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The small settlement of LaBarge in Caledonia Township (Kent
County, MI) This village was described in 1881 by C.C. Chapman in "The
History of Kent County" as having ..."80 inhabitants, ... (it)
claims a post-office, saw and flouring mill, two blacksmith's shops, one
shoemaker, one wagon shop, one general store. The post office is
in charge of Alexander Kilgore." The village was first called Caledonia
Center and was indeed located
smack-dab in the center of the township. (about where secs. 15, 16, 21, & 22
come together). Wm H. Brown had built a grist mill and a saw
mill there in 1868, and the settlement seems to have grown up around these
businesses. The name had been changed to LaBarge by the time
the post office was opened on Dec. 11, 1876. The post-office operated there
until Nov. 30, 1901. The village was identified on
the Caledonia Township plat map of 1894 (tiny print!), then it is easier to
see on the plat maps from 1907, 1919, 1939 and 1955.
(interesting that the name was still being used so long after the post
office had been closed?) Another interesting note is that LaBarge was
not the only local settlement for
which Wm. H. Brown was responsible. In 1853 he had built a grist mill in
section 3 of the township and then platted a village which he called
Brownsville. Later the name was changed to Alaska. Chapman comments, "(Wm.
H. Brown) was popular in public life: he was an ardent believer in and
advocate of the principles of the Republican party; was many consecutive
years the incumbent of town offices, whose duties he discharged to his own credit and
the entire satisfaction of his constituents." |
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