Editing Pine Grove Township, Michigan (section)

==Communities==
*The city of [[Gobles, Michigan|Gobles]] straddles the western boundary of the township with [[Bloomingdale Township, Michigan|Bloomingdale Township]], but as a city, it is administratively autonomous of both townships.
*'''Kendall''' is an unincorporated community and the township seat. It is located between [[section (land)|section]]s 22 and 27 at {{Coord|42|21|42|N|85|48|48|W|}}.<ref>{{gnis|629577|Kendall, Michigan}}</ref> The [[ZIP Code]] is 49062. It is named for Lucius B. Kendall, who settled there in 1864 and built up a successful company producing [[Barrel (storage)|Barrel]] staves from the surrounding oak forests with a steam saw-mill. In 1870, Kendall was a principal player in pushing for the construction of a railroad line between [[Kalamazoo, Michigan|Kalamazoo]] and [[South Haven, Michigan|South Haven]] through the town, which became a station on the South Haven division of the [[Michigan Central Railroad]]. A post office was also established in 1870, in which Kendall and his associates [[plat]]ted the village of Kendall.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ellis |first=Franklin |title=History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan |orig-year=1880 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/arh7541.0001.001 |access-date=2008-04-25 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=524 |chapter=Township of Pine Grove |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=ARH7541.0001.001;didno=ARH7541.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000775 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Rowland |first=Oran W. |title=A history of Van Buren County, Michigan a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests |orig-year=1912 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/bad1051.0001.001 |access-date=2008-04-25 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=597|chapter=s.v. Pine Grove, Kendall, and Mentha |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=BAD1051.0001.001;didno=BAD1051.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000637 }}</ref> The [[Panic of 1873]] ruined many of the businesses in town, causing a decline in population from a high of about 400 to about 250 in 1880.
*'''Mentha''' is a ghost town, formerly known as a major source for peppermint for the production of mint oil by the company of [[Albert M. Todd]]. It was located at {{Coord|42|21|26|N|85|46|29|W|}}.<ref>{{gnis|632108|Mentha, Michigan}}</ref>
*'''North Lake''' is an [[unincorporated community]] at {{coord|42|20|00|N|85|49|10|W|region:US-MI_type:city_scale:30000_source:GNIS|name=North Lake}}<ref>{{cite gnis|2112796|North Lake, Michigan}}</ref> on the boundary with [[Almena Township, Michigan|Almena Township]].
*'''Pine Grove Mills''' is a small settlement about a mile east of Gobles. It was platted February 4, 1870, receiving a post office in 1857 with David D. Wise as postmaster. Now a private residence, the post office still stands today. The railroad extension from Kalamazoo reached Pine Grove Mills on January 10, 1870. The first buildings were simple log cabins, often with dirt floors. The first framed dwelling was erected in 1856 by Wise, Merrill & Co. and was used for housing their employees. Lumber was the main industry in this locality, with farming supplanting it within the first few decades. Prominent early settlers include Daniel B. Brown, David Wise, Benjamin Deputy, David O. Everest and Chauncey Wise.

The [[Kal-Haven Trail]] runs through the township on a generally east–west line, going through Mentha, Kendall, Pine Grove Mills and Gobles.