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Welcome To Historic Marshall
About Marshall
Marshall is conveniently located where I-94 and I-69 meet in south central lower Michigan in the heart of Calhoun County. Founded in the 1830's and constructed around a center circle highlighted by a Greek Revival fountain, the emphasis is on maintaining the elegance and warmth of our 19th Century heritage while continuing to grow and progress into the 21st Century.
Marshall, the "City of Hospitality"
Brooks Memorial Fountain At The Circle The Brooks Memorial Fountain lies in the center of historic Marshall, Michigan and is perhaps the city's most famous landmark. It is an exact replica of the "Temple of Love" from the garden of Marie Antoinette in Versailles, France, and was presented to the city on July 3, 1930 by town patron Harold C. Brooks, in memory of his father C. E. Brooks. At night it is illuminated by 35 1000 watt color lights and displays 96 different combinations of color and water effects in a 10 minute cycle. The fountain is operational from Memorial Day to Labor Day, projecting two tons of water every minute...
History Of Marshall, Then And Now
Established in1830, town founders Sidney and George Ketchum named the community for Chief Justice John Marshall of Virginia whom they greatly admired. This occurred five years before Marshall's death and was the first of dozens of communities and counties named for him.
The early settlers expected the town to become Michigan's state capital. Marshall was nominated in 1839 but lost to Lansing, then a village of eight registered voters in 1847. However, at this point, Marshall had become the switching center for the Michigan Central Railroad which kept it booming and growing during the Civil war era. In 1872 the rail yards were moved to Jackson and Marshall seemed to slumber.
A new industry was soon to take form in the barns, lofts, and blocks of town. Marshall was fast becoming the Midwest's patent medicine center and the place to get "pink pills for pale people". The Pure Food and Drug Act came along in 1906 and effectively killed off the patent medicine products. The town again slumbered and only two streets were platted from 1782 to 1920.
During the 19th century the small city was touched lightly by U.S. history in three areas: education, abolition and unionism. Two Marshall citizens, Rev. John D. Pierce and lawyer Isaac E. Crary, innovated the Michigan school system and established it as part of the state constitution. Their method and format were later adopted by all states in the old Northwest Territory and became the foundation for the U.S. Land Grant Act in 1861 which established schools like Michigan State University all over the country. Pierce became the country's first state superintendent of public instruction and Crary, Michigan's first member of the U.S. House.
Marshall was a station on th Underground Railroad and a strong anti-slavery town. In 1846 Kentucky slave chasers tried to capture escaped slave Adam Crosswhite and his family in Marshall. Leading citizens in turn arrested the Kentuckians and smuggled the Crosswhite family into Canada. The rescuers were convicted of "depriving a man of his rightful property" in Detroit federal court in 1847. They paid fines, which they considered a badge of honor.
The third touch of U.S. history was the founding of a union called the Brotherhood of the Footboard in 1863. A few months later members realized that most people didn't know what a footboard was, so they changed the union to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, still on e of the country's strongest railroad unions.
Moving into the 20th century, Marshall has become home to people who understand the importance of preservation and restoration long before it was popular. This allowed Marshall to move with the future while maintaining it's wonderful past. Marshall is one of the most beautiful cities in Michigan. It is also a storehouse of 19th century American small town architecture that has given it the status as a National Historic Landmark District.
The Marshall community offers full state-of-the-art healthcare services, ranging from advanced medical care using cutting edge technology, to varied preventative services for its citizens. Leading the way is Oaklawn Hospital, a 94 bed, private not-for-profit healthcare organization with a rich history of providing the area with top quality medical care close town. Oaklawn was named in an independent national study as one of the Top 100 Hospitals in the United States.
The Marshall community is rich with cultural activities! Theater, museums and the arts are emphasized throughout the year. The Marshall Civic Players have been bringing programs to Marshall for more than 75 years, with four productions each year as well as programs for th every active Youth Theater. Marshall's seven museums remind us of our history and showcase events and exhibits. Most of the museums are located within the National Historic Landmark District showing the community's dedication to preserving the past.
The Marshall Area Garden Club became a special addition to the city in 1987 with 12 members. It now boasts 167 and recognize some as "Master Gardeners"
So, whether you're a visitor or someone considering a move to Marshall; with its beautiful tree lined streets, its well maintained and inviting historic homes, its hospitable and generous people, they will all combine to welcome you.
Marshall's Michigan Avenue
Marshall is blessed with the largest National Historic Landmark District in the "Small Urban" category in the country. Michigan Avenue is the backbone of the district and has been the area's shopping center for more than 168 years. Today you'll find fine antique shops, superb restaurants, gift shops and specialty shops among its store fronts. Along its sidewalks you'll find dozens of historic markers including plaques for more than 10 Michigan Centennial Businesses.
An avenue of many names, it has been an Indian Trail, Michigan's Territorial Road, Red Arrow Highway and was State Street almost from its early days through 1923. That was when the State asked all cities on the Detroit to Chicago Road to change their Main Streets to Michigan Avenue.
From Court House Square (now the site of the Brooks Memorial Fountain) to Exchange Square (now the location of Carver Park) it provides a sampling of mid-19th Century commercial architecture. Dominated by the Italianate style, you can also find buildings in both the Greek Revival and Romanesque Revival styles.
In a text book at Cornell University you can also find the street noted for its width in mid-19th Century. Michigan Avenue is 100 feet across from building to building, and has always had the ability to change to meet current market needs. Thus, you'll find an antique shop that once was a theatre, another antique shop in an 1865 bank building, and a photographer's studio that was once a dry goods store.
With all of these attributes, Marshall's Michigan Avenue has become a great place to create new memories...
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