The city of Marshall, Michigan is in central Calhoun County, spanning Marshall, Fredonia, Eckford, and Marengo townships, and serves as the county seat.
The main routes to and from the city are I-69, which touches its western boundaries, and I-94, which forms portions of its northern boundary. M-227 (17 Mile Road) runs north-south through the center of the city, ending at Business-94 near the downtown district. Other routes include 16 Mile Road, 16 1/2 Mile Road, 17 1/2 Mile Road, 18 1/2 Mile Road, Division Drive, Homer Road, Old US Highway 27, and Verona Road.
Cities and villages within twenty miles of Marshall include Albion, Tekonsha, Olivet, Homer, Burlington, Battle Creek, Bellevue, Parma, and Springfield.
The Kalamazoo River, Rice Creek, and Talmadge Creek flow through the city, and the southeastern portion of the city is abutted by Stuart Lake and Upper Brace Lake.
Although the freeways connect Marshall to Lansing, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Jackson, and Grand Rapids, the surrounding county is largely rural and agricultural.
The city's Downtown District is primarily commercial, centered on its historic main street, with specialty shops and restaurants, as well as other retail venues, municipal offices, and Oaklawn Hospital campus. Several of its commercial buildings include upper-floor residences, and there are single-family homes surrounding the business district. Marshall's River District is anchored by the Dark Horse Brewery compound, with vacant land available for agricultural uses.
Apart from its mixed-use districts, the city has several commercial areas, most of which are auto-oriented, including West Michigan, Old 27, and East Michigan.
A significant portion of the city's land area is zoned for industrial use, including vacant land. Brooks Industrial Park occupies much of the southern part of the city, and hosts some of its largest employers, as well as Brooks Field, a small airport. Other industrial areas are concentrated in the area south of the West Michigan neighborhood, between the railroad and the Kalamazoo River.
Marshall's residential areas include traditional neighborhoods, suburban neighborhoods, and multi-family neighborhoods.
Marshall is known for its 19th and early 20th-century architecture, in particular the Marshall Historic District, one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the country, including more than 850 buildings, including the Honolulu House. Built with a tropical theme in 1860 by Abner Pratt, a Marshall judge who became the US Consul to the Hawaiian Islands, the structure is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Historic American Building Survey. It now serves as a museum, but without Pratt's Polynesian souvenirs and furnishings.
Marshall also includes a governor's mansion that never housed a governor. In 1840, Marshall was a strong contender to replace Detroit as the state capital. Senator James Wright Gordon built a governor's mansion and platted Capitol Square, with lots sold at high prices, in anticipation of the city being named the state capital. However, Lansing was chosen.
Housed in the historic Schragg Marshall post office, the second-largest Postal Service museum is in Marshall.
Marshall was founded by Sidney Ketchum, who came to the area from upstate New York in 1830 with his brother, George Ketchum, acquiring grants for most of the land upon which the city now stands. Knowing that Michigan was soon to become a state, they saw the potential of the area where Rice Creek merged with the Kalamazoo River for shipping and to supply power for mill sites. Sidney and George platted the townsite, naming it for Chief Justice George Marshall.
In 1843, Adam Crosswhite, a Kentucky slave whose father was white, escaped with his wife, Sarah, and four children, with the assistance of the Underground Railroad, and eventually settled in Marshall. The attempt to secure their return by Francis Giltner, the plantation owner, was thwarted by citizens of Marshall, who engineered their escape into Canada. The resulting legal actions led to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which contributed to the issues surrounding the Civil War. After the war, the Crosswhites returned to Marshall, where Adam Crosswhite lived the remainder of his years.
Other early Marshall residents included the Reverend John D. Pierce and Isaac E. Crary, an attorney who, together, designed the educational system that was later adopted by the state. Pierce became the first state superintendent of public instruction in the country, and Crary became Michigan's first member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Brotherhood of the Footboard, the first railroad labor union in the country, was formed in Marshall in 1863. At that time, Marshall was one of the only stops between Chicago and Detroit. Today, Amtrak provides daily service from Marshall.
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Recommended Resources
Maintained by the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance, the site promotes the city of Marshall, Michigan, offering information about Chamber of Commerce memberships and events, as well as the Alliance itself, with contacts, board members, and staff introductions. City news and events are posted, and resources for new industries or businesses include site selection data, logistics, local talent and training, demographics, top employers, incentives, and tax data.
https://choosemarshall.com/
Situated in the center of the southern portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, the city is the county seat of Calhoun County. The official municipal website acknowledges the city's boards and commissions, departmental heads, and significant administrative personnel, as well as provides a guide to municipal services, programs, and facilities. Ordinances, its master plan, and other documents and reports may be viewed or downloaded from the site, and contacts are posted.
http://www.cityofmarshall.com/
Located on Winston Drive in Marshall, Michigan, the hotel is affiliated with the Choice Hotels Group, so eligible stays may earn discounts and points for members of the Choice Privileges Rewards program. Its address, a map showing its location, and contacts are provided, and rooms may be booked online, by telephone, or via a downloadable mobile application. Photographs are available, along with a list of amenities, guest reviews, and a guide to area attractions and events.
https://www.choicehotels.com/michigan/marshall/quality-inn-hotels/mi307
The PK-12th-grade public school system is based in Marshall, Michigan. Its campuses include the Crowell School, Shamrock Center, Gordon Elementary, Harrington Elementary, Hughes Elementary, Walters Elementary, Marshall Middle School, Marshall High School, Marshall Opportunity High School, Eastern Calhoun Early College, and Michigan Youth Challenge Academy, the latter of which is a Michigan state program. Staff contacts, athletics programs, and parent-student policies are outlined.
https://www.marshall.k12.mi.us/
Designed to promote books entitled "A History of Marshall" and "Marshall Memories", by Richard Carver, the site includes excerpts from the books, as well as a guide to local governments, community institutions, and events. Also included is a business directory featuring a categorized selection of local businesses and industries, with links to corresponding websites. Links to research and homework helpers for children are included, along with various computer informational texts.
http://www.marshallmich.com/
National House Bed & Breakfast
Situated on Fountain Circle, the National House B&B is the oldest operating hotel in Michigan. Built in 1835 by Colonel Andrew Mann in 1835, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history, several photographs of its common areas and exterior, and highlights, descriptions, and lists of amenities covering each of its fifteen guest accommodations are provided, along with its history, meeting spaces, and contacts.
https://www.nationalhouseinn.com/
Founded in 1925 as a 12-bed hospital in a residential home, Oaklawn is now an independent, not-for-profit regional health organization licensed for 77 acute-care beds and a 17-bed psychiatric unit, with its main campus on the same site as the original hospital. An introduction to the facility is set forth, along with its mission and values, board of directors, and leadership team. Oaklawn providers may be found by name, specialty, or location, and its services and resources are provided.
https://oaklawnhospital.org/
Built in an Italianate style in 1860, the boutique hotel features five guest accommodations, including the Veronica Suite with a king bed, the Venice Suite with a full-size bed and a twin pull-out, the Rome with a king bed, the Florence with a queen bed, and the Milan with a queen bed. Photos, descriptions, and a list of amenities are provided for each, the Villa policies are posted, and its rates, special offers, packages, and availability for weddings and events are included.
https://villaonverona.com/
