Ionia County, Michigan
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 16 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1971. Most listings are in or near Ionia, Belding, Portland.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for Michigan is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Ionia titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP12 of 16 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
16 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Belding, Alvah N., Memorial Library | Belding | 1993 |
| Blanchard, John C., House | Ionia | 1974 |
| Hall-Fowler Memorial Library | Ionia | 1971 |
| Ionia County Courthouse | Ionia | 1979 |
| Ionia Downtown Commercial Historic District | Ionia | 1984 |
| Ionia Historic District | Ionia | 1984 |
| Lovell-Webber House | Ionia | 1974 |
| Muir Church of Christ | Muir | 1983 |
| Pere Marquette Railway Belding Depot | Belding | 1997 |
| Portland Downtown Historic District | Portland | 2005 |
| Portland First Congregational Church | Portland | 1984 |
| Portland High School | Portland | 2016 |
| Richardson Silk Mill | Belding | 1985 |
| Sessions Schoolhouse | Ionia | 1985 |
| St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Complex | Hubbardston | 2001 |
| VanderHeyden, William H., House | Ionia | 1990 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBIonia was formed in 1831 (1831-03-02) from Michilimackinac.
IONIA created by Michigan Territory from MICHILIMACKINAC (now MACKINAC) and Non-County Area 5 attached to KALAMAZOO.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusIonia County population from 1840 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1840 | 1860 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,923 | 16,682 | 33,872 | 34,329 | 33,087 | 35,710 | 38,158 | 43,132 | 51,815 | 61,518 | 66,804 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS52 cemeteries and 0 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 52 of 52 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Alderman Cemetery |
| Balcom Cemetery |
| Brown Grave |
| Clarksville Cemetery |
| Danby Cemetery |
| Dunkard Cemetery |
| East Sebewa Cemetery |
| East Side Cemetery |
| Easton Cemetery |
| Greene Cemetery |
| Greenop Cemetery |
| Higbee Cemetery |
| Highland Park Cemetery |
| Ionia County Poor Farm Cemetery |
| Keefer Cemetery |
| Lakeside Cemetery |
| Letts Cemetery |
| Lyons Township Cemetery |
| Maple Corners Cemetery |
| Marble Cemetery |
| Mathew Cemetery |
| Mount Calvary Cemetery |
| North Plains Cemetery |
| Oakhill Cemetery |
| Oakwood Cemetery |
| Old Belding Cemetery |
| Otisco Cemetery |
| Palo Cemetery |
| Pewamo Cemetery |
| Pinckney Cemetery |
| Portland City Cemetery |
| Reeder Cemetery (historical) |
| Rest Haven Memory Gardens |
| River Ridge Cemetery |
| Saint Johns Cemetery |
| Saint Joseph Cemetery |
| Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery |
| Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery |
| Saranac Cemetery |
| Sebewa Baptist Cemetery |
| Smyrna Cemetery |
| Snows Cemetery |
| South Boston Cemetery |
| Spaulding Cemetery |
| Steele Cemetery |
| Sunset Memorial Gardens |
| Tuttle Cemetery |
| Union Burial Ground |
| West Side Cemetery |
| White Cemetery |
| Woodard Lake Cemetery |
| Woodward Cemetery |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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