Surrounded by Lawrence Township, the village of Lawton, Michigan is in the southeastern segment of Van Buren County, in the southwestern Lower Peninsula.
The chief routes to and through the village include M-40 (Main Street), County Road 358 (White Oak Road, East 3rd Street), County Road 354 (Nursery Street), and Ewing Road. M-40 connects with I-94, just north of the village. Cities and villages within twenty miles of Lawton include Paw Paw, Mattawan, Decatur, Marcellus, Lawrence, Gobles, Schoolcraft, Portage, Bloomingdale, and Hartford, while Kalamazoo is just over twenty miles to the northeast.
The community that was to become Lawton was founded in the late 1840s. In 1848, ten acres of land were contributed to the Michigan Central Railroad for a depot that became known as Paw Paw Station. Nathan Lawton platted a townsite in 1849, naming it South Paw Paw, as it was about four miles south of the village of Paw Paw.
On March 15, 1851, a post office was established, with Andrew Longstreet as the first postmaster. The post office took the name of Lawton, for Nathan Lawton, and the railroad depot adopted the same name. Lawton was identified as a village in 1853, and officially incorporated as a village in 1858.
Lawton is a small town of fewer than two thousand people, but it is known regionally for its fine restaurants and microbrewery, as well as various service industries and shopping venues. Welch's Foods produces grape juice in downtown Lawton. Lawton Golf Club and the Lawton Heritage Museum are in the northern portion of the village.
Lawton is largely residential. Most of its residents commute to larger cities for work, while enjoying a small-town atmosphere at home.
The focus of this portion of our guide is on the village of Lawton, Michigan. Online resources for the village government, as well as for any businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, events, recreational facilities, and sports programs.
Recommended Resources
Headquartered in Lawton, Michigan, the public school district provides for a PK-12th-grade curriculum through a variety of preschool programs, Lawton Elementary School, Lawton Middle School, and Lawton High School, each of which is highlighted here, with schedules, staff contacts, and policy information. The board of education is introduced, along with board meeting schedules, a district newsletter, strategic plan, annual reports, job opportunities, teacher webpages, and alumni resources.
https://www.lawtoncs.org/
Affiliated with the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches, the congregation meets at its facilities on South Nursery Street in Lawson, Michigan. Its mission, vision, strategy, and a statement of faith are posted, along with an introduction for those who may be attending for the first time. Its pastor, elders, deacons, and staff are introduced, and its office hours, contacts, and a contact form are provided. Service schedules, a calendar of events, and an audio sermon archive are featured.
https://www.lawtonevan.com/
Housed in the wine cellars of the Lawton Lions Heritage Community Center in Lawton, the museum depicts the 1900 to 1940 farming, processing, and daily life of the Lawton region, it features vineyard farm equipment, early wine and grape processing machinery, home life depictions, interior barn decor, a one-room schoolhouse setting, a village general store, soda shop, barbershop, and train station. Its location, hours, exhibits, and services are featured on the Museum's site.
https://lawtonheritagemuseum.org/
The address, hours of operation, and contacts for the Lawton, Michigan library are featured on the site, which includes the library catalog of resources, as well as links to other sources of electronic resources. Library services, borrowing policies and procedures, and information about its book sales are included, along with its summer reading program, children's birthday book club, adult reading programs, and its Accelerated Reader book programs. Announcements are posted on the site.
https://www.lawtonlibrary.com/
Lawton Lions Heritage Community Center
Owned and managed by the Lawton Lions Club, the Community Center houses the Lawton Heritage Museum, as well as its Main Banquet Room, Great Room, Clubhouse, and event spaces for wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions. Building features include air conditioning, heating, a fully functional generator, a lighted and paved parking lot, and handicapped-accessible rooms. A photo gallery is available on the site, its pricing is listed, and tours of the building may be scheduled online.
https://lawtonheritagecommunitycenter.com/
Named for Nathaniel Lawton, an early settler, Lawton is in the southwestern portion of the Lower Peninsula. The official municipal website posts schedules of various municipal meetings, as well as agendas and minutes, the village master plan, bylaws and the rules of procedure, and access to various documents and forms. A village road map is also published. Public notices are displayed on the site, and a directory of village trustees, the village manager, village clerk, and other officials.
https://lawtonmi.gov/
Situated along South Highway M-40 in Lawton, Michigan, the Semi Academy teaches people to drive trucks, buses, automobiles, or motorcycles, as well as state-certified third-party testing. Its location, directions, general information, policies, and client testimonials are discussed, and a photo gallery is included. Tips for a successful road test are offered, along with other tips, and its fees for road tests, cycle tests, CDL road tests, and CDL testing rental fees are defined.
http://www.semi-academy.com/
