Pittsford, MI

Pittsford is a Hillsdale County census-designated place stretched along M-34, with the community crossing the line between Jefferson Township and Pittsford Township. It began as Locust Corners after settlement in 1833, then took the Pittsford name from Alpheus Pratt, who had come from Pittsford, New York. The post office opened in 1840 and still serves ZIP 49271. A Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway station later tied the crossroads to the rail network.

Current Pittsford is mapped through a few institutions. Pittsford Area Schools at 9304 Hamilton Road cover kindergarten through 12th grade, and Pittsford-Jefferson Fire & Rescue at 4482 South Pittsford Road serves a broad area across the township line. The two townships handle local government, with the school, post office, fire hall, and M-34 doing the everyday orienting. The old Locust Corners name survives in the school history, while the Pittsford name ties this small community to a New York namesake and a long-running cross-township road. The county line still matters.