HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY OF PORTAGE 

  • Prior to 1840

    Potawatomi Settlements in Portage- Culture and Fur Trade

    Prior to 1840's, the Portage Michigan area was largely  inhabited by the Potawatomi tribe. The Potawatomi are therefore considered to be Portage's first inhabitants (Portage Historic Commission, 1991, p.3). Archeological evidence suggests that the Potawatomi had settled in Southern Michigan by the 1400s (Massie, 2006, p.18).

    In addition to maintaining a close-knit family life, the Potawatomi hunted deer, bear, beaver, squirrels, rabbits, wild turkey, passenger pigeons, and other diverse wildlife (Massie, 2006, p.17).  Seafood cuisine primarily consisted of trout, whitefish, pike and suckers (Massie, 2006, p. 17). Potawatomi Women harvested crops, foraged for wild fruits, nuts, mushrooms, roots, berries, wild rice and medicinal herbs (Massie, 2006, p. 17). Recreational activities among the Potawatomi consisted of dancing, singing, and athletics activities such as lacrosse, racing,  and archery contests (Massie, 2016, p. 17).

    Michigan experienced the arrival of the first Europeans in the 17th century(Massie, 2016, p. 14).  The French, who established themselves in Quebec, Canada in 1608, sought value in fur, and began engaging in fur trading around various areas of Michigan. These fur trades occurred in Sault St. Marie, Mackinac, Detroit, St. Joseph, and Grand River Valleys (MSU, n.d.).  In order to expand trade, the French collaborated with various members of the Indian nations (who possessed the skills to hunt and trap animals for commercial purposes) (MSU, n.d.) and Voyageurs, who consisted of French-Canadians skilled in transporting fur by way of canoe.

    Common items distributed during the fur trade included: Pelts and skins of  deer, marten, raccoon, fox, otter, metal hatchets, knives, kettles, traps, needles, fish hooks, cloth blankets, jewelry, decorative items, firearms, and alcohol (MSU, n.d.). In Portage, the Potawatomi were the greatest recipients of the items that resulted from the trade (Massie, 2016, p. 16).

  • 1830

    Founding Fathers of Portage Township

    The rise of pioneers from the New York and New England region in search for "Michigania"  land during the late 1820s and 1830s encouraged a land rush in the southern Michigan counties, facilitating an encroachment of territory in the heart of Potawatomi domain (Massie, 2016, p.20).

    In 1830, William Bishop made the first land entry in what would become Portage Township (Portage Historic Commission, 1991, p.3).  Moses Austin, Isaac Brooks, Samuel Crooks, John Ellis Howard, John Oliver, and Caleb Sweetland (many of whom traveled to Michigan from the western New York state) would also join Bishop in forming Portage.  Other pioneers would soon follow, increasing its population.

    In establishing a settlements in the  southern Michigan terrain, the early settlers began life in the wilderness surrounded by bears, massasauga, and wolves. Additionally, the surrounding swamps in the region exposed the settlers to the "ague" (malaria) due to nearby mosquitoes, that inhabited the area. As the settlers reclaimed marshes for agricultural purposes, the swamps were drained, eliminating the mosquitos, and cases of malaria in Michigan (Massie, 2016, p.27). The settlers built a variety of structures beginning with log cabins and ultimately evolving to Greek Revival style architecture as industrial manufacturing advanced.

    On April 2, 1838, the Portage Township fathers gathered for their first township meeting in home of Elijah Root (an early settlor) where they established a rudimentary school system, set out Indian Fields and Dry Prairie cemeteries, and modeled substantial homes, inspired by Greek architecture (Portage Historic Commission, 1991, p. 4).

  • 1840

    1840 Removal of Potawatomi and Rise of Pioneer Settlement in Southern Michigan

    As the pioneers began to settle and develop farmsteads within the region, increasing opposition and complaints by settlors regarding the Potawatomi to remain on or near pioneer settlements urged Governor William Woodbridge( second Governor of Michigan) to gather federal authorities to remove all remaining Potawatomi from Michigan (Massie, 2016, p. 20).

