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AHistory
History · Howell

Howell’s post office opened in 1836, and 16% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 87% of U.S. towns · #84 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it

5 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 45 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1883 on, and the census since 1850.

1836first post office
5on the National Register
16%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
15famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Howell began

When was Howell founded?

1836

The Howell post office opened in 1836, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 473 in 18502020 census: 10,068190 years

How historic is Howell?

A

More historic than 87% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Howell post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Howell’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Howell is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns, #84 of 701 in Michigan. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Howell’s overall grade.
Founding era1836, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194015.7% of homes (±4.0) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%BNational Register5 listings, 50 historic buildings, 49.9 per 10,000 residents · typical MI town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 87%
NewerOlder
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 88%

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 Howell’s 49.9 sits above most of its state (91% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 50 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

Founding year: the first post office (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 Howell’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.Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1883 to 1916, drew every building in Howell.A historic districtThe Howell Downtown Historic District takes in 45 historic buildings.On the map since 19074 editions of the USGS map, 1907 to 1983. Watch Howell change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Howell’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Howell’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 viewDzia: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Every building

Howell, building by building, 1883–1916

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Howell fire insurance map, 1883, sheet 11883Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

On the National Register

5 listings protect 50 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
5
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
50
each building in a district counts
first listed
1971
Ann Arbor Railway Station
Ann Arbor Railway StationLivingston County CourthouseHowell Downtown Historic DistrictJohn H. and Martha Durfee Galloway HouseWilliam K. and Nellie Sexton House
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Italianate2
Gothic Revival, High Victorian1
Panel Brick1
Richardsonian Romanesque, Neo-Classical, Tudor Revival1
Colonial Revival1
Early twentieth-century Commercial Brick1
Ann Arbor Railway StationBuilding
Livingston County CourthouseBuilding
Howell Downtown Historic DistrictItalianate
John H. and Martha Durfee Galloway HouseItalianate
William K. and Nellie Sexton HouseBuilding

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Howell came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Howell.

Read it all →

The City of Howell is the county seat of Livingston County. On 24 March 1836, the legislature passed an act organizing Livingston County. Howell was slated to become the county seat, but the newly established Brighton nearby claimed the seat for the next 12 years.

January 1836 saw the establishment of the first post office in Howell. Flavius J. B. Crane was postmaster, and the post office was in the Eagle Tavern. In March of this same year, there was a mail route started in the village of Kensington that went through Howell until ending in Grand Rapids. The pioneer manufacturing enterprise of Howell was a sawmill built in 1836, soon followed by a blacksmith shop.

Chapters19th century20th century21st century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Howell, 1868–1911

Passages that mention Howell, cut from the printed page as they were published.

By act of the State Legislature approved March 14, 1863, "all that tract of country situated in the township of Howell, in the County of Livingston, in the state of Michigan, which is known and discribed as follows, to wit: section 35, section 36, the south half of section 25 and the south half of …
A history of the township and village of Howell, Michigan1911Read the page →
Read the text

By act of the State Legislature approved March 14, 1863, "all that tract of country situated in the township of Howell, in the County of Livingston, in the state of Michigan, which is known and discribed as follows, to wit: section 35, section 36, the south half of section 25 and the south half of section 26, in township No. 3 north, of range No. 4 east, be and the same is hereby made and constituted a town corporate,

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A Congregational Church was organized in the village of Howell, in 1849 — and was legalized in 1850. Their Church at once advanced to the number of fifty-two members, but has since declined.
The history of Howell, Michigan1868 · page 40Read the page →
Read the text

A Congregational Church was organized in the village of Howell, in 1849 — and was legalized in 1850. Their Church at once advanced to the number of fifty-two members, but has since declined.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The inhabitants at this time, and previous to the establishment of a post-office in Howell, received their letters either at Ann Arbor, Plymouth, or Detroit. The post-office was assigned to Howell in March, 1836. F. J. B. Crane was appointed Post Master. About the 20th of the same moiith a mail rou…
The history of Howell, Michigan1868 · page 11Read the page →
Read the text

The inhabitants at this time, and previous to the establishment of a post-office in Howell, received their letters either at Ann Arbor, Plymouth, or Detroit. The post-office was assigned to Howell in March, 1836. F. J. B. Crane was appointed Post Master. About the 20th of the same moiith a mail route was established between Kensington, Oakland county, and Howell. Lewis Thompson was the

