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513:. In the early 1930s, he commissioned the creation of numerous cement bridges over the small stream running through the estate, and the unique design of the concrete was sculpted to look like wood. McCourtie died in 1933 at the age of 61, and the estate passed through multiple owners. The old farmhouse, which was built in the 1850s was deemed too expensive to restore and was demolished; the bridges and some older structures remain. The township purchased the property in 1987 and converted it into a public park known as McCourtie Park, which is along the
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post office on June 19, 1872. The post office was originally spelled as
Somerset Centre until it was respelled as Somerset Center on November 25, 1893. Around that time, the community received a train station along the newly constructed Detroit, Hillsdale, & Southwestern Railroad, which later became the
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on
February 17, 1872. On an 1872 map of Somerset Township, Somerset Centre can be seen in section 10 along the Chicago Road; Somerset (then known as Somerset Station) can be seen to the east in section 12. With the Somerset post office still operating, Somerset Centre would receive its own separate
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The
Somerset Township Hall and Fire Department are located within Somerset Center in the same building at 12715 East Chicago Road. The Somerset Center post office is located at 12631 East Chicago Road. The Somerset Center 49282 ZIP Code serves only a small centralized area of Somerset Township,
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One of the most notable early residents of
Somerset Center was William Herbert Lee McCourtie, who was born near here in 1872. After graduating college, he moved to Texas and became very wealthy in the cement industry. He returned to Somerset Center to live with his family and bought his 42-acre
477:. Thomas Gamble, who purchased the Hoevenburg homestead, became the first postmaster when a post office began operating on September 9, 1835. The post office was first named Wheatland after the township. It was soon renamed to Gambleville on October 17, 1837, when the northern 36-square-mile
489:. The post office was relocated to the centralized portion of the township and renamed Somerset Centre, only to eventually be moved back to its original location to the east. It again took the name Gambleville, where it would again be changed to the name Somerset by 1872.
520:
The
Somerset Center Cemetery is located in the center of the community along Waldron Road and U.S. Route 12. William H. L. McCourtie and his family mausoleum are located within Somerset Center Cemetery. The McCourtie Mausoleum, which was built in 1927, is listed as a
465:, built his home here as early as 1833. Cornelius Millspaw may have been the first settler in the area around this time, but he never finished his log cabin or settled in the area. Many of the first settlers in the area became wheat harvesters and merchants.
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The area contains numerous lakes near
Somerset Center. The largest of these lakes is Lake LeAnn, and some of the other named lakes include Blood Lake, Crystal Lake, Lake Somerset, Lombard Lake, Mission Lake, and Moon Lake. Many of these lakes are connected by
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Somerset Center was slightly west of the community of
Somerset, which was settled one year earlier by James Van Hoevenburg. Throughout its early history, the community was spelled interchangeably as Somerset Center or Somerset Centre. In 1835,
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As an unincorporated community, Somerset Center has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own but does have its own post office with the 49282 ZIP Code.
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509:(17 ha) family farm in 1924. He transformed the estate into a recreation area known as Aiden Lair that hosted many lavish events and prominent guests, including
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services with the 49281 ZIP Code. The surrounding area may also be served by the Jerome 49249 ZIP Code, which serves a much larger area. The community is served by
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including the western portion of
Somerset, which does not have its own physical post office and uses the Somerset Center post office for its own
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region, the community sits at an elevation of 1,060 feet (320 m), which is among the highest elevations in southeast
Michigan.
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Michigan Place Names: The
History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities
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History of Hillsdale county. Michigan, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers
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located within the township just south of Somerset Center. The source of Michigan's longest river,
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was formally organized, and the largely undeveloped area became part of the newly established
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The community can be seen on an 1857 map of Hillsdale County. The community was officially
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1186:"Peek Through Time: Gangsters, Ghosts, Graceful Art All Part of Mystique of McCourtie Park"
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U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Somerset Center, Michigan
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The community is located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the county line with
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about 3.0 miles (4.8 km) to the east. Nearby incorporated villages include
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further away to the southeast. Other nearby unincorporated communities include
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Somerset Center is located in southeast Michigan in the northeastern corner of
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U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grand River
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is also recognized as both a state historic site and listed on the
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watershed. Somerset State Game Area is a 748-acre (303 ha)
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953:. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Library. pp. 230–240
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Capturing Nature: The Cement Sculpture of Dionicio Rodríguez
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The area was first settled when Elias Alley, who came from
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Unincorporated communities in Hillsdale County, Michigan
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Unincorporated community in Michigan, United States
1108:Pittman Light, Patsy; Rodríguez, Dionicio (2008).
