Acorn, The Nut That Never Grew: Hillsdale County

Ever hear of a community called ‘Acorn’ in Hillsdale County? Chances are you have not, as it failed to grow, therefore it never got a chance to get off the ground.

In January 1896, it began as a post office named ‘Acorn’ in Jefferson Township near Bird Lake. Francis Orsdale was the original postmaster, replaced by storekeeper M.E. Cromer. The ‘Acorn’ moniker didn’t last long, as it was changed the following year to ‘Shadyside’.

The Shadyside post office lasted only six years, permanently closing down in the fall of 1903.

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To this day the Shadyside name still hangs in there, even being included on Google Maps. No village or town exists – just a couple of houses, a church, and the Bird Lake Christian Academy. No stores whatsoever. It’s just a little triangle of land about a mile around, out in the middle of the country.

Acorn had hopes of growing in the beginning, but those hopes were dashed very early on. All that basically remains is the name that replaced it after only one year: ‘Shadyside.’