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Osceola County
- University of Michigan Press
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149 ReeD cIty—the footing for Osceola county’s courthouse has been less than sure at times. Politically, there have been numerous efforts both successful and unsuccessful to move the county seat. Physically, there was an actual move after a relocation vote carried, a partial accidental collapse of the courthouse, and a termite problem. But through it all and to the credit of the county, service remains uninterrupted. the Legislature in named the county unwattin for an Ottawa chief. three years later, the name changed to Osceola, for a Seminole chief who led his people in a war with the united States. In tribute to him and in protest of the trickery the u.S. military used to capture and kill him, several counties across the country adopted his name. the county was attached to Mecosta for judicial purposes. In the first county elections occurred. Hersey, which was named for the first white trapper to visit the area in the s, was relatively large in population. It was in the more developed southern portion of the territory, where, according to one early settler and developer, canoe met railroad. as inducement, land and $, were offered to build a court in Hersey. the final price was $,, which also bought a fire-resistant vault. a jail was constructed for $,. the county buildings were a point of pride, but soon they became the center of controversy. as the other reaches of the county grew, residents agitated for a county seat that was more central. Reed city emerged as the strongest contender due to its size and location . It was named for James S. Reed, a founder of the settlement . earlier, it had been called tunshla, whose meaning was not recorded, and then todd’s Slashings, in reference to the lumbered-off land of another founder. By Hersey had only residents to Reed city’s , souls. the time was ripe for an election to move the county seat. Vigorous politicking and newspaper editorializing preceded the april election. evart, another sizeable community, entered the fray. Its newspaper published damaging reports and letters inveighing against Reed city as not central enough and willing to engage in suspect plots to secure the county seat. at last the vote happened on april , , and Hersey held on to its courthouse by the slim margin of , to ,. For thirty years the matter was dropped, until the deteriorating buildings in Hersey called for repair or replacement. It took three votes by the county supervisors, but finally they referred the matter to the people, who voted in a special election on april , . Reed city accused Hersey along the way of being a pup that would bite the larger dogs of Reed city and evart, convince them that they antagonized each other, and then watch them fight. Whatever the truth of the matter, Reed city prevailed in the vote by a healthy margin of , to ,. Hersey lost and watched its court emptied of its records and original purpose. It would later become a bottling plant for the soft drink Vernors, an electric generator repair shop, and a vacant reminder of what was. Recently, work was being done to convert it into a public housing project. Meanwhile, Reed city has enjoyed its status as county seat, though there was another scare in when a vote Osceola County OSceOLa cOunty 150 to move it to evart failed , to ,. the confines of city hall welcomed the court and county offices. In a significant renovation and enlargement happened, with the aid of federal money. Roger allen was the architect, and Fred gietzen was the superintendent of construction. the sloping roof and small tower were leveled off to create the cube effect that was gaining popularity at the time. a good part of the brick and many of the arched windows of the original structure remained. But a new main entrance and front facade were erected. In august a new jail and sheriff’s residence costing about $, were dedicated after attempts at expanding and renovating the earlier facility proved futile in the face of state inspectors’ orders to condemn. the court welcomed an addition to its west side in at the price of $,. the east side gained a $, addition in , which provided needed office and vault space for the clerk and the equalization department. Recentlythecourtunderwentanambitious$.million renovation. While construction crews dug outside, cracks formed in one section of brick. the building was quickly cleared of those who happened to still be inside during the lunch hour. at : p.m...