History of Hastings
Visionary business people, generous citizens, and responsive government, all have made their contributions to the establishment and growth of Hastings.
While they weren’t aiming to develop “one of the 100 Best Small Towns”, they were determined to make the city a viable business base and a pleasant living environment. It started in 1836 when three gentlemen named Dibble, Kingsbury, and Kendall purchased the 480 acre town-site from Detroit banker Eurotas P. Hastings for $3,000. They platted the land into streets and lots and offered inducements to attract settlers. Water powered gristmills and sawmills were constructed along Fall Creek. In 1841, a wooden schoolhouse was built just east of the present library. Assurance of future importance came when the State legislature designated Hastings as the County Seat of Barry County in 1843. By 1848, there was enough of a population to warrant stagecoach service connecting the new town with Grand Rapids and Battle Creek.
Like the rest of the nation, Hastings and Barry County saw most of its able-bodied men off to the battles of the Civil War. A total of 1,632 men from a county population of 15,000 served between 1861 and 1865. (A 100-ton monument to them, topped by the figure of a Union soldier, now stands at the entrance to Tyden Park.)
The first railroad train chuffed into town in 1869. (Although rail service ended in the 1970’s, the old train station still stands and provided attractive office space.)
Two years later, March 11, 1871, Hastings officially become a city. The impressive Barry County Courthouse, which dominates the downtown, and its annex, were built in 1893 (It’s one of only a handful of Michigan’s 19th century public buildings still serving their original purposes.) The city grew slowly and carefully. New school buildings went up in 1916. As Air travel became commonplace, a City Airport was operational by 1947. Population of the city grew to 6,501 by 1960, decreased slightly by 1980 and leveled off at 6,549 in 1990.
The Master Plan for the city proclaims “We treasure the old, progress with the new”. The Barry County Historical Society continues to give new meaning to these words.
Who Were Our Founders?
Hastings Township organized on March 6, 1837. Supervisor Slocum H. Bunker was elected.
- 1838 Slucom H. Bunker
- 1839 Thomas J. Bunker
- 1840 No Record
- 1841 Willard Hayes
- 1842 A.C. Parmelee
- 1843 A.C. Parmelee
- 1844 H. A. Goodyear
- 1845 William Upjohn
- 1846 Willard Hayes
- 1847 Vespasian Young
- 1848 Daniel Cook
- 1849 Daniel Cook
- 1850 H. J. Knappen
- 1851 W. S. Goodyear
- 1852 A. W. Bailey
- 1853 Nathan Barlow Jr.
- 1854 D. G. Robinson
- 1855 G. W. Mills
Hastings was incorporated as a village on February 13th, 1855. The first election was held on May 7th, 1855. A. W. Bailey was the first elected Village President.
- 1855 – 1856 Alvin W. Bailey
- 1856 – 1857 John W. Stebbins
- 1857 – 1858 David G. Robinson
- 1858 – 1859 William S. Goodyear
- 1859 – 1860 John W. Stebbins
- 1860 – 1861 W. S. Goodyear
- 1861 – 1862 John W. Stebbins
- 1862 – 1863 Willard Hayes
- 1863 – 1864 Daniel Cook
- 1864 – 1865 J. W. Stebbins
- 1865 – 1866 H. A. Goodyear
- 1866 – 1867 A. P. Drake
- 1867 – 1868 J. M. Russell
- 1868 – 1869 A. P. Drake
- 1869 – 1870 F. N. Galloway
- 1870 – 1871 A. J. Bowne
Hastings was incorporated as a City on March 11th, 1871. The first election was held on April 3rd, 1871. Henry A. Goodyear was the first elected Mayor of the City of Hastings.
