Welcome to Van Buren County

      Welcome to this website which is a part of MIGenWeb and USGenWeb, a network of websites that provide free online genealogical information. This site is thankful for the continuing contributions of the Van Buren Regional Genealogical Society. This county is currently available for adoption.  For more information contact our state coordinator.

      Van Buren County is named for Martin Van Buren who was the US Secretary of State when the county was established on October 29, 1829. It was organized on April 3, 1837. Originally Lawrence has been designated as the county seat, however, the county supervisors chose Paw Paw instead in 1840 to the displeasure of Lawrence residents. The first non-Native American settlers were Dolphin and Nancy Morris who arrived in 1829 and built a log cabin on section 35 of Decatur Township.

     The photo to the left is watering the streets of Paw Paw in 1910.