Cannonsburg, Michigan

Cannonsburg is an unincorporated community within Cannon Township, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The communitys is on Bear Creek in the southwest part of the township at coord|43|03|14|N|85|28|11|W|region:US-MI_type:city_scale:30000_source:GNIS. [gnis|622692|Cannonsburg, Michigan]

While the area was still a part of Plainfield Township, the settlement at Cannonsburg was founded in 1842 on an old Native American trail (Chippewa and Ottawa populated the area prior to the region being opened for white settlers). In 1844 and 1845, mills were erected by Edwin B. Bostwick, with H.T. Judson as architect.

As an inducement to settlement, the community was platted in 1848cite book | last = Romig | first = Walter | authorlink=Walter Romig | year = 1986 | title = Michigan Place Names | origyear= 1973 | publisher = Wayne State University Press | location = Detroit, Michigan | id = ISBN 0-8143-1838-X] [White [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=BAD0958.0001.001;didno=BAD0958.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000680 pg. 681] ] (or 1845 by some accounts [Dillenback & Leavitt [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=BAD0957.0001.001;didno=BAD0957.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000049 pg. 45] ] [Fisher [http://name.umdl.umich.edu/arx2230.0001.001 pg. 259] ] ). Bostwick, a business agent of railroad and steamboat financier LeGrand Cannon of Troy, New York, was instructed to give a lot to each resident who was not otherwise provided for. Twenty-five lots were given away and the town was named in honor of Cannon, who acknowledged the honor with the gift of a small cannon engraved with his name and the date. [Dillenback & Leavitt [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=BAD0957.0001.001;didno=BAD0957.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000049 pg. 45] ] A local legend has it that the cannon was buried in a local swamp after misfiring and killing a young man.Fact|date=August 2008

The first record of the township separate from Plainfield is on April 6, 1846. Mention is made that the Michigan Legislature had organized the town under the name of "Churchtown" in the spring of 1846 [White [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=ARX4866.0001.001;didno=ARX4866.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000031 pg. 17] ] [Leeson [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=BAD0958.0001.001;didno=BAD0958.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000678 pg. 679] ] (or 1845 in some sources [Fisher [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=ARX2230.0001.001;didno=ARX2230.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000266 pg 258] ] ). The name was soon after changed to Cannonsburg, after the largest settlement.

A post office was established on May 7, 1844, with the spelling as "Cannonsburgh". The spelling was changed to Cannonsburg on February 5, 1894.cite book | last = Romig | first = Walter | authorlink=Walter Romig | year = 1986 | title = Michigan Place Names | origyear= 1973 | publisher = Wayne State University Press | location = Detroit, Michigan | id = ISBN 0-8143-1838-X] The Cannonsburg ZIP code 49317 provides P.O. Box only service. [ [http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp ZIP Code Lookup] , United States Postal Service] Although Cannonsburg had long been at the center of township business, in recent years the population of the township has shifted so that it is more concentrated to the north of Michigan State Highway 44 and along the eastern border. The township offices now have a Rockford postal address and are located on M-44.

Notes

References

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* "Cannon Township 1837-1983", Compiled by the Cannon Historical Society.
* "The Rockford Register" (now The Rockford Squire), Rockford, Michigan.