Situated at the center of Sidney Township, concentrated at the intersection of Derby Road and Sidney Road, Sidney, Michigan is a small, largely residential, community in Montcalm County.
Cities and villages within twenty miles of the community include Stanton, Sheridan, Greenville, McBride, Belding, Edmore, Carson City, and Lakeview, while the unincorporated communities of Entrican, Gowen, and Fenwick are within ten miles.
The first European-American settler in Sidney is believed to have been Phineas Swift, who came from New York in 1854, although Henry Gillmore, also from New York, built the first permanent home in the township. With his sons, he soon opened a large shingle mill, and also planted corn, potatoes, vegetables, flax, and wheat. A few other settlers soon followed.
In 1856, a tornado swept through the area, destroying some of its heavy timber. An early frost then killed much of the settlers' corn and vegetables, and a large fire burned for several months. The smoke nearly blocked out the sun, and the stored hay, wagon, and much of everything that settlers had prepared for the hard Michigan winter months were destroyed. Most of their homes were saved, however.
It was a painful beginning, but Sidney Township was organized in January of 1857, and named for the Ohio hometown of several early settlers.
Fortunately, there were some tracts of land in which the forests were undamaged, so the local pine industry wasn't completely shut down, and a second growth of timber soon made its appearance.
On September 29, 1862, a post office was established, with Joshua V. Noah as postmaster. The post office took the name of the township, although, for several years, the village was known as Sidney Center.
Eventually, the pine forests were largely depleted, and agriculture developed.
Other early settlers included Theodore Gillmore, J.V. Noah, William H. Noah, James Jewell, Lyman Johnson, George Vann Ness, William Fields, Ira Barlow, Sylvester Barrett, Calvin Mann, Alanson Snow, West Drake, William Lampman, and Watson and Anthony Courter.
The cemetery in Sidney was established on land that had previously been part of Joshua V. Noah's farm.
William H. Noah established the first store in Sidney. Located in his house, he used money earned during his service in the Civil War to buy groceries in Ionia to be sold from his home. Later, he built a stand-alone store, which was operated by Charles Kent for a time, and then became the property of Frank G. Hansen.
The first sawmill in Sidney was established by Ezekiel Goble. It was located across from the cemetery. His son, along with William H. Noah, later ran the mill.
Joshua V. Noah supervised the construction of Sidney's first school. Built by volunteer labor, it was a one-room school with four windows on each side. The window sills were extended about a foot and a half to serve as student desks, with benches along the walls. The teacher's desk and blackboard were at the far end of the room. The second school was also a one-room building, although the third school building had two rooms. Used until 1960, it was demolished to make room for a bank building, now known as the Sidney State Bank.
Early Sidney had two churches: a Congregational Church and the Immanuel Danish Lutheran Church. The Sidney Congregational Church later became the Sidney Christian Church, while the Lutheran Church merged with St. John's Danish Lutheran Church in 1965, after which a new church, Faith Lutheran, was built along Sidney Road west of the village.
Today, Sidney is largely residential, with only a few businesses serving a local population. However, Montcalm Community College is just east of the town center and is generally considered to be part of the community. Founded in 1965, MCC enrolls more than two thousand students.
Online resources for governmental entities within the community, as well as local businesses, industries, schools, churches, organizations, attractions, events, entertainment venues, recreational opportunities, and information sources are appropriate for this category.
 
 
Recommended Resources
Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ECLA), the congregation meets at its facilities on Grow Road in Sidney, Michigan. Its location is shown on a map, its ministries and programs are highlighted, and a calendar of upcoming programs and activities is published on the site, which includes a history of the pastor, a feature for making online contributions to the church, and links to affiliated ministries and organizations, and ECLS resources.
https://www.faithlutheransidney.org/
Offering credits for degrees, certificates, job training programs, or for transferring to a four-year institution, as well as early college programs for area high schoolers, MCC is east of the village of Sidney, Michigan. Established in 1965, the college has an average class size of fifteen. Its academics, admissions, and campus life programs, accreditation status, strategic plan, and an introduction to its leadership are set forth, and a faculty and staff directory is included.
https://www.montcalm.edu/
Situated in Sidney Township, northwest of the village of Sidney, Michigan, the cemetery is along South Grow Road, just north of West Colby Road. The Find a Grave site encourages visitors to adopt and/or upload photographs of the grounds or of headstones, as well as information about those interred here, such as transcriptions of memorials, obituaries, and so on. Virtual flowers and comments may be added, and cross-referencing with the graves of other family members may be available.
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1970705/north-sidney-cemetery
Offering several membership package options, the Sidney, Michigan facility includes cardiovascular machines, strength machines, free weights, and tanning services, including 24/7 access. Located on South Derby Road, a telephone number and an online contact form are available, a map showing its location, and the facilities are shown in several photographs. Monthly or one-time payments on an annual membership are available, along with a one-time payment on a three-month membership.
http://www.sidneyfitnesstan.com/
Founded in 1921, the bank offers individualized service, along with a full line of financial services, to residents of Montcalm County, Michigan, including Internet and mobile banking services, and mobile check deposits. Its history, location, hours, and an overview of its personal, business, and lending products, online and mobile banking, e-statements, safe deposit boxes, and notary public services. Checks may be ordered online, rates are posted, and financial calculators are available.
https://www.sidneybank.com/