The Corinth Reformed Church sits at 100th and Division in my Byron Center neighborhood, and it has stood there for well over a century. But the church isn’t just a place of worship — it’s the last remnant of an entire village that once bustled with life and then quietly vanished.
As America marks its 250th birthday, the history of Corinth, Michigan offers a window into how West Michigan was settled, built up, and in some cases, left behind.
The story of Corinth begins with settlers pushing into West Michigan. Among the earliest was the Cody family, whose arrival set the foundation for what would become a small but growing community.
“There was the Cody family, and they created a couple mills,” said Pastor Jason Nagel of Corinth Reformed Church. ” It was actually, on our land, or just behind this current property in the hills. They created two mills. And so when the town actually started, it was called Cody Mills.”…