Portage like Kalamazoo was originally settled by the Potowatami Native Americans. When Kalamazoo was being settled by Westerners, Portage was a land people rarely spent time. It was considered uninhabitable because it was basically just a swamp. When you visit the rural areas of South Portage you may notice there is more marsh than forest.

The first people to settle in Portage were from the state of New York. They built a house on the corner of Milham and Oakland. This land was very habitable compared to the rest of Portage, so they called the area “Dry Prairie”.

You may have heard of Austin Lake. This water received its name from Moses Austin who started a tavern on the shore in 1833. In the early years, Portage’s industry was the celery farms. You can still visit the area were the farming happened. It is known as Celery Flats.

Throughout the next century, Portage had turned into a town of decent size. In 1945 Upjohn Pharmaceuticals was built on Portage Road. This caused the area to boom. The town went from being a marshland driving on the cultivation of celery to a leading economic force of the entire county.

Portage officially became a city on the first day of the year 1964. Today, Portage is considered one of the best places to live in Michigan due to its safety and excellent school systems.

Photos from Migenweb.org and the City or Portage