Situated in the center of Hartford Township, Van Buren County, the City of Hartford is bordered to the south by I-94, although the city center is at the intersection of Red Arrow Highway and County Road 687.
Pine Creek flows through the southwestern corner of the city, the Paw Paw River touches its northeastern corner, and Hog Creek is just east of Hartford. Beginning in the northwest segment of the city, the Van Buren Trail is a 14-mile multi-use trail linking Hartford with South Haven, passing through woodlands, farmlands, dense brush, and blueberry fields.
Cities and villages within twenty miles of Hartford include Lawrence, Watervliet, Coloma, Bangor, Breedsville, Decatur, Paw Paw, Benton Harbor, South Haven, St. Joseph, Dowagiac, and Lawton.
Although Hartford is surrounded by agricultural farms and wooded areas, the city has direct access to I-94, and is only a short drive from much larger cities with colleges, universities, shopping centers, and medical centers. Kalamazoo is about forty minutes away, Chicago is an hour and a half, and Detroit is about three hours from Hartford.
The first recorded European-American settler in the area that was to become Hartford Township was Ferdino Olds, who came in 1837. When the township was organized in 1840, he named it Hartland Township, for his New York hometown. However, as there was another Hartland in Michigan, it was renamed Hartland Township at the suggestion of another settler who arrived in 1837, Burrill A. Olney.
The hamlet was first named Bloody Corners, for its unsavory reputation but, when a post office was established there on March 31, 1856, it was named Hartford, for the township. James E. Griffin was the first postmaster.
The village was platted by Truman Stratton and W.W. Shepard in 1859, and the Pere Marquette Railroad opened a station in Hartford in 1870. Hartford was incorporated as a village in 1877, and a city in 1990. Hartford first appeared on the census rolls in 1880, with a population of 838, and its peak population, thus far, has been 2,688 in 2010.
The focus of this category is on the City of Hartford, Michigan, and appropriate resources include websites representing the city or any businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, or events within the city.
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Recommended Resources
The official municipal website includes a profile of the community, and access to its master plan and other documents and reports, including meeting agendas and minutes, a city newsletter, and links to local services and utilities. The city council, boards, commissions, departments, and administrative staff are introduced, with contacts. Also includes is a city calendar, job postings, bids and RFPs, and tax and voting information. Municipal utilities may be paid online.
https://www.cityofhartfordmi.org/
Hartford Animal Hospital and Arrow Pet Clinic
The full-service veterinary medical program has facilities in Hartford and Coloma, Michigan. Its locations and services are featured, and its veterinary physicians and staff are introduced. Directions, phone numbers, social media, regular hours of operation, and after-hours contacts are posted. Canine, feline, and exotic pet care guides are included, along with a gallery of photographs, and the forms of payment accepted. Links to other pet-related resources are included.
http://www.hartfordarrow.com/
Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce
Created to promote the general welfare and economic prosperity of Hartford, Michigan area businesses and the community, the local Chamber is a member of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. Membership levels and the benefits of membership in the Chamber are presented, a business directory lists and gives the addresses, contacts, and web addresses of local businesses, and schedules and highlights of the annual Strawberry Festival, hosted by the Chamber, are posted on the site.
http://hartfordmichamber.org/
Jointly supported by the City of Hartford and Hartford Township, Michigan, the Hartford Fire Department operates out of its main station on East Main Street in Hartford. Its station location is given and shown on a map, and the current members of the Fire Board are listed. The fire department staff are introduced, and its fire and rescue apparatus are displayed, with photographs, descriptions, and capabilities. A telephone number and contact form are posted for non-emergency contacts.
http://hartfordfd.com/
The non-profit Catholic ministry provides healthcare to Hartford, Michigan area families who can't otherwise afford healthcare, particularly non-traditional pediatric care. Its clinic is open 12-hours a day, 5 days a week, and its English- and Spanish-speaking health team makes house calls as part of its outreach program services. Its services and programs are outlined, along with healthcare alternatives, volunteer opportunities, and ways to contribute.
https://holyfamilyhealthcare.org/