    The 1840 removal was permitted due to several prior laws that authorized the practice of Native American removal from state territories. Prior to 1840, the United States Government  entered into several agreements with the Native Americans that adversely  usurped Potawatomi and other Native American territories in the Michigan region. Many of the treaties helped to shape modern day Michigan as it is known in present day.  These laws included the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw, which required Native American cession  of the central portion of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan (over 6 million acres of the third of the lower peninsula of Michigan was relinquished by the Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region for European settlement)(Michigan Day by Day,2018) , the 1821 Treaty of Chicago, requiring the Potawatomi and other Native American tribes to cede Southwestern Michigan while also permitting the construction of a road from Detroit to Chicago (Encyclopedia of Chicago, 2005), and  the 1836 Treaty of Washington, requiring cession of the northwest portion of the Lower Peninsula and Eastern portion of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Mackinac State Historic Parks, 2017).  Additional treaties in 1838 and 1842 relinquished the remaining rights of the Ottawas and Chippewa tribes in Michigan (Massie, 2016, p. 20).

    The Indian Removal Act of 1830, enacted into law by President Andrew Jackson, permitted the President to grant lands that were west of the Mississippi River to Native American tribes in exchange for their existing home lands located within existing state borders( Drexler, Library of Congress, 2019).  While a few tribes willingly began their journey west, many resisted, resulting in the forced removal of the tribes by the United States Government (Drexler, Library of Congress, 2019). The journey west, infamously known as the Trail of Tears resulted in suffering of many Native Americans, many of whom grew gravely ill or died on their way to their intended destination.

  • 1850

    Emergence of Greek Styled Architecture and Schoolhouses

    The 1840 removal of the Potawatomi marked the end of the Pioneer era (Massie, 2016, p. 21).   During the pioneer period, Carpenter's Corners (located at the present day intersection of Westnedge and Milham) emerged as the township's first center of  trade.  In addition, a post office, school, general store, blacksmith shop and tavern were also built (Portage Historic Commission, 1991, p.4). According to the census, 120 families were dwelling in the Township (Portage Historic Commission, 1991, p.4).

    The 1850s witnessed Portage Township's metamorphosis from wilderness to productive farmsteads (Portage Historic Commission, 1991, p.5).  With the emergence of blacksmiths, carpenters, and bricklayers, Greek Revival architecture increased in number. Midwest Farmhouses and  School houses within the area were all designed and constructed in this style.  By 1856, the Township boasted eight schools encompassing grades one through eight, including the construction of the Portage District No. 8 Schoolhouse ,which was later moved to the Celery Flats Historical Area in 1990.

  • 1861-1865

    The American Civil War 

    The bombardment of Fort Sumter in April of 1861 ignited the start of the American Civil war. Portage men joined  the war and fought bravely in order to preserve the Union. Among the most notable soldiers include Leroy Cahill, William A. Dunshee, Corporal Bailey Mead, Charles D. Case, John L. Stratton, and Walter N. Trumbell of the 19th Michigan Infantry (Massie, 2016, p. 37). Samuel W. Crooks Jonas Booth, William Bennett and Charles W. Davenport joined the 25th Michigan Infantry (Massie, 2016, p.37).  Two other Portage veterans chose to serve with units of other states including Josiah G. Jacobs, who fought in the war in the 7th Iowa Infantry and James B. Quick, who fought in the 44th Illinois Infantry (Massie, 2016, p.37).

    Many of these men fought in the most notable battles of the war including: Bull Run, the Wilderness, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, the Atlanta Campaign, and Sherman's March to the sea, while their womenfolk managed the farmsteads as best they could (Portage Historic Commission, 1991, p.5).

  • 1870-1930

    Emergence of Dutch Immigrants and Rise of the Celery Industry 

    Those who survived the Civil War returned to a peaceful life on their farmsteads.  Prior to start of the American Civil War, the celery industry began to flourish in Kalamazoo County. In Portage however, celery  would serve as the backbone of Portage's economy and culture (Massie, 2016, p. 40) until the 1930s.

    Kalamazoo County's celery industry began in the 1860s and 1870s (Massie, 2016, p.40). Dutch immigrants purchased small tracts of swampland that had been rejected by earlier settlers due to the mistaken belief that the swamp was uninhabitable and unfit for cultivation (City of Portage, n.d.).  However, the swamp, as deduced by the Dutch, presented  suitable rich soil and an ideal environment to growing celery.  Additionally, the Dutch possessed previous agrarian wisdom learned from centuries in the Netherlands that would be suitable to converting the swamps into muck fields (Massie, 2016, p. 40).

    Due to the labor intensive nature of cultivating celery, large Dutch families, in which even small children were allotted tasks, proved to be indispensable (Massie, 2016,p. 40) to successful growth, harvest, and sales.  Families used traditional wooden muck shoes known as Klompen, to complete field work as they did not rot in the way that leather shoes did (Massie, 2016, p. 41).