1312:Map of Michigan highlighting Hillsdale County.svg
701:. Michigan Economic Development Corporation. 2023
393:to the southwest, the census-designated place of
805:"Somerset Township Fire Department & Rescue"
1138:Old Chicago Road: US-12 from Detroit to Chicago
1114:. Texas A&M University Press. p. 87.
481:area of Wheatland Township was separated into
433:to the southwest in the village of Addison in
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1010:(Map). Philadelphia: Kellogg & Randall.
421:, is located just north of Somerset Center.
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1686:1833 establishments in Michigan Territory
1163:"Somerset Center: Home of McCourtie Park"
517:Heritage Trail through the community.
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750:Michigan Department of Natural Resources
1093:McCourtie, William Herbert Lee (1914).
1048:. Philadelphia: C. O. Titus. p. 13
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1671:Unincorporated communities in Michigan
1141:. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 63–64.
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723:. Hillsdale County Historical Society
457:Former train depot in Somerset Center
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93:Location within the state of Michigan
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1681:Populated places established in 1833
721:"Somerset & Somerset Center, MI"
531:National Register of Historic Places
908:"Hillsdale County School Districts"
401:in Jackson County to the north.
346:U.S. Post Office in Somerset Center
1241:Municipalities and communities of
1046:Atlas of Hillsdale County Michigan
582:W. H. L. McCourtie historic marker
14:
1184:Smith, Leanne (August 13, 2014).
669:"ZIP Code 49282: Somerset Center"
323:. The community is located along
126:Location within the United States
57:Looking east along Chicago Road (
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1004:Geil, S.; Jones, S. L. (1857).
831:"Somerset Center – Post Office"
397:directly to the northeast, and
1068:"Station: Somerset Center, MI"
1007:Map of Hillsdale Co., Michigan
527:William H. L. McCourtie Estate
1:
915:Michigan Geographic Framework
449:Historic image of Main Street
129:Show map of the United States
1165:. US 12 Heritage Trail. 2023
981:Wayne State University Press
943:Crisfield, Johnson (2005) .
835:United States Postal Service
523:Michigan State Historic Site
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1244:Hillsdale County, Michigan
743:"Somerset State Game Area"
227:1,060 ft (320 m)
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785:. Somerset Township. 2023
503:New York Central Railroad
431:Addison Community Schools
358:on the outer edge of the
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36:Somerset Center, Michigan
886:UnitedStatesZipCodes.org
882:"ZIP Code 49249: Jerome"
673:UnitedStatesZipCodes.org
313:unincorporated community
44:Unincorporated community
20:Oakland County, Michigan
463:Cayuga County, New York
409:, which is part of the
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975:Romig, Walter (1986).
783:"Township of Somerset"
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389:directly to the east,
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1072:Michiganrailroads.com
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381:to the northeast and
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319:in the U.S. state of
250: • Summer (
158:42.05111°N 84.41361°W
1649:United States portal
1040:Lake, D. J. (1872).
857:"49249 ZIP Code map"
809:USA Fire Departments
639:"49282 ZIP Code map"
327:(US 12) within
96:Show map of Michigan
1135:Milan, Jon (2011).
1027:Library of Congress
917:. November 15, 2013
568:McCourtie Mausoleum
551:Looking west along
163:42.05111; -84.41361
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24:Somerset Collection
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752:. February 2, 2016
487:Somerset, New York
475:Wheatland Township
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354:. Located within
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1095:"Cohan genealogy"
990:978-0-8143-1838-6
695:"Somerset Center"
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419:Grand River
407:Goose Creek
379:Cement City
375:US 127
360:Irish Hills
267:ZIP code(s)
161: /
1665:Categories
1555:Prattville
1475:Lake LeAnn
1447:Woodbridge
1407:Litchfield
1339:Montgomery
1294:Litchfield
1289:Jonesville
1042:"Somerset"
1016:2012593149
945:"Somerset"
606:References
511:Henry Ford
395:Lake LeAnn
371:US 12
299:feature ID
149:84°24′49″W
146:42°03′04″N
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1585:Wheatland
1580:Steamburg
1565:Shadyside
1480:Pittsford
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391:Jerome
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1367:Adams
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