Baltimore Township - "The Most Unexpected Township"

Why Unexpected?  

The sheer variety and beauty contained within its borders can surprise a visitor. There are hidden gardens of wild lady slippers, secret otter slides, little lakes abounding in bluegills, crappie, lunker bass, perch. Two wild creeks, Cedar and Highbank cut their way through Baltimore, and there's a canyon that can take your breath a-way.

The farming here tests men and machinery but dairy herds still have a place, as do alfalfa fields, soy beans, and corn rows. It's the least populated of all Barry County townships with, at last count, fewer than 1,900 residents. Yet it's served by three school systems, and a very small town, Dowling. There's post office, library, a modern super-service station, and in old time store with some of the best cookies you'll ever taste.

If you have an appetite for the unexpected, sample Baltimore Township.

Understanding the Environment The Pierce Cedar Creek Institute

You might not expect to find a major environmental center just off Cloverdale, a gravel road in the midst of unspoiled land. But there it is, with an auditorium that can accommodate 250 visitors, a state-of the-art laboratory building, student housing accommodations and a thought provoking mission statement:

• The mission of the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute is to foster stewardship of ecosystems through the preservation, management, and restoration of species and natural landscapes.
• The Institute accomplishes its mission by providing ecological education for environmental professionals, students, and interested people through classroom and outdoor education and research.
• The Institute has already become an important meeting place for those concerned with safeguarding and restoring natural resources and an important site for on-the-ground study and research.
  

Protected Forever

Nearly 800 acres of land in Baltimore Township are protected from future development by Conservation Easement agreements with the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. That's an unexpected benefit for all nature lovers.

As You Might Expect...

Baltimore Township got its name from two brothers who moved here from Baltimore, Maryland in 1842. In that year Andrew Kelly and his brother-in-law, Thomas Dowling, cleared land in Section 15 and began farming. Other settlers came and many started apple orchards which did well on this newly cleared and cultivated land. Old records in the new Baltimore Township Hall (completed in the 1999) tell fascinating stories of pioneering days. The crossroads Village of Dowling soon grew up and the store there has been serving Baltimore residents since 1864.

The Corner Store, now located between Hastings and Battle Creek on M-37 is well-known for its fresh baked cookies and becoming increasingly popular is the Dowling Burger. A take-out menu includes made-to-order pizza, hot dogs, chicken, fish and oven-baked subs. The store also offers groceries, beer, wine, video rentals and gasoline. It's open seven days a week, Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Dowling Corner Store has offered convenience and much more for 137 years!

Goldsworthy's Marathon opened with the new century in 2001. At the new pumps outside, the station sells gasoline, diesel and kerosene fuels. To the rear of the building there's an automotive repair facility that can handle anything from a simple tire repair to a complete engine replacement. Emergency assistance and towing is also available.

There's a convenience store inside the new building with beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes and a large variety of grocery items. A Blimpie Sandwich Shop offers soups, salads, wraps, and sandwiches to order.

Another surprise the Dowling Public Library...

You might not expect a 12,000 volume library at a crossroad's corner, but there it is, in what was once the Country Chapel of the Dowling United Methodist Church. Thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Gertrude Gaskill and Mrs. Clara Rees, the library began serving township residents in 1941 in an unused classroom at the Dowling School. Later, a local man, Mr. Howard Drake, offered a two-story ice house as a building for the library. The building was cut in half and moved to the foundation of an old meat market.  A few additions and improvements kept the library functioning until 1989. At that time the Country Chapel was purchased and the book collection moved across the street into its current quarters. The library is a member of the Woodlands Cooperative which gives patrons access to the collections of 36 other libraries in Southwest Michigan.

Fax and copy machines are available for public use, as well as several computers which will soon have public Internet access.

All in all, a visit and tour of Baltimore Township will provide you with unexpected interest and pleasure!