EATON RAPIDS AREA COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE
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EATON RAPIDS: A HISTORY Eaton Rapids, also known as the “Island City,” is located at the juncture of the Grand River and Spring Brook. Within easy commuting distance to Lansing, Jackson, and Battle Creek, Eaton Rapids offers the charm of a small community rich in history. The power of the river attracted early settlers to the area, where a variety of mills helped businesses to thrive. In addition, the water under the ground drew many visitors, lured to Eaton Rapids by the mineral baths that were so popular in the late 1800s.
1840s
The area that would become Eaton Rapids was first inhabited by Native Americans mainly from the Potawatomi tribe. They hunted, fished, made pottery, and grew corn, squash and beans in the wilderness that was rich in natural resources. However, in the Treaty of Saginaw in 1819, the United States government negotiated with prominent Native American chiefs, resulting in the U.S. government taking possession of most of the land in lower Michigan. In the 1830s and 1840s, pioneers began to purchase the land that would eventually become Eaton Rapids and the surrounding areas. An early timeline, up to the 2020s, traces some of the major developments of Eaton Rapids that forged the thriving city it has become today.
In 1850, the Smithville Dam was built by the Perrine brothers as a sawmill, 167 feet long and 14 feet tall, and located two miles upstream from Eaton Rapids.
1830s
Around 1835, pioneers began to settle in the area, along a rapids on the Grand River, drawn by the abundance of timber and the power that could be generated from the water. Among the first pioneers were Amos and Pierpoint Spicer, Samuel Hamlin, and C. C. Darling. In 1836, a sawmill was built near Spring Brook in Spicervillle, and this mill provided lumber for the homes and buildings that would make up early Eaton Rapids. In 1837, the Old Red Mill was built, using the power from the water, to grind corn. In 1838, the Eaton Rapids post office was established. © TOTAL LOCAL 2021
During the 1840s, several more mills were built along mill races created by water power from the Grand River, spurring growth for the area. In 1847, the first newspaper in Eaton County was published in Eaton Rapids, the Eaton Democrat.
1850s
In 1852, E.B. Frost first discovered mineral water that lay beneath the ground. This mineral water was much sought-after and believed to have many health benefits. Eaton Rapids was nicknamed the “Saratoga of the West”, referring to Saratoga Springs in New York, which was famous for its mineral waters. Fourteen wells were drilled to supply water for mineral baths, and people came from a wide range of areas to take advantage of them. In 1854, the Eaton Democrat ceased publication. In 1859, Eaton Rapids was organized as a village. Eaton Rapids was named after John Henry Eaton, the youngest member to ever join the U.S. Senate. He was 28 years old.
1860s
By the 1860s, businesses were growing in Eaton Rapids, including grocers, shoe stores, hardwares, as well as liveries, milliners, and other establishments. In 1864, a major fire destroyed half of the buildings in downtown Eaton Rapids. In 1865, the Eaton Rapids Journal began publishing. For a few years it was published with the title Saturday Journal.
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