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History · Hart Township

Hart Township dates to 1856, and 18% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1931 on, and the census since 1870.

1856founded
0on the National Register
18%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Hart Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Hart Township began

When was Hart Township founded?

1856

Hart Township dates its founding to 1856 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 213 in 18702020 census: 2,028170 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1865.The full story ↓

What stands out about Hart Township’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Hart Township’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old view301 South State Street: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Hart Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Hart Township.

Read it all →

Hart was named from its central position in the "heart" of Oceana County.

Hart was founded in 1856 by early pioneers including Nelson Grove. Hart Township was named after Wellington Hart.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Hart Township, 1856 to 1931

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1856
    FoundingHart Township is established
  3. 1865Post officeThe Crystal Lake post office opens
  4. 1866Post officeThe Crystal Lake post office closes
  5. 20th century
  6. 1929In the archive301 South State Street
  7. 1931On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Hart Township, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1920s1 item
301 South State Streetc. 1929301 South State Street
1930s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today7 recent
United States Post Office2025United States Post OfficeHart, Michigan2025Hart, MichiganHart, Michigan City Hall2025Hart, Michigan City HallHart Lake2025Hart LakeSt. Gregory-Hart2020St. Gregory-HartKateri Tekakwitha-Hart2020Kateri Tekakwitha-HartOceana County Courthouse2019Oceana County Courthouse
On the map

Hart Township on the map, 1931 to 1983

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

Hart Township on the 1931 USGS mapHart Township on the 1959 USGS mapHart Township on the 1983 USGS map1931Hart NE sheet · 1:31,680

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

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

301 South State Street
Retake this view301 South State Street, c. 1929

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Hart Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Hart Township, census by census

05001,0001,5002,00018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 2,172

Between 213 and 2,172 people in every census since 1870.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hart Township’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Another post office, Crystal Lake, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Pines Mobile Home Park
5cemeteries and burying grounds inside Hart Township
HartLeverNorth HartRandallSouth Hart

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Hart1 historic placeAShelby TownshipIts storyC+Elbridge TownshipIts storyB−Golden Township2 historic placesBWeare Township1 historic placeBBenona TownshipIts storyC+

Questions about Hart Township’s history

What year was Hart Township founded?

In 1856, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hart Township’s post office opened in 1865, and the census of 1870 counted 213 people here.

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (8), Wikidata (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.