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

IONIA, a county in the W. central part of Michigan, contains 576 square miles. It is intersected by the Grand and Flat rivers, and also drained by Maple and Looking-glass rivers, and by Prairie creek. The surface is gently undulating, and the soil is partly alluvial, and uniformly fertile and free from stone. More than half of the county is occupied by timbered openings, which have a sparse growth of oak and hickory; the other portion is covered with dense forests. Wheat, Indian corn, oats, hay, potatoes, pork, and maple sugar are the staples. In 1850 this county produced 77,838 bushels of wheat; 76,035 of corn; 43,363 of oats; 53,555 of potatoes; and 5598 tons of hay. It contained 3 churches, 1 newspaper office, and 2610 pupils attending public schools. Grand river is regularly navigated by steam as high as the county seat. The streams furnish sufficient water-power for mills. A quarry of red sandstone has been opened in the county. Capital, Ionia. Pop. 7597.