Pullman, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Pullman is an unincorporated community in Lee Township
of Allegan County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is in a predominantly rural area of Western Michigan
, about 150 miles east of Chicago
. It is centered on the junction of 109th Avenue and 56th Street between sections eight and nine of Lee Township at 42°29′01"N 86°05′29"W. It is approximately 10 miles northeast of South Haven
, about 13 miles southeast of Saugatuck
/Douglas
, and 12 miles west-southwest of Allegan
. The Upper and Lower Scott Lakes are nearby, which empty into the Scott Creek Drain, a tributary
of the Middle Branch of the Black River
.
Two brothers named Clement built a sawmill in 1870. A station on the Chicago and West Michigan Railway
(later part of the Pere Marquette Railway
) was established in 1871 and the area became known as "Hooperstown", after an area landowner. A post office with that name operated from 1875 to 1880 and began again in 1891. The post office was renamed Pullman in 1901, apparently after George Pullman
. The ZIP code
for Pullman is 49450.
Locally the area is known for its blueberry
production. The residents tend to be fiscally conservative
, and Pullman has some of the lowest property taxes in all of Michigan. Many locals fear that in the next few decades the area may become another minor getaway for vacationing Chicagoans, which is pretty much what it already is, thus raising local prices and taxes. Many other locals feel that more Chicagoans would be a positive boost to the community, because Pullman which is also one of the poorest communities in Allegan County, could use the additional tax base to provide better roads, as well as better fire and police protection.
Lee Township, Allegan County, Michigan
Lee Township is a civil township of Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,114 at the 2000 census.The township is rural with the population living mostly around the lakes and the unincorporated town of Pullman. A small portion of the Allegan State Game Area is in the...
of Allegan County
Allegan County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-196* I-196 Business Loop serves the city of Holland.-US highways:* US-31* US-131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-40* M-89* M-179* M-222-Allegan County Intercounty Highways:* A-2* A-37* A-42* A-45-Demographics:...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is in a predominantly rural area of Western Michigan
Western Michigan
West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for an arbitrarily selected region in the U.S. state of Michigan in its Lower Peninsula. There is no official definition for what constitutes "West Michigan." The area of West Michigan may also include parts Southern Michigan.-Definition:In general,...
, about 150 miles east of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It is centered on the junction of 109th Avenue and 56th Street between sections eight and nine of Lee Township at 42°29′01"N 86°05′29"W. It is approximately 10 miles northeast of South Haven
South Haven, Michigan
South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 5,021 at the 2000 census....
, about 13 miles southeast of Saugatuck
Saugatuck, Michigan
Saugatuck is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 925 at the 2010 census. The city is within Saugatuck Township, but is administratively autonomous....
/Douglas
Douglas, Michigan
Douglas is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,214 at the 2000 census...
, and 12 miles west-southwest of Allegan
Allegan, Michigan
Allegan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,838. It is the county seat of Allegan County. The city lies within Allegan Township, but is administratively autonomous....
. The Upper and Lower Scott Lakes are nearby, which empty into the Scott Creek Drain, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Middle Branch of the Black River
Black River (Southwest Michigan)
Black River is a river in the southwest part of the U.S. state of Michigan that empties into Lake Michigan in South Haven at , where it discharges past the South Pier Lighthouse. The river takes its name from the dark brown color of its water, which is caused by suspended sediments and organic...
.
Two brothers named Clement built a sawmill in 1870. A station on the Chicago and West Michigan Railway
Chicago and West Michigan Railway
The Chicago and West Michigan Railway is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan between 1881 and 1899. It was one of the three companies which merged to become the Pere Marquette Railway....
(later part of the Pere Marquette Railway
Pere Marquette Railway
The Pere Marquette Railway was a railroad that operated in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. The railroad had trackage in the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and the Canadian province of Ontario. Its primary connections included Buffalo; Toledo; and Chicago.The company was...
) was established in 1871 and the area became known as "Hooperstown", after an area landowner. A post office with that name operated from 1875 to 1880 and began again in 1891. The post office was renamed Pullman in 1901, apparently after George Pullman
George Pullman
George Mortimer Pullman was an American inventor and industrialist. He is known as the inventor of the Pullman sleeping car, and for violently suppressing striking workers in the company town he created, Pullman .-Background:Born in Brocton, New York, his family moved to Albion,...
. The ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
for Pullman is 49450.
Locally the area is known for its blueberry
Blueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
production. The residents tend to be fiscally conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, and Pullman has some of the lowest property taxes in all of Michigan. Many locals fear that in the next few decades the area may become another minor getaway for vacationing Chicagoans, which is pretty much what it already is, thus raising local prices and taxes. Many other locals feel that more Chicagoans would be a positive boost to the community, because Pullman which is also one of the poorest communities in Allegan County, could use the additional tax base to provide better roads, as well as better fire and police protection.
Sources
- Romig, Walter. Michigan Place Names. Wayne State University Press:Detroit, 1986.