Berrien

36 historical markers in Michigan

Andrews University

Berrien Springs, MI

This, the oldest Seventh-day Adventist college and the pioneer in a world-wide system of Christian education, was chartered in 1874 at...

Berrien Springs Courthouse

Berrien Springs, MI

This building, a fine example of the Greek Revival style, was designed by Gilbert B. Avery in 1838.

Bertrand

Bertrand Twp, MI

Nearby French and English trading posts were known as parc aux vaches or “cowpens” for the wild buffalo once found here.

Buchanan Downtown

Buchanan, MI

Commerce and industry have characterized the Buchanan Downtown Historic District since mill owner Charles Cowles settled here in the 1830s.

Buchanan North & West Neighborhoods

Buchanan, MI

This historic district dates to 1842, when mill owner John Hamilton platted Buchanan.

Burnett's Post

St. Joseph, MI

William Burnett, a fur trader from New Jersey, arrived in Michigan between 1775 and 1782.

Carl Sandburg

Harbert, MI

In 1926, author and poet Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) and his family rented a summer home on Lake Michigan, near the town of Sawyer.

Coloma Interurban Station

Coloma, MI

Built in 1910 by the Benton Harbor-St. Joe Railway and Light Company, this station served passengers and freight until 1928.

Edward K. Warren

Sawyer, MI

Philanthropist and industrialist Edward Kirk Warren (1847-1919) began his career as a dry goods merchant in Three Oaks.

Ferry Street School

Niles, MI

Constructed in 1867 at a cost of nearly three thousand dollars, the Ferry Street School opened in January 1868 as Niles’s school for...

Fort Miami

St. Joseph, MI

Here, in November 1679, on the Miami River as the St. Joseph was then called, La Salle, the French explorer, built a fort as a base for...

Fort St. Joseph

Niles, MI

The French fort built here in 1691 controlled southern Michigan’s principal Indian trade routes.

Four Flags Hotel

Niles, MI

The Four Flags Hotel opened with much fanfare on July 6, 1926.

Gordon Beach Inn

Union Pier, MI

Built in 1924 by Louis and Lena Gordon, and expanded four years later, Gordon Beach Inn was the centerpiece of the Jewish resort...

Israelite House of David

Benton Township, MI

Based on the teachings of the Christian Israelite tradition begun by Joanna Southcott in England in 1792, Benjamin and Mary Purnell...

John and Horace Dodge

Niles, MI

Auto barons John (1864-1920) and Horace (1868-1920) Dodge were born and raised in Niles.

Johnson Cemetery

Niles, MI

John Johnson Sr. donated property for this cemetery in 1838.

Lakeside Inn

Lakeside, MI

Known as Ames Grove, this property served as a picnic ground and recreation area beginning in the 1880s.

Michigan Central Railroad Company

Niles, MI

On October 2, 1848, "an era of prosperity" arrived in Niles when the Michigan Central Railroad Company (MCRR) became the first railroad...

Moccasin Bluff

Buchanan, MI

People have lived on the terrace between Moccasin Bluff and the St. Joseph River for eight thousand years.

Morris Chapel Church

Niles, MI

The local Methodist Episcopal Society, the oldest Methodist society in Berrien Township, was organized in 1840.

Morton Cemetery

Benton Harbor, MI

On April 13, 1836, Eleazar Morton (1786-1864) purchased land here for $1,000.

New Buffalo Welcome Center

New Buffalo, MI

The nation’s first highway Travel Information Center opened on May 4, 1935, on US 12 at New Buffalo, not far from here.

Old St. Joseph Neighborhood

St. Joseph, MI

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, local river captains, mill owners, merchants and other professionals built...

Pare Aux Vaches - Madeline Bertrand Park

Bertrand, MI

Known as Parc aux Vaches, or “cow pasture,” this area was named by the French for the wild buffalo that once grazed here.

Ring Lardner

Niles, MI

A Sportswriter, humorist, and sardonic observer of the American scene, Ring Lardner, born on March 6, 1885, was raised in the house...

Saint Mary's

Niles, MI

The Roman Catholic Church in Niles traces its origins to the Indian mission established at nearby Fort St. Joseph in the late 1600s.

Second Baptist Church

Niles, MI

In 1851 the Reverends J. W. Hackley and D. G. Lett organized the Second Baptist Church under the Anti-Slavery Baptist Association.

St. Joseph's Mission

Bertrand, MI

Here, in 1837, in the then-flourishing settlement of Bertrand, a fine brick church, dedicated to St. Joseph, was built to serve the...

The Chapin House

Niles, MI

This Queen Anne style house, completed in 1884, was the Henry A. Chapin family home until 1902.

The Dewey Cannon

Three Oaks, MI

This cannon, captured in the Spanish American War by Admiral Dewey, was presented to Three Oaks when its citizens raised fourteen hundred...

The Morton House

Benton Harbor, MI

This house, built in 1849 by Eleazar Morton and his son Henry, was occupied until 1936 by four generations of Mortons.

Trinity Church

Niles, MI

This is the oldest existing church structure in Niles, located in the oldest Episcopal parish in the Diocese of Western Michigan.

Union Church and Cemetery

Berrien Center, MI

In 1857 Protestants of different denominations established a church and cemetery on property purchased from Zera and Eliza Wright.

Wesley United Methodist Church

Niles, MI

In 1830 circuit riders from Ohio began preaching in Niles, using the barroom of a local hotel.

West Michigan Pike

New Buffalo, MI

At the turn of the twentieth century, deep ruts and sand made West Michigan roads nearly impassable.

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