Barry County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, the population was 62,423. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

History

Before the present era, the Michigan peninsula was long occupied by bands of the Potowatomi and Ojibwe of the

Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians The Lake Superior Chippewa (Anishinaabe: Gichigamiwininiwag) are a large number of Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) bands living around Lake Superior; this territory is considered part of northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in the United States. They ...

. The United States government forced the tribes to cede their extensive territories to the federal government, in exchange for annuities and small reservations. The federally recognized

Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band The Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan is a federally recognized tribe of Potawatomi people in Michigan named for a 19th-century Ojibwe chief. They were formerly known as the Gun Lake Band of Grand River Ottawa Indi ...

of Pottowatomi has a reservation in Allegan County, just west of Barry County. Barry County was described and delineated by act of the Territorial legislature on April 29, 1829, carved out of previously unorganized lands in the Territory. It was named to honor

William Taylor Barry William Taylor Barry (February 5, 1784 – August 30, 1835) was an American slave owner, statesman and jurist. He served as Postmaster General for most of the administration of President Andrew Jackson and was the only Cabinet member not to resi ...

, who was serving as

United States Postmaster General The United States Postmaster General (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency. The PMG is selected and appointed by ...

at the time of the county's proclamation. Barry was one of

US President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

's cabinet members who were memorialized in names of ten Michigan counties, the " cabinet counties". By 1839, the Territory had been admitted into the Union as Michigan State. In 1839, the Michigan State Legislature approved the organization of Barry County as an independent entity. In the early years of the twentieth century, petroleum deposits of varying magnitudes were discovered and developed in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. This discovery was made in Barry County in 1939; similar discoveries in adjacent counties ranged from 1937 (Allegan County) to 1972 (Eaton County). Identifiable petroleum deposits had been identified in every county adjacent to Barry by 1972.

Geography

According to the

US Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (4.2%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Ionia County Ionia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 66,804. The county seat is Ionia. The Ionia County Courthouse was designed by Claire Allen, a prominent southern Michigan architect. Ion ...

– northeast *

Eaton County Eaton County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 109,175. The county seat is Charlotte. The county was organized in 1837 and was named for John Eaton, who was Secretary of War under ...

– east *

Calhoun County Calhoun County is the name of several counties in the United States of America named after U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun: * Calhoun County, Alabama * Calhoun County, Arkansas * Calhoun County, Florida * Calhoun County, Georgia * Calhoun Cou ...

– southeast *

Kalamazoo County Kalamazoo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. , the population was 261,670. The county seat is Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo County is included in the Kalamazoo– Portage, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Kalamazoo Count ...

– southwest * Allegan County – west * Kent County – northwest

Transportation

Major highways

* – enters NW part of county running south from Kent County. Runs S and SE to Hastings; runs south and SSE from Hastings to Calhoun County. * – enters from Kalamazoo. Runs north and east through Delton, Hastings and Carlton to intersection with M43, east of Woodland in NE corner of Barry County. * – enters NE tip of county at Woodbury. Runs west and north to Ionia County. * – enters SE corner of county running N from Calhoun County. Runs north and NE through eastern portion of county. Passes Nashville to NE corner of county; exits to Eaton County at Woodbury running east. * – runs SW across extreme southeastern tip of county, entering from Eaton County, exiting to Calhoun County. * – runs west from its intersection with M66 at Nashville to its intersection with M37, SE of Hastings. * – runs SE across the southwestern tip of county, from Allegan County to Kalamazoo County. * – enters west portion of county from Allegan County. Runs east to Hastings.Google Maps, ''Barry County MI'' (accessed 4 September 2018)
/ref>

Railroads

There were once several minor railroads through the county. At present there are none. The only railroad left in the county is a two-mile section owned by

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

, running through the northeast corner of

Woodland Township, Michigan Woodland Township is a civil township of Barry County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,047 at the 2010 census. The village of Woodland is located within the township. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, th ...

Demographics

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 59,173 people living in the county. 96.9% were

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.6% of some other race and 1.3% of two or more races. 2.3% were

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

(of any race). 19.8% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 13.5%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 12.1%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, 11.2%

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

and 8.1%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

ancestry. As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...

