Eaton County (pop. 107,759) is east of Barry County. Portions of the western part of Lansing, the state capital, are in Eaton County.

The county was named for John Eaton (1790-1856), who served as a U.S. senator from Tennessee and secretary of war. He was the youngest senator in U.S. history.

He took the oath of office at age 28.

The county seat of Eaton County is the city of Charlotte (pop. 9,074).

Eaton Theatre (1931)

The old Eaton County Courthouse (1885) in Charlotte is now a museum.

It closed as a courthouse in 1976.

Eaton Rapids (pop. 5,214) is known as “The Island City” because its downtown area is on an island in the Grand River.

Downtown Eaton Rapids

The Edgewater Apartments in Eaton Rapids were formerly a textile mill.

The porch is 715 feet long.

The city of Grand Ledge (pop. 7,786) is known for its 60-foot-high rock ledges of sandstone and quartzite on the Grand River.

Popular for rock-climbing

The city of Olivet (pop. 1,605) is the home of Olivet College, a liberal arts college affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

It was founded in 1859.

The village of Vermontville (pop. 759) has an annual Maple Syrup Festival.

The city of Potterville (pop. 2,617) is the home of Joe’s Gizzard City, known for its deep-fried chicken gizzards.

It opened in 1960.

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