    By 1923, a number of Portage growers formed the Portage Celery Growers Association, which was responsible for the purchase wholesale shipment of supplies and enhance the quality of its product (Massie, 2016, p. 42).

  • 1930

    Decline in Celery Industry and Great Depression

    The 1930s witnessed a rise of increased mechanization in celery production such as gasoline powered hand cultivators and motor driven planters (Massie, 2016, pp. 42-43).  However, despite these advances, stiff competition from other celery growing districts, particularly California, significantly impacted and ultimately led to a decline in the the celery industry in Michigan (Massie, 2016, p.43). Additional contributing factors were the lowering of the water table due to increased industrial plumbing, a celery "rust" blight, and the reluctance of the younger generation to remain in the celery business when alternative and better paying occupations in the paper mills and other industries were available (Massie, 2016, p.43).

    Compared to much of the nation, the Kalamazoo County area fared better during Great Depression primarily due its diversified industrial base, and its numerous paper mills which remained running when demand for paper continued strong (Massie, 2016, p.44).  However, there were few commercial enterprises in addition to the celery industry that suffered the effects of economic stagnation (Massie, 2016, p. 45).  Portagers who lived on farms continued to eat and grocery stores, such as H.W. Wolbers, only accepted items in cash payments (Massie, 2016, p. 45).

  • 1940

    World War II

    As the Great Depression subsided, the advent of World War 2 brought upon many worries and fears among Americans.  U.S. involvement in the war did not occur until December of 1941, following the Japanese bombing of Pear Harbor. Many Americans, including those in Portage joined the war.   More than 12,000 men and women served in uniform during World War 2  in Kalamazoo County (Massie, 2016, p.45-46).

    Men and women who could not serve in uniform worked in Kalamazoo defense plants producing war material (Massie, 2016, p.46).  In an effort to display patriotism, Portage mothers proudly displayed red, white and blue flags with a star for every family member in service (Massie, 2016, p. 46). Residents also produced their own fruits and vegetables by  planting victory gardens in order to supplement food rations.

  • 1945-1960

    The Making of the City of Portage- The Rise of Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company and Commercial Enterprises

    During World War II,  the Upjohn Company, a pharmaceutical company initially based in Kalamazoo, profited from producing penicillin, serum albumin and sulfa products (Massie, 2016, p. 49).  As the company experienced rapid success and growth, the need to relocate and expand the company in another location was inevitable.

    After searching many different locations, Donald S. Gilmore, President of the company, and Lew M. Crockett, Vice President concluded that Portage Township would be the best place to relocate the company.  The Upjohn Company Board of Directors approved the project in September of 1945 and the project was officially completed and fully occupied by April  of 1951 (Massie, 2016, p.49). The establishment of the Upjohn Company in Portage brought forth new job opportunities which also inadvertently  created a rise in settlement in the area.  By 1953, housing developments such as Timberland Grove, Lakewood Homesites, Loehr Acres, Westnedge Heights, Home Acres, Fairfield,  and Lindbergh Estates  became a part of Portage Township (Massie, 2016, p. 50).

    In addition to the establishment of the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company in Portage, other commercial and non-commercial enterprises shaped the development of what would soon become a budding city. Bernard (Bud) Mein, (whose family was best known for establishing the Portage Elevator Company and coal and feed business ), established, operated, and maintained a  popular non-profit community swimming pool and recreation center in 1963. Ray Derksen, a resident of Portage, served as director of the Portage Chamber of Commerce and was a charter member of the Portage Optimist Club (Massie, 2016, p.51). In the 1950s, Derksen opened both a drive-in restaurant on South Westnedge and established Portage Plaza, a shopping center in April of 1958.  The Sutherland Mall on South Westnedge Avenue also experienced its first grand opening two years later, in 1960. The Iceberg drive-in, Ivanhoe Restaurant, and Ivanhoe Carpet Store were also commercial enterprises that were established by Ivan Holden, a Kalamazoo resident, and his wife (Massie, 2016, p. 52).

    By early 1963 Portage Township had gained 6,917 homes, 20 industries of varying size, 171 businesses, a library, three parks, two bowling alleys, two skating arenas, two theatres, five motels, three banks, five service clubs and a first class post office (Massie, 2016 p. 52) . The local Portage fire department had expanded in order to stay abreast with the township growth. As a result of its rapid growth, the value of land within Portage also increased.  The era of 1945-1960 marked the end of a rural based community and the rise of a steadily growing city.

