Hillsdale County was literally named after the terrain.   I know everyone knows what hills are but do you know what dales are? A "dale" is a valley, or an elongated depression in the earth commonly found between ranges of mountains or hills. So take Hills and Dales and you have Hillsdale named for its hills and valleys. Although there are no mountains in Hillsdale County , there are heights that rise 1,250 feet above sea level. The area was first settled in1834 by Jeremiah Arnold, who moved there from De Peyster , New York .   Hillsdale was organized in 1839 at the same time when one of the last remaining Michigan Indian tribes that inhabited the area was relocated to Iowa . A Lake in the southeast portion of Hillsdale County was named Baw Beese after the Potawatomi Indian Tribes leader. In the 1840's the town prospered as it became the end of the line of the Michigan Southern Railroad which had unexpected delays in construction. The county seat of Hillsdale County is Hillsdale which is also its largest city and is also the home to Hillsdale College , the first college to admit women in Michigan (2003). One tourist attraction located in the corner in Hillsdale County is Tri-state corner. An area where three states Michigan , Indiana and Ohio intersect, this is the only spot in the Midwest where 3 states meet that does not involve a river. A stone monument is erected 130 feet north of the actual spot, which is in the middle of a farm field. Hillsdale County has ample opportunities for the Outdoor Michigan Sportsman, with over a hundred inland lakes, streams,   ponds, including the headwaters of the Grand, St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, Raisin and Maumee Rivers.

Hillsdale County Websites and Locations of Interest

http://www.infomi.com/county/hillsdale/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsdale_County%2C_Michigan