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.

Cass County is located in the extreme southwest portion of the state and borders the state of Indiana . It was formed in 1829 from Lenawee County . It received its name from territorial and state governor, Lewis Cass. Cassopolis is the county seat.

County Seat: Cassopolis

Origin of Name: Named in honor of Lewis Cass, a Governor of the Territory

Sett Off: 1829

Organized: 1829

Population in 1990: 49,477

Cass County Library

The Village of Cassopolis is one of 53 Michigan communities to receive funds from Andrew Carnegie for a public library.  The building that now houses Cass District Library's Local History Branch was completed in 1909 as the home of the LaGrange Township Library.  LaGrange Township operated the library for more than eighty years.  Between 1947 and 1957, the basement served as the home of the Cass County Library.

The LaGrange Township Library closed its doors in 1993 when it merged with the Cass County Library.  In October 1994, it reopened as Cass District Library's Local History Branch.  The collection is a favorite among those researching Cass County , Michigan , history and genealogy.

The Underground Railroad

Cass County Websites and Locations of Interest

http://www.sos.state.mi.us/history/michinfo/michfaq/counties.html

http://multimag.com/county/mi/cass/

http://www.rootsweb.com/~micass/

http://www.lib.cmich.edu/clarke/lhbcass.htm

http://cass.lib.mi.us/clh.html

http://www.michmarkers.com/Frameset.htm