Situated in the center of Gratiot County, for which it serves as the county seat, the City of Ithaca, Michigan is near the center of the Lower Peninsula.
Although administered autonomously, the city spans the boundaries of Arcada, Emerson, North Star, and Newark townships.
US-127 passes through the eastern portion of the city, but misses the downtown district by several blocks. Washington Road (Center Street) and State Road (Pine River Street) intersect downtown. Business US-127 runs contiguous with State Road in the north, then turns east downtown, following the route of Washington Road, reconnecting with US-127.
Cities and villages within twenty miles of Ithaca include St. Louis, Alma, Perrinton, Ashley, Breckenridge, Maple Rapids, Shepherd, and Carson City, while the unincorporated communities of Newark, North Star, and Beebe are within six miles.
There are five parks in Ithaca. Woodland Park is a triangular-shaped park just west of downtown. Situated on 22.5 acres, it includes a large playground for children, a sledding hill, and an ice-skating rink. Adjoining Woodland Park, to the north, is the Ithaca Dog Park, which was added in 2012. McNabb Park is a 164.4-acre park in the southwest part of the city. Long the home of the annual county fair, it is the location of the Gratiot Agricultural Expo and includes several barn structures, arenas, and a horse track, as well as camping facilities. McNabb Park also has a soccer facility with five fields and a network of trails for running and bicycling. Atkinson Park is a neighborhood park on the east side of the city, near the Ithaca Senior Activity Center. Situated on 3.9 acres, it includes a pavilion, horseshoe pits, and picnic facilities. Lastly, Memory Park is a small area in the center of the Historic Downtown District that includes picnic tables, benches, a speaker system, and a small grassy area.
Ithaca Public Schools is a unified school system that serves Ithaca, the communities of North Star and Sumner, and the surrounding townships, offering a PK-12th-grade curriculum through North Elementary School, South Elementary School, and Ithaca Junior/Senior High School.
The Michigan Register of Historic Places lists five sites in Ithaca. The first is the Gratiot Center Historical Village Barn on South Pine River Street, placed on the State Register in 1979. The second is the Gratiot County Courthouse, still used by the county government, which was placed on the National Register in 1976 and the State Register in 1957. The Jackson-Weller House is the third. Currently housing the Gratiot County Historical Museum, it was placed on the State Register in 1990. The fourth is the John Jeffery House, which was placed on the State Register in 1983. It is currently used as the Barden Funeral Home. The fifth site is the Kosciusko Peet House. Placed on the State Register in 1983, it currently serves as the Gratiot County Genealogical Library. The Ithaca Downtown Historic District was added to the National Register in 2005.
Coming from Howell in 1850, James J. Bush is believed to have been the first permanent European-American settler. In 1853, John Jeffery, a New Yorker, acquired land in Ithaca, although his family didn't settle it until 1855. A post office was established under the name of Gratiot Center on November 16, 1855, with John Knight as postmaster. John Jeffery and Sidney S. Hastings, another early settler, platted the townsite in 1856, laying out the streets, blocks, lots, and alleys. In March of 1856, the new community was chosen as the county seat. On April 13, 1857, the post office was renamed for Ithaca, New York. Ithaca was incorporated as a village in 1869, and became a city in 1961.
Throughout its history, Ithaca's history has mostly been one of growth. Although never a large city, since it first appeared on the census rolls in 1880, it has declined in population only in 1910, 1930, and 2010, although it is projected to decline slightly in 2020 when those reports are released. Its peak population was 3,098, and its current population is just under 3,000.
As the focus of this portion of our guide is on the City of Ithaca, Michigan, appropriate resources will include websites representing the city, and any businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, events, and sports or recreational opportunities within the city.
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Recommended Resources
The county seat since 1856, Ithaca is situated in the center of Gratiot County, Michigan. The official municipal website features a business directory, schedules, agendas, and minutes of city council meetings, a calendar of festivals and events, and public notices and announcements. Also included is a guide to municipal boards and commissions, departments, programs and services, as well as demographics, and local schools. A downloadable document library contains forms and reports.
https://www.ithacami.com/
Published in Ithaca, Michigan, the electronic edition of the newspaper is available by subscription online, while a physical copy of the newspaper may be ordered by phone. The newspaper office's address, phone, and fax numbers, and a staff email directory are posted, and selected articles from its news, sports, legal, health, farm, and church reports are presented, along with obituaries, classified ads, advertising opportunities, and PDF copies of the physical newspaper.
http://gcherald.com/
Gratiot County Historical and Genealogical Society
Formed in 1978, the non-profit organization gathers and preserves information of historical and genealogical value, encourages the deposit of such information in its museum and library, aids genealogists in research projects, and publishes and promotes information pertaining to the county. The Society also operates the Gratiot County Area Historical Museum in Ithaca, as well as the Gratiot County Genealogy Library, both of which are highlighted here, with photographs, schedules, and contacts.
https://gchgs.org/
Organized in 1855, the county seat of Gratiot County is in Ithaca, although its most populous city is Alma. The official county website features commissioner agendas and minutes, park reservations, county GIS, employment opportunities, and online payments of taxes, permit fees, and court payments. County government programs, services, and departments are presented, with locations, schedules, and contacts. Election schedules, candidate lists, proposals, and results are included.
https://www.gratiotmi.com/
The PK-12 public school system includes three campuses, Ithaca High School, North Elementary School, and South Elementary School, each of which are featured here, with addresses, school calendars, student-parent handbooks, parent notices, curriculum, course descriptions, lunch menus, announcements, and faculty and staff contacts. School board members and meeting schedules, the superintendent's office, and administrative policies and guidelines are published on the site, with job openings.
https://www.ithacaschools.net/
The family-run restaurant specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine, made from scratch daily, although its menu also includes vegetarian and American meal options. A profile of the restaurant is presented, along with its location, hours of operation, and contacts. Its menu is published on the site, special offers and promotions are highlighted, and its catering services and a catering menu are included. An online form is available for catering inquiries, which may also be made by phone.
https://www.loshermanosfood.com/
Royal Family KIDS Camps is a network of camps, children's clubs, and child mentoring programs for abused, abandoned, and neglected children in the foster care system. Camp #386 is in Ithaca, Michigan, where it offers foster children, from six to twelve, in Gratiot County and the surrounding counties, a week in a Christian camp environment. Applications for campers, kids, new staff, and counselors may be downloaded from the site, a calendar of events is posted, and contacts are available.
https://ithaca.royalfamilykids.org/
Maintained by ACE Design Studio, the site features a guide and directory of businesses and events in Ithaca. Local businesses may be found by browsing categories or through a search feature. Addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses are published, and its calendar of events is published by month, and may be found by agenda, day, month, or week, as well as by category or tag. Also included is a blog that discusses various local businesses and events. A contact form is included.
http://shopithaca.org/
