Van Buren County, Michigan: History
The county was named for Martin Van Buren before he became president. He was U.S. Secretary of State and later Vice President under President Andrew Jackson; thus Van Buren is one of Michigan's "Cabinet counties".
The Van Buren County Courthouse was built by Claire Allen, a prominent Southern Michigan architect; its cornerstone was laid on September 2, 1901, after a July vote to issue $35,000 in county bonds.