The Ghost Town of Kiddville: Ionia County, Michigan

Many times when we read the histories of many of Michigan's small towns, it seems most of the early settlers came from New York...and there is a good reason for that.

Before Michigan became a state in 1837, it was in desperate need of settlers. Without a certain number of inhabitants, the Michigan  territory could not become a state. So, plenty of advertisements were sent to the country's New England states to entice people to move to Michigan “where the land is fertile and perfect for farming.”

It worked. We were soon flooded with New Yorkers and other New Englanders. In 1836, one man from New York, George Dickinson, built a sawmill in Ionia County, and the village that began to grow was called 'Dickinsonville'. A post office followed in 1838 named 'Otisco' after the township.

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In 1845, Dickinson sold his sawmill to James Kidd of Ionia. Kidd proceeded to plat the village by 1855,  the post office and village were now named 'Kiddville'. William Kidd took over postal duties in 1878 and in 1894, the post office closed for good.

Kiddville did not have many establishments except for the mill, a general store, a hotel, and a few others.

With many of the timber depleted, the lumber business faded and so did the town. Kiddville still exists with barely any recognition on maps – but enough to peak our interest. Below in the gallery are a scant few photos of this Mid-Michigan ghost town that may be worth an afternoon drive some Sunday afternoon

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