Lyons, Michigan is a village in Ionia County. Most of it is in Lyons Township, although a portion extends west into Ionia Township.
The Grand River flows west and north through the center of the village, forming the largest portion of its southern border, and a small portion of its northern border.
The chief routes to and through the village are Riverside Drive, Wagar Road, Keefer Highway, Staley Road, and Kimball Road. Lyons shared a small portion of its northern border with Muir, the center of which is two miles from the center of Lyons. Other cities and villages within twenty miles are Pewano, Ionia, Portland, Fowler, Westphalia, Hubbardston, Saranac, Sunfield, Carson City, Eagle, and Mulliken.
Lyons is a largely residential community, with few commercial or industrial enterprises. However, its population has remained relatively stable since it first appeared on a census roll in 1870 with a population of 704. Its peak population was 824 in 1990, and its current population is just under 800, although it is predicted to push above that number when the 2020 census data is released.
Lyons Township was one of the earliest settled in Ionia County, although it was originally named Maple Township. The area that is now the city of Lyons was originally the Native American village of Chigaumishkene. William Hunt was perhaps the first European-American to settle the area. He came in 1830, and opened a trading post on the west bank of the river, where he traded with the American Indians for furs, skins, and other commodities, exchanging whiskey, blankets, guns, and other goods. A couple of men named Belcher and Burgess were partners with him for a period of time. Belcher's wife is believed to have been the first white woman to reside in what would later become Lyons, and her son was the first white child born in the territory in 1834. The H.B. Libhart family came from Naples, New York in 1833, although they settled outside of the area now within the city limits.
At some point, the settlement became known as Arthursburg because, on February 24, 1836, Lucius Lyon wrote to Edward Lyon, stating, "The place is called Arthursburg... but we will change the name... I own the whole townsite... It will become one of the most important towns in Michigan."
That year, Lyon platted both sides of the Grand River, recording it as Lyons on November 26, 1836. Giles S. Isham built a log cabin on the west side of the river, becoming the first settler in the platted village. On December 31, 1836, a post office was established, with Truman H. Lyon as the first postmaster.
Assisted by Edward Lyon, Henry A. Leonard, and Andrew Hanse, Lucius Lyon hired a team of sixteen carpenters and builders to build a bridge across the river, and to put up stores and houses, giving the village a start. Ashley Cooper, David Pressy, and N.J. Allport, who was among the hired carpenters, stayed to become permanent residents of the village. Most of the lumber was supplied by H.V. Libhart's sawmill, about two miles west of the townsite, and David Baldwin hauled the lumber from the mill to the village.
A second plat of the village was made on March 18, 1857, by Walter Halstead, as the Halstead Addition, and a third was done by Daniel Ball and R.E. Butterworth in September of that year, as Ball's Addition.
Lyons was incorporated as a village in 1859 and the township, which had been incorporated as Maple in 1837, was renamed Lyons in 1840.
The focus of this category is on the village of Lyons, Michigan. Websites representing the municipal government or any other governmental bodies in Lyons, as well as any businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, and events within the city, are appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
Organized in 1852, the LBC meets each Sunday and Wednesday at its facilities in the middle of Lyons, Michigan. Its location, weekly schedules, and a calendar of upcoming programs and events are published on the site, along with a telephone number, email address, and a contact form. Its ministries to children, youth, and adults are outlined, along with its music ministries, pastoral support ministries, and prayer groups. Recent sermons may be viewed online, and a blog is included.
https://www.lyonsbaptistchurch.net/
The Ionia County township includes the villages of Lyons, Muir, and Pewamo, and its offices are situated in Lyons, Michigan. The official township website features a map of the township, and highlights township services, township cemeteries, announcements, and information about when taxes are due and how to pay them, as well as contacts for the township assessor, board members, and staff. Township meeting schedules and minutes of past meetings are presented.
https://www.lyonstownship.org/
Also known as Bridge Street Cemetery, the township cemetery is situated on the north side of Bridge Street/Kimball Road, just east of its intersection with Higbee Street. The Find a Grave website allows for cemeteries throughout the country to be adopted by those who are willing to upload photos of the grounds and document information on the people who are interred there, such as headstone photos, transcriptions, and family cross-referencing. Virtual flowers may be submitted, as well.
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2264206/lyons-township-cemetery
Lyons Township District Library
Serving the township, the main branch of the township library is in the village of Lyons, Michigan. The library location and hours are published on the site, along with telephone and fax numbers, a list of library staff, and the board of trustees. Library policies, board meeting agendas and minutes, and access to the library catalog. Its materials, programs for children and teenagers, research facilities, sponsored programs and events, and electronic resources and events are set forth.
https://www.lyons.michlibrary.org/
Incorporated in 1859, the village is in both Lyons and Ionia townships, in Ionia County, Michigan. The official municipal website lists the Lyons city council and staff, city office locations, hours, and contacts. Council meeting agendas and minutes, ordinances, a newsletter, and a calendar of events are posted on the site, which also includes demographics and census data, FOIA requests, and information on utility billings, taxes, and city, village, and township revenue sharing.
http://www.lyonsvillage.org/