  • 1962-1963

    Annexation of Portage Township from the City of Kalamazoo

    Stuart McCamley, known as the "father of Portage" and Portage's elected township supervisor in 1907 is credited for changing Portage Township from a rural community to a suburban city (Massie, 2016, p.53).  McCamley inaugurated zoning changes and other improvements and was, through his work, responsible for providing a pathway for Upjohn Company to move to the township.  In addition to McCamley's work as township supervisor, he served as president of the school board for many years, and it was through his contributions that the Portage Consolidated School system came into existence in 1946 (Massie, 2016, p.53).

    McCamley's contributions to Portage township, its favorable school system, and job availability were among one of many factors contributing to the population increase in Portage. However, it is through the emergence and value of the Upjohn Company that would lead Portage Township to officially separate from the City of Kalamazoo.

    Before 1963, Portage Township was not its own city, but instead part of the City of Kalamazoo.  Due to the relocation of the Upjohn Company and its inadvertent increase in population, Upjohn comprised of 38 to 40 percent of the township's tax base (Mann, 2017). Simultaneously, Portage Township was considering becoming its own city and the City of Kalamazoo feared that it would lose this portion of the population and the tax advantage. In the past, the City of Kalamazoo annexed land to resolve similar issues and as a result,  reasoned  that annexing the tax rich Upjohn Company property from Portage Township (Massie, 2016, p. 54) would also resolve this issue.

    Portage Township gathered petitions to put incorporation into vote, while Kalamazoo started a petition to annex the land under the Upjohn plant (Mann, 2017).  Election laws stipulated that whichever petition was filed first at the county clerk's office took precedence (Massie, 2016, p. 54). In a scramble to collect signatures, Portage presented its petition for incorporation 45 minutes before Kalamazoo's reached the county clerk's office (Massie, 2016, p. 54). The City of Kalamazoo failed to get its petition to annex validated by the County Board. Portage Township's incorporation petition was approved because of its priority and an election was set for February 18, 1963 for Portage residents to vote on the issue, and if it passed, a charter commission would be formed.  The Portage residents voted 3,762 to 2,315 for cityhood (Massie, 2016, p.56).

    A nine member Charter commission, chaired by Robert Thompson subsequently worked to draft a charter. On December 13, 1963, Michigan Governor, George Romney signed the completed charter for the new City of Portage.

  • 1963-1967

    Portage Becomes a City

    In December of 1963, Governor George Romney recognized Portage Michigan as a city. As a new city, Portage continued to gain population growth, primarily due to its exceedingly favorable schools, development of new private enterprises, job availability, and a dedicated local government.

    While Portage residents enjoyed the school system, favorable residential neighborhoods, and convenient transportation,  residents, over time, cited dissatisfaction with municipal services in terms of recreational facilities and street maintenance (Massie, 2016, p.62).

    In response to these concerns, Portage expanded its city council from four to six members in 1967 (Massie, 2016, p.62).  An established nine member Park Board recommended to the City Council long term capital improvement programs for parks and recreation facilities, including the acquisition of park sites (Massie, 2016, p. 63).  Additional advisory boards such as a Planning Commission, Industrial Development Committee, Sewage Study Committee, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical and Zoning Board of Appeals, and Building Board of Appeals were appointed by the mayor upon the approval of the Council. Procurement and Personnel departments were also established in the City of Portage in 1967. The Treasurer, Library, Assessor, Public Works, Clerk, Auditor, Fire and Police (Massie, 2016, p.62) were also departments that had previously existed or expanded by 1967.

  • 1970-2005

    Expansion of the City of Portage -Infrastructure, Housing Developments, Parks and Recreation, and Employment

    During the 1970s, the City of Portage experienced a nine percent increase among families who sought to settle in the small city. From 1970 to 1977, the city grew in population from 36,590 to 36,533( Massie, 2016, p.67).   As a result, from the 1970's to the early 2000s, the City of Portage experienced extensive changes and expansion in its infrastructure, parks and recreation, and employment opportunities.  Among the city's most notable projects was the production of Portage Creek Bicentennial Park, dedicated in honor of the 200th anniversary of the United States as a nation (City of Portage, n.d.).

