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BHistory
History · Cottrellville Township

Cottrellville Township dates to 1822, and 16% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 59% of U.S. towns · #294 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it

Below: maps from 1914 on.

1822founded
0on the National Register
16%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Cottrellville Township began

When was Cottrellville Township founded?

1822

Cottrellville Township dates its founding to 1822 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1827.

2020 census: 3,406204 years

How historic is Cottrellville Township?

B

More historic than 59% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1827.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Cottrellville Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cottrellville Township is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #294 of 701 in Michigan. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Cottrellville Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1822, from Wikipedia: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194016.2% of homes (±7.3) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%BNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical MI town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 59%
NewerOlder
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 58%

Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Cottrellville Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (32% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.3 points). Two sources give 1822.

Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Cottrellville Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Lost villages3 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Cottrellville Township, and 7 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Cottrellville Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19145 editions of the USGS map, 1914 to 1973. Watch Cottrellville Township change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1822: 204 years of Cottrellville Township.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Cottrellville
1827–1863
Roberts Landing
1869–1905
Starrville
1880–1905
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Avalon BeachBroadbridge StationCherry BeachMartindale BeachRoberts LandingStarvilleTag-A-Long Trailer Court
Gone or out of use
Cottrellville Oil and Gas FieldoilfieldLong Land Farm Landing StripairportMarine City Oil FieldoilfieldMarine City South Oil and Gas FieldoilfieldRoberts Landing Post Officepost officeStarrville Post Officepost office
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Cottrellville Township
Maple GroveSmith

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Start Cottrellville Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Cottrellville Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Cottrellville Township on the map, 1914 to 1973

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cottrellville Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Cottrellville Township on the 1914 USGS mapCottrellville Township on the 1939 USGS mapCottrellville Township on the 1952 USGS mapCottrellville Township on the 1968 USGS mapCottrellville Township on the 1973 USGS map1914Algonac sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Cottrellville Township.

The story

How Cottrellville Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Cottrellville Township.

Read it all →

Cottrellville was established in 1822. A reference to the Organic Chapter of the general history points out the organization of this town so early as 1822, with A. Hemminger as Supervisor. In the general history also appear the names of its pioneer settlers - the Cotterals (Cottrells), Wards, Browns, etc. The land rises gradually from the river; is fertile, and must be considered among the rich agricultural lands of the county, the marsh, running back from the river, being perhaps the only exception, and this is capable of cultivation. Marine City of Roberts' Landing are the only centers of population in the township. The population in 1845 was 727; in 1854, 1,442; in 1864, 1,930; in 1870, 2,371; and in 1880, 2,904. The equalized valuation is $600,000; number of acres, 13,011, and number of children of school age,

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Cottrellville Township, 1822 to 1914

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1822
    FoundingCottrellville Township is established
  3. 1827Post officeThe Cottrellville post office opens
  4. 1863Post officeThe Cottrellville post office closes
  5. 1869Post officeThe Roberts Landing post office opens
  6. 1880Post officeThe Starrville post office opens
  7. 20th century
  8. 1905Post officeThe Roberts Landing post office closes
  9. 1905Post officeThe Starrville post office closes
  10. 1914On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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Famous people

Famous people close to Cottrellville Township

Nobody well known was born in Cottrellville Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Seth NeddermeyerAmerican physicist · b. 1907
A
Adrienne FrantzAmerican actress and singer-songwriter · b. 1978
Allen Henry VigneronAmerican Catholic archbishop · b. 1948
K
Kathleen Rose PerkinsAmerican actress · b. 1974
Richard A. SearfossAmerican astronaut · b. 1956
F
Frank NazarAmerican ice hockey player · b. 2004
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Marine City3 historic placesAClay Township3 historic placesB+Ira Township1 historic placeB−China Township1 historic placeB+

Questions about Cottrellville Township’s history

What year was Cottrellville Township founded?

In 1822, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Cottrellville Township’s post office opened in 1827.

How does Cottrellville Township rank for history?

Cottrellville Township is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #294 of 701 in Michigan. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Cottrellville Township?

16% of Cottrellville Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.3 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1975.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.