- 1871 – 1872 Henry A. Goodyear
- 1872 – 1873 David R. Cook
- 1873 – 1874 Nathan Barlow
- 1874 – 1876 William S. Goodyear
- 1876 – 1878 James W. Bentley
- 1878 – 1880 Robert J. Grant
- 1880 – 1882 Russel B. Wightman
- 1882 – 1883 Robert J. Grant
- 1883 – 1885 Ed Powers
- 1885 – 1887 Charles Weissert
- 1887 – 1889 James W. Bentley
- 1889 – 1890 Frank G. Goodyear
- 1890 – 1891 Clifford Beebe
- 1891 – 1892 Archie McCoy
- 1892 – 1893 Edgar Y. Hogle
- 1893 – 1894 Daniel W. Reynolds
- 1894 – 1895 Sylvester Greusel
- 1895 – 1896 Alonzo E. Kenaston
- 1896 – 1897 Robert K. Grant
- 1897 – 1999 Luke Waters
- 1899 – 1900 W. E. Powers
- 1900 – 1902 Daniel W. Rogers
- 1902 – 1903 Archie A. Anderson
- 1903 – 1904 William A. Hams
- 1904 – 1906 Fred L. Heath
- 1906 – 1908 G. W. Lowry
- 1908 – 1910 John Weissert
- 1910 – 1914 C. H. Osborn
- 1914 – 1916 Willam R. Jamieson
- 1916 – 1918 Frank B. Horton
- 1918 – 1920 Gilbert M. Fox
- 1920 – 1922 James A. Wooten
- 1922 – 1924 Henry S. Gaskill
- 1924 – 1930 Burton A. Perry
- 1930 – 1938 Charles H. Leonard
- 1938 – 1942 W. A. Schader
- 1942 – 1950 Charles H. Leonard
- 1950 – 1962 John W. Hewitt
- 1962 – 1972 Franklin “Ping” Beckwith
- 1972 – 1975 Cedric S. Morey
- 1975 – 1982 Ivan J. Snyder
- 1982 – 1983 Kenneth J. Howe
- 1983 – 1987 William R. Cook
- 1988 – 1995 Mary Lou Gray-Hart
- 1996 – 2003 Franklin L. Campbell
- 2004 – 2012 Robert L. May
- 2012 – present Franklin L. Campbell
Facts and Figures
Location: 35 miles southeast of Grand Rapids, 30 miles northeast of Kalamazoo, in southwestern Michigan.
Population: 7,095 (2002)
Growth Rate: 1% since 1986.
Per capita income: $10,142 (1985), 93% of state average.
Altitude: 790 ft. above sea level.
Geography / Climate: Sometimes called “the only northern county in southern Michigan” — hilly, wooded countryside dotted with spring-fed lakes. Westerlies pick up moisture from Lake Michigan 75 miles west, boosting the number of cloudy, wet days. But lake also moderates winter lows and summer highs. Average snowfall, 49 inches. 149 days below freezing, 8 days below zero. Average temperature: January: high, 30; low, 16. Average date of last frost, May 16. July: high, 84; low, 60. Moderate humidity. Annual rainfall 46 inches, heaviest in May.
Economic Base: Tourism, manufacturing, residential. Bedroom town for commuters to Grand Rapids, Lansing, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo. Large local payrolls: Pennock Hospital, 486; Hastings Manufacturing Company, automotive parts, 465; Flex-Fab, hose and ducts, 300; Hastings Mutual Insurance, 260; Viking, car seals, sprinkler systems, 250; Barry County government, 195; E. W. Bliss, presses, 185; G&R Felpausch, food products. Annual “Fiberbest” exposition attracts 20,000 people in August.
Newspaper: The Hastings Banner, 1952 N. Broadway, Hastings, MI 49058. 269-948-8051. Weekly, Thursday. David Young, editor. $14.50 a year.
TV, radio: Local AM/FM station. TV networks, PBS, NPR all can be received off-air from surrounding cities.
Library: Hastings Public Library, 22,000 volumes.
Government: Elected Mayor and eight City Council Members. Appointed City Manager.
Public Safety: Full-time Fire Chief and one full-time person, augmented by 22 volunteers. Ten well-maintained pieces of equipment.
Hastings Chief of Police, twelve officers and ten reserve officers.
Barry County Sheriff’s Department also located in Hastings, 21 officers, 9 correctional officers.
A Michigan State Police Post is maintained in Hastings.
Enhanced – 911 Service is in operation.
3 BR, 2 BA house: $80,000.
Cost of Electricity: $.07 per kilowatt hour.
Cost of natural gas: $.45 per therm.
Sales Tax: 6%.
State income tax: 4.6%.
