Berrien County

By Sherry Arent Cawley

As one of the earliest developed areas of the state of Michigan, Berrien County has a rich history that appeals to the locals as well as the tourists who still enjoy the many treasures to be found there. Author Sherry Arent Cawley has compiled over 200 vintage postcards chronicling the life and times of this historic area.

The historic Benton Harbor Fruit Market, Silver Beach, the mineral baths at the Whitecomb Hotel, and the House of David are all featured here in vivid postcards, some never before published, with accompanying captions. Images of Grand Beach, Niles, New Buffalo, Paw Paw Lake, and Berrien Springs offer readers a nostalgic glimpse into a Berrien County of yesteryear.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Nov 27, 2000
• ISBN: 9781439611012

Sherry Arent Cawley

Sherry Arent Cawley is the author of a previous Postcard History title, Around Walterboro, South Carolina. She is affiliated with the Berrien County Historical Association and has been an avid postcard collector for over 30 years. Her family has been in Berrien County since 1835.

Book preview

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FOUR FLAGS AREA

Niles is the center of the Four Flags area and was the first area in the state to be developed. The first permanent settlers bought land from the U.S. Government in 1829, and named it after the editor, Hezekiah Niles, of a Quaker weekly paper in Baltimore, Maryland. It was incorporated as a village in 1935, and was the first city in Berrien County. Numerous manufacturers have prospered in Niles over the years, including Simplicity Pattern Company, the French Paper Company, and National Cable and Manufacturing Company (now National Standard). In the early 1900s, Michigan Central Railroad transferred its train classification and car repair facility to Niles. Numerous famous people call Niles their birthplace. Aaron Montgomery Ward was raised in Niles and created a small mailorder business in Chicago, John and Horace Dodge moved to Detroit and built their first automobile in 1914, Ring Lardner was a sportswriter and author who began his career writing up sporting events for the Niles Sun, and Tommy James Jackson and his band, the Shondell’s, became one of the most popular bands in the late ‘60s.

Fort St. Joseph was completed by the French in 1691, and controlled all the principal Indian trade routes in sovereign Michigan. The fort became a British outpost in 1761, but in 1763, Chief Pontiac seized the fort in an Indian uprising. In 1776, the United States flag flew over the fort, and in 1781, Spanish raiders ran up the Spanish flag for a short time before being replaced once again with the U.S.

Reviews for Berrien County

[Thomas E Ost · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very enjoyable book about an enjoyable area’s history. Great work by the author!