This village in Washington Township began with George Pack building a sawmill here in 1856. In giving it a post office the department named it for Jesse Applegate (1811-88), leader of the party which opened the southern road into Oregon in 1845. Orrin A. Munn became its first postmaster on June 24, 1880. A station was added here on the Pere Marquette Railroad. It was incorporated as a village in 1903. [Michigan Named Places - Walter Romig]