Austin Township

Austin Township Hall sits at 14132 Pierce Road in Stanwood, about five miles southeast of Big Rapids and two miles east of US-131, in a township of roughly 1,500 residents. The hall functions as the community's public meeting space, with on-site parking and a rental option for local groups; reserving it requires a signed hall rental agreement and a $100 deposit through the township clerk. Township board meetings are held here on a regular schedule, and the hall has also hosted community blood drives through Versiti. The surrounding township is largely wooded, with portions of the Chippewa River State Forest and land bordering the Canadian Lakes development. Several Amish districts and working farms round out the rural landscape. Visitors traveling US-131 toward Canadian Lakes or the state forest pass directly through the township and can stop at area farm markets and a produce auction center along the way. Families and community groups planning reunions or local gatherings return to the hall for its straightforward, affordable rental option, a contrast to the busier venues closer to downtown Big Rapids. The township traces its organization back to 1896, per its own Facebook page, giving it a long-standing role as this corner of Mecosta County's civic gathering point.