On March 9, 1843, a law of the Michigan Legislature was passed dividing the Upper Peninsula into six counties, Michimackinac, Chippewa, Schoolcraft, Ontonagon, Delta, and Marquette. On March 19, 1845, this act was amended and Houghton County was established from parts of Marquette, Schoolcraft and Ontonagon Counties. Commencing in the year 1849 all meetings of the Board of Supervisors were recorded as being held in Houghton County. From 1849 to 1853 the meetings were held in the office of the County Clerk in the Phoenix Copper Co. building at Phoenix Mine. Beginning in October, Eagle River was the County Seat but was not legally established as such until October 10, 1856. When the 1861 Legislature separated Keweenaw County from Houghton County and provided that Houghton County’s County Seat be established in Portage Township, the village of Houghton became the County Seat. The first Board Meeting held there was on May 25, 1861, in the office of Richard Edwards. Meetings were later held in a room in the Post Office which was also the place used for County Offices (excerpted from "Houghton County History, http://www.houghtoncounty.net/history.html, accessed Jan. 2010).