Decatur, MI

Decatur is a Van Buren County village named for Stephen Decatur Jr., the War of 1812 hero. The settlement was founded in 1847 and incorporated as a village in 1859, putting its formal history on the map before the Civil War. Decatur First Reformed Church is one of the old local landmarks, and the village remains part of Decatur Township and Decatur Public Schools. The useful local picture is a small church-and-school town with a naval hero's name. If you're passing through, keep the name, the first brick school dating to 1863-64, and the old Reformed church in mind.