Oceana

Formed April 1, 1840 (56^th county)

Oceana County (26,658), Hart (2,052)

The tan and brown brick structure was constructed in 1958.  The courthouse is on State Street between Lincoln and Washington streets.  United States Highway 31 by-passes the town one mile to the west.  Orrus Easch is the designer of this Modern courthouse.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  It was enlarged in 1968 and restored in 1990.  There was an 1874 version of the courthouse in Hart.  Oceana County was created on April 1, 1840 from Mackinac County as the 56^th county.  The county name is reported to be named for Lake Michigan, inland ocean or for a book by James Harrington, “Oceana.”  The county seat is named for its geographical location in the county’s “heart.”  Stony Creek (1855), Roseville (1858), and Hart (1864) have all served as county seat. 

Oceana County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two Circuit Court Judges and One District Court Judge serve Oceana and Newaygo counties and Two Probate Court Judges and court clerk serve Oceana County (judicial.) Oceana County is on the western coast of the southern peninsula.  Lake Michigan forms its western border.  The county center is 7.1 miles Southeast of Hart nearer Shelby.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Mason, Lake, Newaygo, and Muskegon counties, and Wisconsin. 

The area of the county is 1307 square miles.  It is 25 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 51 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 20.4 persons per square mile making it 60 out of 83 in the state.  Oceana County has 25.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 31 crosses north to south in the county from Mason County to Muskegon County.  Oceana County is a rectangle with a bump sticking west.  Hart is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Hart is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 7.7% of the county population.  The county is pronounced OE-SEE-AN-A.

Hesperia