Breedsville, a Secluded Town in Van Buren County, Michigan

Breedsville has had its share of teasing, thanks to its name…but it’s one of those Michigan small towns that has retained its charm and old-town atmosphere. It's off any main roads and is safely and happily secluded in the countryside along the Black River.

Breedsville is in Van Buren County’s Columbia Township and was named after Silas Breed, a businessman who built a sawmill along the Black River and helped kick off the town’s prosperity. However, Silas wasn’t the first to arrive – New Yorkers Jonathan Hinkley and Barnard Howard came to the area in 1835 looking for a place to start a lumber business. They liked what they saw, went back to New York, and came back with 25 more settlers. Silas Breed was among those 25.

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The post office opened in 1837, closed in 1841, and re-opened in 1852. The town finally became incorporated in 1883.

The lumber business diminished, but Breedsville survived. The original general store is still there, as is an old schoolhouse west of town, some old storefronts, old houses and more. Check out this quaint little southwestern Michigan town and buy some munchies at the general store on your next roadtrip!

BREEDSVILLE GALLERY

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