Constantine, MI

Constantine began as Meeks Mills, after William Meek built a cabin and sawmill on the St. Joseph River in 1828–29. The village was platted in 1831 and first incorporated in 1837 where the Fawn River joins the St. Joseph, giving early industry a pair of water routes and a useful set of mill sites. Paper, lumber, caskets, milling, and other manufacturing followed, while bridges across the St. Joseph kept the village connected. The local map still starts with the rivers: Constantine’s downtown, historic buildings, and old industrial story all sit at the meeting point of the Fawn and St. Joseph.