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AHistory
History · Lowell

Lowell dates to 1831, and 23% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 92% of U.S. towns · #51 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it

2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 41 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1860.

1831founded
2on the National Register
23%homes built before 1940
5old photos & papers
6famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Lowell’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Lowell began

When was Lowell founded?

1831

Lowell dates its founding to 1831 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 547 in 18602020 census: 4,142195 years

How historic is Lowell?

A

More historic than 92% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1851.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Lowell’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lowell is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #51 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 Lowell’s overall grade.
Founding era1831, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194023.2% of homes (±8.5) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%A−National Register2 listings, 42 historic buildings, 101 per 10,000 residents · typical MI town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 92%
NewerOlder
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 93%

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 Lowell’s 101 sits above most of its state (94% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 42 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.5 points). Two sources give 1831.

Founding year: Wikidata (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 Lowell’s past

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

A historic districtThe Downtown Lowell Historic District takes in 41 historic buildings.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1885 to 1918, drew every building in Lowell.On the map since 19183 editions of the USGS map, 1918 to 1978. Watch Lowell change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1831: 195 years of Lowell.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

2 listings protect 42 historic buildings

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

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
42
each building in a district counts
first listed
1972
Graham House
Graham HouseDowntown Lowell Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Italianate2
Late Victorian1
Romanesque1
Modern Movement1
Art Deco1
Graham HouseItalianate
Downtown Lowell Historic DistrictLate Victorian

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

Every building

Lowell, building by building, 1885–1918

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.

Lowell fire insurance map, 1885, sheet 21885Sheet 2 of 3
Edition
BrickWoodStone

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

On the map

Lowell on the map, 1918 to 1978

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

Lowell on the 1918 USGS mapLowell on the 1943 USGS mapLowell on the 1978 USGS map1918Lowell 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 Lowell.

The story

How Lowell came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lowell.

Read it all →

The earliest modern residents of the Flat River and Grand River were the Grand River Odawa, who established several villages along the Grand River. In the first decades of the 19th century, the village was led by Wabiwindego and Keewaycooshcum, and later by Cobmoosa. In the 1830s, Cobmoosa purchased the land under the Odawa village in the name of his father, fur trader Antoine Campau. The Odawa remained at their village on the Flat River until 1858, when they moved to a reservation at Manistee, Michigan.

ChaptersLowell Showboat

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Lowell in 1891

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

by the upper bridge. As the township of Lowell, or five-sixths of it, lies west of thisvillage, it soon b'ecame evident and necessary that another bridge should be built, and this was done at the present site of the lower bridge. Had the first bridge been placed in a more central location at or nea…
History of the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan ... (With an appendix--History of Lowell, Michigan)1891 · page 807Read the page →
Read the text

by the upper bridge. As the township of Lowell, or five-sixths of it, lies west of thisvillage, it soon b'ecame evident and necessary that another bridge should be built, and this was done at the present site of the lower bridge. Had the first bridge been placed in a more central location at or near the mouth of Flat River, the expense of keeping up'ahd maintaining a Second bridge would have been saved

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
ter, Ottawa county. Rockford is , at the corner of the four towns, Courtland, Plainfield, Algoma and Cannon, lying party in each. Lowell (originally named Dansville, but changed to Lowell in 1857) is in the township of Lowell. Sand Lake is in the township of Nelson. Sparta village is in Sparta town…
History of the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan ... (With an appendix--History of Lowell, Michigan)1891 · page 790Read the page →
Read the text

ter, Ottawa county. Rockford is , at the corner of the four towns, Courtland, Plainfield, Algoma and Cannon, lying party in each. Lowell (originally named Dansville, but changed to Lowell in 1857) is in the township of Lowell. Sand Lake is in the township of Nelson. Sparta village is in Sparta township.

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

Lowell, 1831 to 1994

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1831
    FoundingLowell is established
  3. 1851Post officeThe Lowell post office opens
  4. 1856Born hereJames Franklin Devendorf is born here
  5. 1868Born hereErnest R. Graham is born here
  6. 20th century
  7. 1910Born hereHoward Henry Peckham is born here
  8. 1913In the archiveMain Street (NBY 8866)
  9. 1918On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1994Born hereGabriel Dean is born here
By decade

Lowell, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1910s3 items
Main Street (NBY 8866)c. 1913Main Street (NBY 8866)Flat River in Lowell, Michigan, not after 19151915Flat River in Lowell, Michigan, not after 1915Untitled - Street Views (NBY 4529)c. 1915Untitled - Street Views (NBY 4529)
1920s–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
Date unknown2 to date
Lowell, MI locationDate?Lowell, MI locationBelleville Road Bridge, Spanning the Flat River at Burroughs Drive (replaced Burroughs Street Bridge)Date?Belleville Road Bridge, Spanning the Flat River at Bu…
Today23 recent
Richards Park2024Richards ParkLowell Showboat2021Lowell ShowboatLowell - Snow - 2021-01-022021Lowell - Snow - 2021-01-02Englehardt Branch-lowell2021Englehardt Branch-lowellSt. Mary-Lowell2020St. Mary-LowellUpper Bridge Park2019Upper Bridge ParkStoney Lakeside Park and Dog Park2019Stoney Lakeside Park and Dog ParkStoney Lake2019Stoney LakeRogers Field2019Rogers FieldRecreation Park2019Recreation ParkLowell Middle School2019Lowell Middle SchoolLowell (1)2019Lowell (1)Cherry Creek Elementary School2019Cherry Creek Elementary SchoolBushnell Elementary School2019Bushnell Elementary SchoolAda-Lowell 5 Theatres2018Ada-Lowell 5 TheatresOrlando Odell House2015Orlando Odell HouseNorth Country Trail mural a 042015North Country Trail mural a 04La Framboise Trading Post2015La Framboise Trading PostVergennes United Methodist Church2014Vergennes United Methodist ChurchVergennes District No. 11 Schoolhouse2014Vergennes District No. 11 SchoolhouseVergennes District No. 1 School2014Vergennes District No. 1 SchoolLowell Municipal Light and Power Building 2013-09-04 22-11-172013Lowell Municipal Light and Power Building 2013-09-04 …MIMap-doton-Lowell2005MIMap-doton-Lowell
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.

Main Street (NBY 8866)
Retake this viewMain Street (NBY 8866), c. 1913

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Lowell, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5001900195020004,142

Grew from 547 people in 1860 to 4,142 in 2020, 7 times over.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

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

Famous people

6 famous people were born in Lowell

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

See all →
Ernest R. GrahamAmerican architect · b. 1868
Gabriel DeanAmerican wrestler · b. 1994
H
Howard Henry PeckhamAmerican historian · b. 1910
James Franklin DevendorfCo-Founder of Carmel-by-the-Sea. · b. 1856
K
Keith NicholAmerican football player · b. 1988
J
John Addison ScottAmerican submarine commander · b. 1906
Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Lowell’s post office has been open since 1851.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Valley Vista Mobile Home Park
1cemetery inside Lowell
Oakwood

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

Help out

Start Lowell’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo2 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewMain Street (NBY 8866): stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Vergennes Township2 historic placesA−Lowell TownshipIts storyB−

Questions about Lowell’s history

What year was Lowell founded?

In 1831, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Lowell’s post office opened in 1851, and the census of 1860 counted 547 people here.

How does Lowell rank for history?

Lowell is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #51 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 Lowell?

Two places: the Graham House (listed 1972) and the Downtown Lowell Historic District (1999).

How old are the homes in Lowell?

23% of Lowell’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.5 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1968.

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 (27), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.