Townships. Not in Sandy's list.

Only houses and modern structures

Newaygo

Brooks

19

M82 & M37

Gallery 

Also in Garfield Township. Originally incorporated as a village in 1867, Newaygo was later incorporated as a city on September 1, 1967. The city was named for the Chippewa Indian Chief Naw-wa-goo, who signed the Treaty of Saginaw in 1812. Jack McBride, a lumberman, established the first claims here. Mr. McBride sold his claim to George W. Walton who in turn sold to John A. Brooks who first arrived in the area around 1836 and became the first postmaster on December 30, 1847. Mr. Brooks is considered to be the founder of Newaygo. In 1883, much of the settlement was destroyed in a fire, and so most of the structures today date from that time forward.

Palmetown(?)

Brooks

22

South end of Hazelwood

First settled in 1840 by Louis Bohne and John F. Sterns who built the first sawmill here; Croton was also called Muskegon Forks. M. Sterns bought out his partner it became Sterns Mills and was given a post office with that name on December 30, 1847; Mr. Sterns was the first postmaster. On September 25, 1850 he had it renamed Croton, after the Croton Water works in New York which the area reminded him of. The village was platted in 1854 and incorporated in 1870. The post office remained open until January 31, 1908. 

Oak Grove

Croton

20/21

76th & Elm

1, 2 

Not in Sandy's list.

Stern’s Mill

Croton 

See Croton 

Tifts Corners

Croton

27/28/33/34

M82 (Formerly M46, aka 88th) & Cypress

Not in Sandy's list

Former site of Tift's Restaurant, only a sign remains.

Clark’s Corner  

Dayton 

31

48th (M82) & Maple Island (M120) 

Also in Sheridan Township. Also in Muskegon and Oceana Counties. Now referred to as 5 Mile Corner by locals. 

Dayton Center  

Dayton

16/17/20/21

24th & Comstock

 No

Devil Lake’s (Corner)

Dayton

14/15/22/23

24th & Stone

 No

Once a small saw mill settlement with 3 operating  mills.

 Leo's, a salvage yard is the only structure. Lake is dried up.

Fremont

Dayton

34/35/36

48th & M82

Gallery 

Also in Sheridan Township. Named for  Civil War general and explorer by Samuel Shupe. Daniel Weaver became the first postmaster on August 23, 1856 under the name of Weaversville. At one time this community may have also been known as Newfoundland.

Stumpy Corner

Dayton

2/3/10/11

8th & Stone

Weaverville / Weaversville

Dayton

Also in Sheridan Township. See Fremont. Name changed to Fremont Center in 1862, then Fremont in 1911.

Aetna

Denver

25/36

M20/1 Mile & Luce

History,  Map

Also in Lincoln Township. Founded in 1867 by C. A. Bruce, Wesley Young and John Mansfield, sawmill operations here on White River in Denver Township; Levi W.  Simons became its first postmaster on 14 January 1870, the office operating until 14 April 1904; now a hamlet.

Huber

Denver

8/9/16/17

4 Mile & Comstock

Gallery

John H. Koopman operated a store here and became the first postmaster on 23 March 23, 1901. Mr. Koopman named Huber after Huber Hilton, the son of state representative George Hilton of Fremont, whohelped Mr. Koopman get his post office. The post office closed on February 28, 1907.  

Nothing much remains beyond four corners, the cemetery, and a single house. See the image gallery for further information.

Maynard’s Corner  

Denver

26/27/34/35

M20/1 Mile & Stone

Pinchtown

Denver

25

2 Mile & Luce

Also in Lincoln Township. Although it has been reported that Pinchtown is another name for  Aetna, maps show Pinchtown being 1 mile further north. In 1867 Sours & Simon had a general store there. Legend has it that Mr. Levi W. Simon was noted for his precise methods of conducting his business. He never shorted a customer, and at the same time made certain he didn't cheat himself. - One time while weighing a pound of crackers for a customer he pinched some off one cracker to balance the scales. The story soon became told around and from that time on the town was known as Pinch Town.

Ensley Center

Ensley

15/16/21/22

120th & Cypress

Benjamin Ensley came in 1854 and opened a half-way house here on the state road between Grand Rapids and Grand Traverse; the township organized 1858 was named for him; storekeeper George E. Cook became the first postmaster of Ensley Center in 1882; also known as Ensley’s Corners. See Grove.

A small but still active community

Plumville

Ensley (?)

A settlement around the gristmill and saw mills owned and operated by John Frey; apiarist S. Wilber Frey became its first postmaster on December 6, 1892 and closed September 14, 1903.

Allyton / Alleyton / Alley's Town

Everett

History #1, History #2 

 A village in Everett Township it was founded by J. Alley Lumber Company, in 1873; Charles S. Watson became its first postmaster on 8 December 1873, the office operating until 1 October 1891; the village also known as Alley’s Town was almost wiped out by fire in 1882.

Fields

Everett 

 10

Probably along Larch

Also known as Fields Crossing and Fields Station. A station on a branch of the Chicago and Western Railroad in 1886; lumberman John J. Williams became the first postmaster of this sawmill settlement June 17, 1889, the office operating until November 15, 1900.

Morgan Station  

Everett

Also in Wilcox Township. Renamed White Cloud March 26, 1877. 

White Cloud

Everett

4/5/6

Baseline & M37

Also in Wilcox Township. Originally founded in 1871as a lumber camp by Lester C. Morgan and Sextus N. Wilcox. It was given a railroad depot as Morgan Station in 1873 and a post office with the same name July 22, 1873. Mr. Morgan was the first postmaster. Name changed to White Cloud on March 26, 1877; Fred Ramsey became president when the village was incorporated in 1879. Incorporated as a city in 1950. Now the county seat.

 Now a modern community

5 Corners

Garfield

36

96th, Colonial, & M37 (Mason)

No

Also in Ashland, Grant, and Brooks Townships. Not in Sandy's list.

Only houses and modern structures

Bishop / Bishop's Corners

Garfield

17/18/19/20

M82 & Croswell

History

In Garfield Township, founded in 1898 by Garrit Dobben a storekeeper and the first postmaster. Named for the congressman from that district, Roswell P. Bishop; its post office opened on 3 March 1898 and remained in operation until 31 October 1901. 

Apartment bldg, farms.

Dixville

Garfield

 2/3

 48th & Ferris

Newaygo

Garfield

24