Osseo, Michigan is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in northwest Jefferson Township, Hillsdale County.
While unincorporated communities in Michigan do not have defined boundaries, an area has been defined for the CDP, although it is for the purposes of the census only, and without legal status as a municipality.
There are two defined segments of the CDP, both along Hudson Road, and which are joined by Lake Pleasant Road. The western portion of the CDP is south of Hudson Road (M-99), while the eastern segment is north of Hudson Road (M-34). Pleasant Lake is within the western part of the CDP, while Deer Lake is just south of the eastern part of the CDP. The Osseo Post Office is in the eastern part of the CDP, at the intersection of Beecher Road and Bird Lake Road South.
The city of Hillsdale is about seven miles northwest of Osseo, while North Adams is just under nine miles north, and Jonesville is about ten miles north-northwest. Other cities and villages within twenty miles include Reading, Hudson, Allen, Litchfield, Camden, Addison, Waldron, Montgomery, and Clayton, as well as Pioneer, Ohio.
The history of Osseo is closely linked with that of Jonesville, although the latter is now a city with a population of more than two thousand.
In 1828, Beniah Jones acquired land in what is now Hillsdale County as a site to start a new village. The village became Jonesville, which was named the county seat when Hillsdale County was organized in 1835.
However, a year earlier, John P. Cook and Chauncey N. Ferris had arrived in Jonesville with a large amount of merchandise, which included dry goods and several barrels of whiskey. Until then, the only trade in Jonesville had been with the Local Native American tribes. Two years later, Cook and Ferris decided to establish a new village six miles south of Jonesville, and moved their store there. The new village was platted in 1835 and named Hillsdale Center, with the hopes of taking the county seat from Jonesville. Cook and Ferris began campaigning hard to have Hillsdale Center designated as the county seat.
In response, some residents of Jonesville, in a quest to retain the county seat and jail in their village, concocted a scheme to create a new village to compete with Hillsdale, hoping to weaken Hillsdale's chances to claim the prize by dividing the vote.
They formed the Osseo Village Company, acquired land ten miles to the south-southwest, nearer to Hillsdale, and platted a village as Osseo.
The scheme failed, however. Rather than taking votes from Hillsdale, the state legislature chose Osseo as the county seat. From 1841 to 1843, Osseo was the legal county seat, although it had only a few residents and no public buildings. In 1844, before any county buildings were constructed in Osseo, the legislature chose Hillsdale as the county seat.
Despite several streams and lakes in the area, Osseo was never incorporated. The community was sparsely settled around 1840, and the Florida, Michigan post office was moved to Osseo and renamed on December 14, 1861. The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad opened a station stop in Osseo in 1864. Largely an agricultural community, Osseo did have a fireworks factory for several years.
Today, it supports some resorts and commercial businesses serving vacationers, outdoor recreationists, and travelers along M-34 and M-99, as well as its residents, some of whom commute to nearby cities.
The focal point of this portion of our guide is on the small community known as Osseo, Michigan. Appropriate topics for this category include websites representing local businesses, industries, schools, churches, organizations, attractions, events, and recreational opportunities.
Recommended Resources
Also known as Dutch Hill Cemetery, the cemetery is located on Beecher Road in Osseo, Hillsdale County, Michigan. The Find a Grave website encourages visitors to adopt a cemetery or upload photographs of the grounds or of memorials within the cemetery. Virtual flowers and testimonials may be published on the site, which may include dates of birth and death, as well as other details, including cross-references to those of other family members.
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/413/east-hill-cemetery
The family-owned meat superstore offers a large variety of meats, seafood, and store-made smoked products, including jerky, snack sticks, summer sausage, ring bologna, beef bacon, and salmon, as well as smoked venison products, when available. The business' address and a map showing its location are given, along with its hours of operation, telephone number, and an online contact form. Its custom processing and deer processing services are outlined, and job openings are posted on the site.
https://mmsmokehouse.com/
Held in the ProEdge Arena at the rodeo grounds along Blackbridge Road in Osseo, Michigan, takes place on Saturdays from the latter part of March to the latter part of April, according to a schedule that is posted here. Its hours, admission fees, rider entry fees, and an overview of the scheduled events are posted on the site, and which includes a bull-riding event sanctioned by the Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association (SEBRA). A flyer and contacts are posted on the site.
https://rodeosusa.com/rodeos/proedge-rodeo/
