Barry County is located in central/southwestern Michigan. It was named after President Andrew Jackson's Postmaster, General William T. Barry. Barry County was one of the last counties organized in the southern tier of the Lower Peninsula. The first white settlers arrived here in 1831.

At that time, the forest land and rolling countryside was considered to be a favorite hunting ground among the Indians, who traveled by canoe on Lake Michigan from as far away as the Upper Peninsula. The white settlers and the Indians co-existed peaceably.

Today Barry County is an area of extensive dairying and farming, with crops including corn for grain, winter wheat, barley, oats and hay. Some manufacturing also exists. The main geographical feature for Barry County are its many lakes, which can be found by taking just about any road out of Hastings.

 Gun Lake, the largest inland lake in Southern Michigan, provides plenty of opportunity for all types of recreational activities The 15,000 acre Barry State Game Area offers excellent hunting. Historical sites of interest include the Courthouse in Hastings and the 1880's Striker House, Hastings' most lavish Queen Anne style residence. Other points of interest include the Bowen’s Mills Historical site and the dam on the Thornapple River in Middleville.