Mecosta County | |
|---|---|
 Nisbett Building, senior housing building in Big Rapids. | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Michigan | |
 Michigan's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 43°38′N 85°19′W / 43.64°N 85.32°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | April 1, 1840; organized February 11, 1859[1] |
| Named for | Mecosta |
| Seat | Big Rapids |
| Largest city | Big Rapids |
| Area | |
• Total | 571 sq mi (1,480 km2) |
| • Land | 555 sq mi (1,440 km2) |
| • Water | 16 sq mi (40 km2) 2.8% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 39,714 |
| • Density | 77/sq mi (30/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | mecostacounty |
Mecosta County (/məˈkɒstə/ mə-KOSS-tə) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 39,714.[2] The county seat is Big Rapids.[3][4]
The county is named after Chief Mecosta, the leader of the Potawatomi Native American tribe who once traveled the local waterways in search of fish and game.[5] Chief Mecosta was one of the signers the Treaty of Washington in 1836. The easily navigated waterways soon led to a boom in lumber industry growth. Workers settled the area in 1851, and the county was officially settled and the government officially organized in 1859.[1] Mecosta County is home to over 100 lakes, rivers, and streams with the Muskegon River winding its way through the county seat and largest city Big Rapids (originally named Leonard).[5]
Mecosta County was set off on April 1, 1840,[6] but remained attached for administrative purposes to Kent County until 1857, when it was attached to Newaygo County. The county government was organized on February 11, 1859, with the village of Leonard as its seat.[7]
Mecosta County comprises the Big Rapids, MI, Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Muskegon, MI, Combined Statistical Area.
- ^ a b "Bibliography on Mecosta County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ "Mecosta County History". Central Michigan University, Clarke Historical Library. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ a b "History of Mecosta County". Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on December 21, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ George Dawson (1840). Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan Passed at the Annual Session of 1840. Detroit. pp. 196–200.
- ^ Wood, Jim (1999). "The Village That Time Forgot". In The Woods. Retrieved December 11, 2023 – via MIGenWeb.[self-published source?]