Osceola

Formed April 1, 1840 (58^th county)

Osceola County (22,890), Reed City (2,481)

The Modern tan brick courthouse was built in 1937 and remodeled in 1950.  It was enlarged in 1960 and 1968 and renovated in 2009.  An Annex is near the building.  The courthouse is on Upton Street at Park Street.  United States Highway 10 Business is three blocks east of the town.  Roger Allen was the courthouse designer.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  There were courthouses previously in Hersey (1870) and in Reed City (1884).  Osceola County was created on April 1, 1840 from Mackinac County as the 58^th county.  The county is named for the Native American chief.  The county seat is named for settler J. M. Reed. 

Osceola County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two Circuit Court Judges, Two District Court Judges, and Two Probate Court Judges serve Osceola and Mecosta counties and a court clerk serves Osceola County (judicial.) Osceola County is in the northwest part of the southern peninsula.  Grand Rapids, Michigan is south of the county.  The county center is 11.6 miles Northeast of Reed City nearer Evart.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Missaukee, Clare, Isabella, Mecosta, Newaygo, Lake, and Wexford counties. 

The area of the county is 573 square miles.  It is 68 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 62 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 39.9 persons per square mile making it 45 out of 83 in the state.  Osceola County has 25.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 10 crosses the county east to west from Clare County to Lake County.  United States Highway 131 goes north to south from Wexford County to Mecosta County.  The county is a square.  Reed City is in the southwest quarter of the county.  Reed City is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 10.8% of the county population.  The county is pronounced OE-SEE-OE-LA.