    Construction of Portage Bicentennial Park: 

    Beginning in the summer of the late 1970s, the initial phase of its construction included an entrance area, parking, fencing, landscaping, and a distinctive sign commemorating  the project (Massie, 2016, p. 69).   Walking and bicycle trails were later added to the park in the 1980s.  The second portion of Portage Creek Bicentennial Park, Celery Flats was constructed beginning in the late 1980s.  Celery Flats consists of an Interpretive Center and a Historical area. Its interpretive center serves to educate Portage's citizens and visitors about its rich history of celery farming (MIGenWeb, n.d.).  The Celery Flats Interpretive center was constructed in 1989 and funded by the Upjohn Company and Michigan Equity Program and features a museum building, restored celery artifacts and working celery fields (Massie, 2016, p. 69).  Celery Flat's Historical center was built adjacent to the Interpretive center.  The historical center consists of an 1856 Schoolhouse (known as School District No. 8),  which was moved from its original destination and restored to the park in 1990s; the Mein Family grain elevator (constructed in 1931); and an old barn (now operating as the Hayloft theatre), which moved to the historical site of the park in 1991 (Massie, 2016, 69-70). In  1994, Stuart manor, a residence once occupied by the Welch family in 1846 and once part of a 240 acre farm owned by U.S. Senator Charles Stuart, was placed in the park (Massie, 2016, p. 70).

    Additional features  that were added added to Portage Creek Bicentennial Park throughout the 1990s included additional trails, fishing access sites, and picnic places to blend with natural features (Massie, 2016, p. 70).   Features pertaining to the trail,  such as the Milham Avenue Pedestrian Overpass (permitting pedestrians and trail users to safely cross Milham Avenue street in order to continue onto the trail) were constructed throughout the early 2000s (Massie, 2016, p. 70).

    The Portage District library also experienced its grand opening on 300 Library Lane (Massie, 2016, p. 65-66) in 1976. Library Director Frank Hemphill  included the Heritage Room in its structural development. The room consisted of a growing collection of historic documents, books, diaries, and letters of community founders, photographs, oral history, recordings and other precious artifacts that would be preserved and made available to the public under the care of a City Historian. (Massie, 2016, p.65-66).

    Other Developments

    Other notable structures that were constructed between the 1970s and early 2000s included new apartment, condominium, and housing developments (such as the Woodbridge Hills Project) (Massie, 2016, p. 72), new elementary and middle schools to accommodate additional families (Massie, 2016, p. 72),  Portage Senior Center,  a new central fire station, and a new city hall.  The Donald E. Overlander Bandshell, which  permits the city to sponsor additional cultural activities (such as large orchestras) was added to Portage Central in 1995 (Massie, 2016, p.75).  Initial site work for the Portage Crossroads Mall was also developed by the Dayton-Hudson Corporation in the late 1970s (Massie, 2016, p. 71-72) and opened its doors to the public in the 1980s (Massie, 2016, p. 72). Crossroads mall became the largest shopping faculty in southwest Michigan and the city's second largest taxpayer after the Upjohn Company (Massie, 2016, p. 72).   The Upjohn company later experienced a series of mergers between with pharmaceutical companies between 1995-2003, but ultimately merged with Pfizer pharmaceutical company. Today, what was once known as the Upjohn Company is now Pfizer pharmaceuticals.

  • 2005-Present

    The City of Portage Today-"A Natural Place to Move"

    Portage continues to thrive and has gained earned a variety of rewards including:  Promoting Active Communities - Gold Recognition; 2013 Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) & Asphalt Pavement Association Award of Excellence for Forest Drive; 2014 APEX Grand Award for Publication Excellence for the Portager newsletter;  Sunshine Review Transparency in Government Award, and more (City of Portage, n.d.).

    Manufacturing continues to be the cornerstone of Portage's economy. In addition to Pfizer pharmaceuticals, Portage is also home to Stryker Corporation, which specializes in the production of medical equipment  and technologies to assist in improving patient care. Stryker was built and completed in Portage in 2006 (CommericalCafe, n.d.).  Portage Bicentennial Park continues to serve as a recreational and historical area for its citizens to enjoy.  In terms of education, the city consists 14 public schools (U.S. News, n.d.) and 3 public schools (privateschoolreviiew, n.d.).

    Portage also consists of many local businesses including Romence Gardens, a family owned shop that provides a variety of plants, including perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, and garden tools for enhancing lawns and personal gardens, W-L Molding Company,  a private enterprise that specializes in manufacturing and producing plastics and Zhang financial, the city's prominent financial firm. There are also notable relators and private corporations in the Portage area including  Jaqua Realtors and Allen Edwin Homes, a well known home developer within the community.  Finally, there are social services and governmental institutions such as Portage Community Outreach Center, Portage City Council, the Portage Historic Commission, and Portage District Public Library that ensure the safety, higher learning of Portage citizens, preservation Portage's rich history and to make Portage Michigan a natural place to move.