, there were 56,755 people, 21,035 households, and 15,986 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 23,876 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile (17/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.39%

, 0.24%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.46% Native American, 0.27%

, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.50% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.12% from two or more races. 1.46% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. 21.8% were of

, 13.6%

, 12.5%

, 12.4%

and 9.6%

ancestry according to

Census 2000 The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

. 98.2% spoke only

at home. There were 21,035 households, out of which 35.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.10% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.00% were non-families. 19.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.06. The county population contained 27.20% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $46,820, and the median income for a family was $51,794. Males had a median income of $38,991 versus $26,387 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $20,636. About 3.90% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 5.90% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Elections

Barry County has been strongly Republican from its start. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee has carried the county vote in 91% of the elections (31 of 34 elections). The county government operates the

jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and

vital records Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses (or marriage certificates), separation agreements, divorce certificates or divorce party and death certificates. In some ...

, administers

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget, and has limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions—police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc.—are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Elected officials

Prosecuting Attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tria ...

: Julie Nakfoor-Pratt *

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

: Dar Leaf * County Clerk: Pam Palmer * County Treasurer: Susan L. Vandecar *

Register of Deeds Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over ...

: Barbara D. Hurless *

Drain Commissioner A drain commissioner is an elected official in county government of the U.S. state of Michigan who is responsible for planning, developing and maintaining surface water drainage systems under Public Act 40 of 1956. In counties with a population unde ...

: James Dull *

County Surveyor A county surveyor is a public official in the United Kingdom and the United States. United Kingdom Webb & Webb describe the increasing chaos that began to prevail within this same period in field of county surveying in England and Wales, with c ...

: Brian Reynolds * County Board of Commissioners: 7 Members (7 Republicans, 0 Democrats) (information ) In an October 2020 interview with Fox 17 News, Sheriff Dar Leaf stated that the individuals charged in a plot to kidnap Governor

Gretchen Whitmer Gretchen Esther Whitmer (born August 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006 a ...

may have been attempting to effectuate a lawful arrest on Whitmer as opposed to a kidnapping. The Sheriff had shared a stage with one of those charged at a protest of the Governor's stay-at-home order in May.

Education

Public schools in Barry County: * Hastings – 7 public schools, 2 private schools, 1 community college (extension of Kellogg Community College) (see

Hastings, Michigan Hastings is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, the county seat of Barry County as well as the county's only city. The population was 7,350 at the 2010 census. The city borders Hastings Charter Township on the north, east, and south, and ...

) * Delton – 3 public schools, 3 private schools (see

Delton, Michigan Delton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Barry Township in Barry County, Michigan, United States. The population was 872 at the 2010 census. Geography Delton is located in southwestern Barry County. It is bordered to the north by Hope Town ...

) * Middleville – 5 public schools (see

Middleville, Michigan Middleville is a village in Thornapple Township, Barry County, in the U.S. state of Michigan and part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. The population was 4,295 at the 2020 census. History The first white settler to own land in the vil ...

)

Sports

Barry County is the host of the annual

Barry-Roubaix Barry-Roubaix is a classic-style road/off-road cycling race featuring a variety of terrain and surfaces to test cyclists of all skill levels. Named to the Global Cycling Network's ''Top Five Gravel Events'' and ''Nine Coolest Races of 2018'', the ...

cycling race.

Communities

City

(county seat)

Villages

* Freeport * Middleville *

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

Woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

Census-Designated Places

* Delton * Dowling * Hickory Corners

Unincorporated communities

Assyria Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , romanized: ''māt Aššur''; syc, ܐܬܘܪ, ʾāthor) was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization which existed as a city-state at times controlling regional territories in the indigenous lands of the A ...

* Banfield * Cloverdale * Coats Grove * Lacey * Maple Grove * Prairieville * Quimby * Schultz

Townships

* Assyria Township * Baltimore Township * Barry Township * Carlton Township * Castleton Township * Hastings Charter Township * Hope Township * Irving Township * Johnstown Township * Maple Grove Township * Orangeville Township * Prairieville Township * Rutland Charter Township * Thornapple Township * Woodland Township *

Yankee Springs Township Yankee Springs Township is a civil township of Barry County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,065 at the 2010 census. The township includes Yankee Springs State Park, a popular tourist destination in the summer. The name was t ...

References

External links

Official Website of Barry County, Michigan
*
Barry County, MI GenWeb. Many history and genealogy pages
{{Coord, 42.60, -85.31, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MI_source:UScensus1990 Michigan counties Grand Rapids metropolitan area 1839 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1839