The 1854 Gazetteer of the United States by Thomas Baldwin shows:

ALLEGAN, a county in the W. S. W. part of Michigan, bordering on Lake Michigan, has an area of 840 square miles. It is intersected by Kalamazoo river, (navigable by small steamboats,) and also drained by Black and Rabbit rivers. The surface is generally undulating; the soil on the margins of the rivers is a deep, black alluvion, and in some other parts sand and clay predominate. The county is mostly covered with forests, from which large quantities of lumber are procured. Indian corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, and pork are the staples. In 1850, the county produced 52,155 bushels of corn; 2521 of wheat; 16,711 of oats; 43,741 of potatoes, and 92,610 pounds of maple sugar. It contained in that year 6 churches and 1 newspaper establishment. There were 1196 pupils attending public schools. A lime stone quarry has been opened in the S. W. part of the county. Capital, Allegan. Population, 5125.