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Howell, 1836 to 1996

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1836Post officeThe Howell post office opens
  3. 1886Born hereHank Perry is born here
  4. 20th century
  5. 1907On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1961Born hereMark Schauer is born here
  7. 1966Born hereDeborah Ochs is born here
  8. 1990In the archiveDzia
  9. 1996Born hereMyles Amine is born here
By decade

Howell, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1990s1 item
Dzia1990Dzia
Today29 recent
Balloon Fest 20142014Balloon Fest 2014Original McPherson Mansion by Joshua Young2013Original McPherson Mansion by Joshua YoungMemorial Day Parade 2013 by Joshua Young2013Memorial Day Parade 2013 by Joshua YoungMemorial Day 2013 by Joshua Young2013Memorial Day 2013 by Joshua YoungGrand River Arts and Crafts during Melon Fest2013Grand River Arts and Crafts during Melon FestWinner of the 2012 Fantasy of Lights Parade2012Winner of the 2012 Fantasy of Lights ParadeWilliam McPherson Senior House Historic Site2012William McPherson Senior House Historic SiteWHMI-FM studios Genoa Township Michigan2012WHMI-FM studios Genoa Township MichiganSunset2012SunsetMcPherson Mansion, (1915), 915 North Michigan Avenue2012McPherson Mansion, (1915), 915 North Michigan AvenueMacDonald's Funeral Home, (1898), 315 North Michigan Avenue2012MacDonald's Funeral Home, (1898), 315 North Michigan …Howell Church of Christ, 1385 West Grand River Ave2012Howell Church of Christ, 1385 West Grand River AveFirst Baptist Howell MI by Joshua Young2012First Baptist Howell MI by Joshua YoungFirst Baptist Church, 210 Church Street2012First Baptist Church, 210 Church StreetCrossroads Church of God, 3940 Pinckney Road, Marion Twp. (Howell), Michigan2012Crossroads Church of God, 3940 Pinckney Road, Marion …Ann Arbor Railroad Building, (1936), 212 South Walnut Street2012Ann Arbor Railroad Building, (1936), 212 South Walnut…All Saints Chapel, (1880), 120 South Walnut Street2012All Saints Chapel, (1880), 120 South Walnut StreetThompson Lake Cemetery2011Thompson Lake CemeteryPrince of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2515 West Grand River Avenue2011Prince of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2515 Wes…LoukFarmHowellMIB2011LoukFarmHowellMIBLoukFarmHowellMIA2011LoukFarmHowellMIAJohnson Center Cleary University Livingston Campus2011Johnson Center Cleary University Livingston CampusHowell History Day2011Howell History DayHecoxHouseHowellMI2011HecoxHouseHowellMIGallowayHouseHowellMI2011GallowayHouseHowellMIFrank J. Hecox House Historic Site2011Frank J. Hecox House Historic SiteChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1041 W Grand River Avenue2011Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1041 W G…Central Fire Station, 1211 West Grand River Avenue2011Central Fire Station, 1211 West Grand River AvenueDziaCrop2000DziaCrop
On the map

Howell on the map, 1907 to 1983

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

Howell on the 1907 USGS mapHowell on the 1968 USGS mapHowell on the 1975 USGS mapHowell on the 1983 USGS map1907Howell 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 Howell.

People over time

Howell, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,000185019001950200010,068

Grew from 473 people in 1850 to 10,068 in 2020, more than tenfold.

17 censuses, 1850–2020.

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

Famous people

15 famous people were born in Howell

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Myles AmineSammarinese-American wrestler · b. 1996
D
Deborah OchsAmerican archer · b. 1966
Mark SchauerAmerican politician · b. 1961
Hank PerryAmerican baseball player · b. 1886
M
Maynard LyndonAmerican architect · b. 1907
Seymour H. PersonAmerican politician · b. 1879
Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Howell’s post office has been open since 1836.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Chateau Estates Mobile Home Park
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Howell
LakeviewMount Olivet

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.

Howell Township2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townOceola TownshipIts storyC−Marion TownshipIts storyC+Genoa Township3 historic placesB+

Questions about Howell’s history

What year was Howell founded?

The Howell post office opened in 1836, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Howell rank for history?

Howell is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns, #84 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.

What is on the National Register in Howell?

5 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Ann Arbor Railway Station (listed 1971, the first), and 1 historic district, the Howell Downtown Historic District, with 45 contributing buildings. 50 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Howell?

16% of Howell’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.0 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1979.

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 Wikimedia Commons (30), the National Register of Historic Places (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.