Leonidas, Michigan is an unincorporated community in Leonidas Township, in the northeastern portion of St. Joseph County.
As an unincorporated community, Leonidas lacks defined boundaries, but the populated place with that name is just south of the center of the township, in the area where M-60 intersects with Fulton Road and King Road.
Two other named communities in Leonidas Township are Cowen's Mills and Factoryville. As these communities are now served by the Leonidas post office and don't have enough online resources to warrant their own category, we will include them here.
Bear Creek, Little Portage Creek, and Nottawa Creek flow through the township, and the St. Joseph River passes through the southern portion. Adam's Lake, Haven's Lake, and Leidy Lake are partially within the township.
Incorporated cities and villages within twenty miles of Leonidas include Mendon, Colon, Athens, Sherwood, Union City, Centreville, Burr Oak, Climax, Vicksburg, Burlington, Bronson, Three Rivers, and Sturgis. The unincorporated community of Fulton is about seven miles to the north.
The first European-American settlers in Leonidas were the George Mathews family, who came from New York City in 1831. As others came, the settlement was originally located along Nottawa Creek, a little north of the current townsite. A post office was established on April 20, 1836, with Isaac G. Bailey as the postmaster. The post office was originally known as Fort Pleasant.
In 1846, E.G. Terry platted the current townsite south of Fort Pleasant, naming it Leonidas. The post office was moved here from Fort Pleasant on February 21, 1850, and renamed Leonidas.
Leonidas Center, a village without a post office, was once a named community.
Situated west of Leonidas, south of the area where Nottawa Creek and Bear Creek come together, the community of Cowen's Mills was named for James and Robert Cowen, who came from Pennsylvania in 1831, constructing a dam along Nottawa Creek in 1832, and built a sawmill at the area where King Road and Krupp Road come together. Two more sawmills and a gristmill were built in that area later. A post office opened there in 1834, although it closed in 1839. Today, Rawson's King Mill Park is operated by St. Joseph County Parks & Recreation on the site of what was last known as the King Mill.
In the northeast section of the township, the community of Factoryville is about three miles from Leonidas, and within Leonidas Township, although mail is delivered to that area from the Athens post office. This community also rose up along a sawmill, this one built on another section of Nottawa Creek by Theodore Robinson and James Bishop in 1842. Later, William, Charles, and Nathan Schofield built a woolen factory in the same area, and the settlement that grew up there became known as Factoryville. A post office was established in Factoryville on January 31, 1888, with Henry Fredenburg as postmaster. This post office closed on April 30, 1907, although the community is still active. The Factoryville Bible Church operates Camp Elvin there.
Topics related to businesses, industries, schools, churches, organizations, attractions, and events in Leonidas, Factoryville, Cowen's Mills, or elsewhere in Leonidas Township, are appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
Chapel of Our Creator's Praise, The
The Christian ministry meets each Sunday at the chapel on the grounds of En Gedi Campground River Resort in Leonidas, Michigan. Featured is a calendar of events, and an overview of its discipleship, worship, fellowship, missions, and other ministries, such as its youth ministries and other family programs. Its location, office hours, telephone number, and email address are published on the site, and a contact form is also available. Contributions to the church may be made online.
https://www.creatorspraiseministries.org/
EGMF is an annual Christian event featuring contemporary Christian music artists. Held in Leonidas, Michigan each July, its ticket pricing guide includes age-specific prices, group discounts, early bird pricing, and other options, are stated. EGMF staff is introduced, along with opportunities to sign on as a church partner, sponsor, or volunteer. A list of food vendors is provided, and camping accommodations, policies, and reservations are included. A program schedule is available.
https://www.engedimusicfest.com/
En Gedi River Resort Canoe Livery and Event Center
Open from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend, with reservations beginning in January, the family resort includes tent camping, recreational vehicle camping, and cottage rentals, as well as an event and reception venue, and canoe livery. A map of the grounds is given, and its rates, rules, photographs, amenities, and other information are included. Its policies and rate structure for event bookings are also featured. Regularly scheduled events are highlighted on the site.
https://www.engediresort.com/
Originating in 1883, the congregation was served largely by circuit riders for its first seventy years, before hiring its first full-time pastor in 1954. The history and a profile of the congregation are put forth, along with an overview of its ministries, including Camp Elvin, a four-week summer camp, as well as its Bible study programs, mission and doctrinal statements, a staff directory, office hours, contact information, and an audio sermon archive. Contributions may be made online.
https://factoryvillebiblechurch.com/
A ministry of Factoryville Bible Church, FCS provides a K-12 Christian school education. The faculty and staff are introduced, a calendar of events is featured, and separate tuition rates are given for attendees and non-attendees of Factoryville Bible Church, with discounts for second and third children enrolled from the same family, with the fourth child attending for free. School schedules are posted, and its athletics program, and parents and friends group are featured.
https://factoryvillechristianschool.com/
Based in Leonidas, Michigan, RTG AgTech provides agricultural and crop services locally and elsewhere, helping farmers to add nutrients to their soil, protect crops from pests, and boost overall growth. Its site features information and an overview of its services relating to soil health, soil microbes, micronutrients, and bio-stimulants. The service area is shown on a map, along with its mailing address, directions, phone number, and hours of operation. A contact form is also available.
https://rtg-agtech.com/
