Mount Vernon, Washington

Posted byLinda Osborne CynowaPosted inHistory, Washington Township, Washington Township ResearchTags:, , , ,

Linda’s Monday Morning Moaning’s

Patriotism ran strong among the early pioneering settlers to this area. They named the township and village after our first President (Washington) and a village after his Virginia estate (Mount Vernon). Since there were many of Scottish descent arriving new to the area, the name was easily approved.

The ruggedly hilly northwest corner of Macomb County was its most populated section in 1840 when the first Federal census for Michigan was conducted. The pioneer farmers and townspeople headed to the cool, well-drained hills of Washington, Shelby and Bruce Townships, avoiding the swampy flatlands for the more fertile and game abundant land. Although Mount Vernon has never been incorporated or officially organized, nor has it ever had specific boundaries, it was recognized as a village and had several business places and a United States Post Office. In Lesson’s ‘History of Macomb County, Michigan’ written in 1882, Mount Vernon is described as ‘a small post office village’ in Washington Township, Macomb County, seventeen miles northwest of Mount Clemens Court House and five miles northeast of Rochester, with two churches in the immediate area, Baptist and Methodist’.

The Mount Vernon General Store was a rather large wooden structure on the northeast corner of the main intersection. They carried a full line of groceries, yard goods, kerosene and farm supplies. Upstairs there were several rooms that were available for travelers. This store would burn down, due to a fire that started in the back the building were the kerosene was stored. A new smaller building was built, with living quarters in the back for the owners. The Fangboner Buggy Shop was also nearby during these years, a well used establishment in the community. I will travel further into Mount Vernon’s history in next weeks Monday Moaning’s.

On that ‘wee note’ til net week.

Thank you to ‘Historic Mount Vernon’ by Louise M. Pohly, 1997

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Published by Linda Osborne Cynowa

Linda Osborne Cynowa has lived in the Washington Township community since 2007. She moved to this area because of its beautiful hills, stunning scenery, and fruit orchards. Linda’s background is in photography, genealogy, and with a lifelong love of history, found herself working in a voluntary capacity with the Romeo Community Archives at the Romeo Kezar Library. She researched the many historic homes and families in the Romeo and Washington area, which led to a keen interest and knowledge of the area’s history. With a love of the Arcadia Publishing ‘Images of America’ books, she was always bothered that Washington Township wasn’t represented. When inquiring about this, she was told, “You haven’t written it yet”! With the encouragement of the Archivists at the Community Archives, a proposal was submitted for consideration. In September of 2019, WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP became part of the ‘Images of America’ series.

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