Find Out How Lawton Launched One of Michigan’s Biggest Industries
From wine to President Roosevelt, Lawton has a rich history dating back nearly 200 years. Here are 5 fun facts you probably didn't know about this tiny town.
The small town of Lawton, Michigan, sits in Van Buren County, bordered by Decatur, Mattawan, and Paw Paw, with an estimated 2023 population of only 2,056 residents.
5 Fun Facts About Lawton, Michigan
No. 5 Lawton is the birthplace of Michigan's grape and wine industry.
The best thing about driving through Lawton at the end of summer is the smell of grapes. This small Michigan town's history with grapes goes back to the Civil War, according to the Lawton Heritage Museum.
Lawton is the birthplace of the Michigan grape and wine industry, with the first grapes being planted shortly after the Civil War, and the first commercial harvesting beginning around 1900 in the form of fresh pack table grapes. The juice and wine processing began in 1903 in the very building that houses the museum.
No. 4 Lawton Landmark: Smokestack
One of the most recognizable landmarks in Lawton is a smokestack that is over 113 years old but has barely been used according to WMUK,
By 1908, a small juice plant stood on the site. Four years later, a company called J. Hungerford Smith bought the building, expanded it, and built the iconic smokestack. But the chimney’s been out of use for most of its hundred-plus years.
No. 3 President Teddy Roosevelt made 2 campaign stops in Lawton, Michigan in the early 1900s.
Teddy Roosevelt was no stranger to the Lawton Train Depot, according to dmarlin.com.
Though Teddy Roosevelt had served as president from 1901-1909, he decided to run again in 1912 because he was dissatisfied with the Taft presidency, hence his campaign stop in Lawton.
No. 2 Lawton, Michigan, exists because of the Michigan Central Railroad.
The village of Lawton became a thing nearly 200 years ago because of a train and a man from New York with a plan, according to Wikipedia.
The Village of Lawton came into existence in 1848 when the Michigan Central Railroad reached this destination. Nathan Lawton whom the village is named, was from Waterford, New York, and had purchased property when it became available when Michigan received statehood.
No. 1 Lawton, Michigan, is the home of Welch's Grape Juice.
The Welch Grape Juice factory has been a part of Lawton's history for over 100 years.
Check out more fun facts about small Michigan towns by tapping here.
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Gallery Credit: Photo: Jake Cornish J-Bros Productions LLC, Courtesy Chad VanDerwall Five Star Real Estate