Chase

Named after Salmon Chase who was governor of Ohio and later US Secretary of the Treasury under President Lincoln and Chief Justice, the unincorporated Village of Chase was settled by Lorenzo Conklin in 1862. The area was then known as Greendale – a clerical error for what should have been Green Dell. In 1869, Charles Joiner moved to Chase and built a sawmill and broom-handle factory. A post office opened in 1872, since a name was required, Ohio settler John Bigbee offered the name of Salmon Chase, the Ohio governor.

Chase was the original county seat until 1882 when a group of people from Baldwin broke into the county office and literally “stole” the county records. Today, the Township Hall is located next to the headwaters of the Pere Marquette River. To learn more about Chase, visit the Chase Public Library (231-832-9511).