2/20/2024 0 Comments Meridian charter township miA local organization, the Friends of Historic Meridian, has an archive of local historic information and also maintains the historic buildings in the Meridian Historical Village. The Township is rich with history and one resident, Joseph Kilbourne, had a major role in the decision in 1847 to relocate the state capitol from Detroit to Lansing (then Lansing Township). In 1857 the Michigan Legislature changed the name of the village officially to Okemos to honor the old chief. The village area was one of his primary camping areas and he traveled frequently between the village and another campsite near present-day Portland, Michigan. Kilbourne was the first postmaster.Ī local Native American, Chief John Okemos, was well known throughout the area. The village was first known as Hamilton.Ī post-office called Sanford was established in the spring of 1840. It was Bray who platted out the southeast corner of his land and sold the lots to newcomers traveling into the mid-state wilderness. They were soon followed by Joseph Kilbourne, who took out land for his brother-in-law, Freeman Bray. The first settlers near the current Village of Okemos (to the south of the former Pine Lake) were Sanford Marsh and his wife who built their cabin in 1839.
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