California, Here I Come…California, Michigan, That Is

The village of California, Michigan sits in Branch County. The area was settled in 1835 when Israel Hall grabbed 640 acres of government land and claimed it for his own.

The community became known as Hall’s Corners – not named after Israel Hall, but after general store owner Joseph Hall.

The village was organized in 1846 and was re-named ‘California’ when a post office began operating in January 1850, with Israel as postmaster. Why it was given that name is unknown, as the actual state of California didn’t achieve statehood until September of 1850..... so the village doesn’t seem to be named after the state.

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In 1872, the railroad came through California and a depot/station soon followed.

For a good 20 years, from the 1870s-1890s, California had an impressive number of businesses and establishments: blacksmith, cemetery, two churches, grain mill, school, town hall, and a good many shops. Then the growth just came to a halt.

Many historic storefronts were removed and now the town is mostly residences. It remains a cute, comfortable, and quiet place to stop for a while. California Township contains Amish communities, and you may want to drive thru sometime soon and buy some Amish products.