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The unincorporated community of Norvell, Michigan is in the northwest portion of Norvell Township in southeastern Jackson County.

As it is unincorporated, Norvell does not have defined boundaries, but it is concentrated on the northeast shores of Norvell Lake, west of Sweezey Lake. The chief routes through the village are Norvell Road, Mill Road, Sweezey Lake Road, and Idle Hills Road.

Cities and villages within twenty miles of Norvell include Brooklyn, Manchester, Grass Lake, Cement City, Jackson, Onsted, Clinton, and Chelsea, and the unincorporated communities of Napoleon, Vineyard Lake, Grass Lake, and Ackerson are within ten miles.

The first settler in this part of Jackson County was William Hunt, who came in 1831. In the spring of 1832, his son-in-law, whose surname was Bickford, came with his wife. Shortly afterward, she gave birth to the first white child born in the township, Dona Maria Cassender Rider Bickford.

A post office was established on March 17, 1838, with Harvey Austin as postmaster. The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad came through in 1878, establishing a station in Norvell, which was named for John Norvell, a newspaper editor and one of the first United States Senators from Michigan.

By 1880, the village had a hotel, churches, schools, stores, a railroad depot, and a large mill system operated by William Reynolds. Today, there is only one church and very few other businesses, although there are several homes, mostly along Norvell Road (East Commercial Street) and Prospect Road, between Edgar Street and Sweezey Lake Road, as well as others nearer the lake, along Mill Road and Reynolds Road.

With a focus on the community of Norvell, Michigan, appropriate resources include websites representing any governmental bodies within the community, or any local schools, churches, organizations, businesses, industries, activities, or events.

 

 

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