OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP
Oshtemo is one of 15 townships in Kalamazoo County, which is located in southwestern Michigan. The first settlements in Oshtemo were made in the year 1830. It is believed that the homestead established by Benjamin Drake, in the northeast section of Oshtemo Township, was prior to any other. In 1831, The southeast corner of the township was settled by pioneer Enoch Harris and throughout the following eight years over twenty new settlers would move into the area. On March 22, 1839, approval was made for the organization of an independent township by the Legislature. A very early road, later to be named Drake Road, is believed to be the first surveyed road in the township.
Benjamin Drake's land would again be the site for another first in Oshtemo by supplying the land used to construct the first school house upon, built in 1833. Not much later, a second school house was constructed in the southeast sector of the township under approval of several residents, so that the opportunity of education for their children would be within easy distance of their own homes. By the year 1880, the township numbered six whole and five fractional districts. The total number of children attending for the year 1896 was 402. Today there are 3 school districts in the township - Kalamazoo, Mattawan, and Otsego. We are a growing residential community with a thriving commercial and industrial base. Our 2000 Census population was 17,003.
Our area is a unique blend of rolling hillsides, environmentally sensitive lands, scenic landscapes, and attractive recreational areas. The highways of U.S. 131, Interstate 94, and M-43 each provide easy access to nearby shopping, employment, and recreation areas.
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