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Official Website
Cass County is named in honor of Lewis Cass, a Michigan senator and an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the presidency in 1848. The county was established within its present boundaries in 1851 and originated in 1853. Religious persecution was responsible for bringing the first people of European ancestry to Cass County. The Mormons, fleeing from Illinois, were the earliest settlers, and established a community at Indiantown in 1846.
At Indiantown, two of the three commissioners selected to locate a county seat were chosen. The site they chose was one mile from Indiantown and named Lewis. Most of the people and businesses in Indian Town moved to Lewis shortly after it was laid out. In 1856, a frame courthouse was built, and eight years later a small stone building was completed for the county treasurer's office. In 1857, there was an attempt to relocate the county seat to Grove City; it was unsuccessful. On October 20, 1869, after a due canvass of the vote on the re-location of the county seat, the Board declared the city of Atlantic the county seat and ordered the county officers to that place.
Rev. George B. Hitchcock's house was used as a station on the Underground Railroad. The Nishnabotna Ferry House was on the route that emigrants used to travel west. It was also used as a stagecoach and mail route. The Underground Railroad traveled from here, as well as a later Mormon Trail and Mormon handcart pioneers.
In 1872, the first courthouse built in Atlantic was completed. Until it was completed county offices were held in various empty buildings. Ten years later the county built its second courthouse at Atlantic. The $65,000 building was destroyed by a fire in 1932. The fire started in the clock tower and gutted all of the second floor. Most of the county records and equipment were saved.
The present, fourth courthouse was completed in 1934. While it was being built, county offices were located in the Atlantic Motors building, where an attempted robbery of the treasurer's safe took place. The robbers were interrupted and escaped, but without any money. The final cost of the fourth courthouse was $130,000.
Adjacent Counties
Cities & Townships
- Anita
- Atlantic (County Seat)
- Bear Grove
- Benton
- Brighton
- Cass
- Cumberland
- Edna
- Franklin
- Grant
- Griswold
- Grove
- Lewis
- Lincoln
- Marne
- Massena
- Noble
- Pleasant
- Plymosa
- Union
- Victoria
- Washington
- Wiota
Cemeteries
Links
National Register of Historic Places
