Do You Live In One Of Michigan’s ‘Cabinet Counties’?

Ten counties in southern Michigan were given their names in the late 1820s and early 1830s specifically to gain support from the federal government for statehood and to resolve the Toledo War with Ohio. Each of the counties is named after people who served in President Andrew Jackson's administration. They include Jackson County, named for the president himself, and Calhoun County, named for Jackson's first Vice President John C. Calhoun along with eight other cabinet members.

At first, it seemed like the effort made no difference. President Jackson attempted to end the war in June of 1836 signing a bill that would give statehood to Michigan if it relinquished the Toledo Strip to Ohio. Michigan would also be given most of what is now the Upper Peninsula which at the time was considered a worthless mass of wilderness. Michigan rejected the offer.

Later that same year Michigan was nearing bankruptcy, largely due to the expense of their militias fighting with Ohio. By December, Michigan reluctantly gave in and the Toledo War ended. On January 26, 1837, in one of President Jackson's very last acts in office, he signed a bill to make Michigan the 26th state in the union.

Here is the list of the ten cabinet counties from wikipedia:

• Barry County named for U.S. Postmaster General William T. Barry
• Berrien County named for U.S. Attorney General John M. Berrien
• Branch County named for U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Branch
• Calhoun County named for U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun
• Cass County named for Jackson's 2nd Secretary of War, Lewis Cass
• Eaton County named for Secretary of War John Eaton
• Ingham County for U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Samuel D. Ingham
• Jackson County, Michigan, named for Andrew Jackson himself
• Livingston County named for Jackson's second Secretary of State, Edward Livingston
• Van Buren County named for U.S. Secretary of State (later Vice President and then President) Martin Van Buren