People climbing wooden stairs on a steep hillside toward a wooden observation tower - new deal and depression-era sites

Self-guided · County in Michigan

New Deal and Depression-Era Sites in Van Buren County, MI

Lodges, lookouts, bathhouses and public buildings put up by the WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression.

Open the Michigan map · All states

Photo: Jeffrey Eisen on Unsplash

Van Buren County is one of 83 counties in Michigan. Reading about this period is one thing. Standing where it happened, with the record in your hand, is how it stops being a date on a test.

Men gathered around a campfire in a forest - new deal and depression-era sites — Photo: The Oregon State University Collections and Archives on Unsplash

Group of loggers with a two-man saw in a forest - new deal and depression-era sites — Photo: The Oregon State University Collections and Archives on Unsplash

Man and woman sitting on black wooden rocking chairs - new deal and depression-era sites — Photo: Aaron Thomas on Unsplash

On the record near Van Buren County, MI

The 10 nearest

10 listed sites on the record match new deal and depression-era sites within 300 miles of Van Buren County, MI, out of 74 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 8 listed sites carry Van Buren County as their county.

Combination Shelter63 miles from the center of Van Buren County · Building · Angola · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Burlington Community Swimming Pools and Bathhouse120 miles from the center of Van Buren County · Building · Burlington · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places
Udell Lookout Tower135 miles from the center of Van Buren County · Structure · Wellston · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
LOOKOUT (schooner) Shipwreck154 miles from the center of Van Buren County · Site · Two Rivers · listed 2017National Register of Historic Places
Porter Pool Bathhouse189 miles from the center of Van Buren County · Building · Shelbyville · listed 2001National Register of Historic Places
CCC Recreation Building--Nature Museum209 miles from the center of Van Buren County · Building · Spencer · listed 1993National Register of Historic Places
Weber Lake Picnic Ground Shelter234 miles from the center of Van Buren County · Building · Mountain · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
Mountain Fire Lookout Tower238 miles from the center of Van Buren County · Structure · Riverview · listed 2008National Register of Historic Places
Geode State Park, Civilian Conservation Corps Area295 miles from the center of Van Buren County · District · Danville · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
Anvil Lake Campground Shelter296 miles from the center of Van Buren County · Building · Eagle River · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Van Buren County, MI. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

New Deal Sites in Van Buren County, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Van Buren County, MI ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Van Buren County, MI?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Van Buren County, MI?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Van Buren County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Van Buren County, MI the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Van Buren County, MI are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.