Deford is an unincorporated community in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located along Bruce/Deckerville Road[1] west of the intersection with Kingston Road (Section 32, North East quarter[1]), north of Kingston and south of Cass City[4] in the southeast corner of Novesta Township.[3] The Deford Post Office with ZIP code 48729 serves the southern portion of the township as well as the northern portion of Kingston Township and areas in the northeast corner of Wells Township.[5]

Deford, Michigan
unincorporated community
Deford, Michigan Location within the state of Michigan
Coordinates: 43°30′48″N 83°11′33″W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Tuscola
Township	Novesta Township
Settled	1884
Platted	1885[1]
Government
• Type	None
Elevation	741 ft (226 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	48729
Area code(s)	989
FIPS code	26-21360[2]
GNIS feature ID	624510[3]

History

When the Grand Trunk Western Railroad was built through Deford in 1883, the station was named Bruce after local land owner Elmer Bruce. The community was founded in 1884 by Arthur Newton and named for his friend, Mr. Deford. A post office was also established in 1884.[6] A plat for Deford was filed on July 10, 1885.[1]

Climate

Deford's climate is much like that of Flint, approximately 30 or 40 miles to the southwest. During the winter, Deford faces heavy precipitation due to its location on the snow belt that comes through Michigan. The community is also located in a tornado prone region of the thumb area. The average amount of precipitation that falls over the community is 30.6 inches.[7]

Government

Deford has no government of its own and is governed by Novesta Township.[4]

Education

Public education is provided by Cass City Public Schools.[11] The Deford Christian Academy is a private school that had a 2007-08 year enrollment of 23.[12]

References