Editing Big Rapids Township, Michigan (section)

==History==
In February 1858, the Newaygo County Supervisors approved the organization of Green and Leonard townships in the unorganized "paper" county of Mecosta.<ref name=Wood1999>{{cite web |url = https://mecosta.migenweb.org/leonardvillage.html |title = The Village That Time Forgot |work = In The Woods |first = Jim |last = Wood |year = 1999 |access-date = December 11, 2023 |via = MIGenWeb }}{{sps|date=December 2023}}</ref> The Mecosta county government was organized on February 11, 1859, with the village of Leonard as its seat.<ref name=Wood1999 />
The Leonard post office changed its name to Big Rapids on September 29, 1859.<ref name=Wood1999 /> Thus the June 1, 1860, U.S. Federal Census lists inhabitants of '''Leonard Township''', with their post office as "Big Rapids".<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/45182292:7667  |title =Orange Wheeler |work = 1860 United States Federal Census |publisher = National Archives |location = Washington DC |id = Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Leonard, Mecosta, Michigan; Roll: M653_554; Page: 109  |via = Ancestry.com |access-date = December 11, 2023 }}</ref>

In 1865, by act of the Michigan Legislature, the name of Leonard Township was changed to Big Rapids Township.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://bigrapidstownshipmi.gov/town-history/ |title = Town History |publisher = Charter Township of Big Rapids |access-date = December 11, 2023 }}</ref>