Забытый уголок Мичигана: история и современность деревни Либэрти

Hiding Just Off S. Jackson Road: The Village of Liberty, Jackson County The small town of Liberty in Jackson County is easy to pass by and miss entirely. I've zoomed by it many times, going through the W. Liberty/S. Jackson intersection on my way to Flavor Fruit farms or McCourtie Park near Somerset Center. I've noticed the township hall on the southwest corner of that intersection but didn't pay it much attention. If you also happened to unknowingly drive by the village of Liberty, then here's your opportunity to get to know it better and even take a drive-thru town. Once you get to that intersection, turn eastward (E. Liberty) and what's left of the downtown is just a few feet down the road. The first settler, Moses Tuthill arrived in 1835 when the land was full of wildlife, trees, brush and Native Americans. Once enough land was cleared and homes started sprouting up, it became a postal station in 1837 named 'Montgomery'. The name was changed to "Liberty" - sometimes called "Liberty Mills" - in 1839, based on Patrick Henry's "give me liberty or give me death" quote. The post office closed in 1903. Looking at the area now, it may be hard to fathom all the different shops, stores and trades that were in the township --- nearby and available to the residents of the town of Liberty. Such as: BALL PARK BEACH HOUSE RESORT BLACKSMITH CAMPGROUNDS (2) CHEESE FACTORY CHURCHES (3) COAL YARD FLOUR MILL GENERAL STORES GRIST MILL HOTELS AND INNS ICE HOUSES POST OFFICE SAWMILL SCHOOLHOUSES (8) TAVERNS Liberty was the kind of small town that was like Mayberry: Sunday ball games, concerts, picnics, potluck dinners, town bazaars, card games, celebrations and festivals. Then, the 1900s came along and businesses began to decline, companies either closed down or moved to larger cities, residents left looking for work elsewhere, etc. It's a sad ending for what was such a pleasant place to live. From what I understand, it still is pleasant to live in Liberty, it's just not the bustling town it once was. However, don't feel too bad for LIberty. There are a nice handful of lakes to enjoy in the area: Crispell Lake, Pine Hill Lake and Round Lake. Other nearby lakes include the Grand, Mirror, Mud, and Skiff lakes. The townspeople and the wildlife are still abundant and welcome your visit any afternoon during your Michigan roadtrip....