BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (WNDU) - We’re taking a look at one of the many beach towns in southwest Michigan and its contributions to American history.

Benton Harbor is surrounded by three bodies of water: the Paw Paw River, Lake Michigan and the St. Joseph River. A big pull for visitors is that lakefront attraction.

But the city’s history runs deeper than the nearby waters it’s known for.

During the middle 1800s, the city sat right in the Great Lakes Fruit Belt region, serving as a middle ground between Chicago and Detroit which quickly became a “melting pot” of cultures.

“We had basically the whole world converge on at that time what was known as the Fruit Belt because Benton harbor was known for its produce, cherries, apples, peaches, you name it, it was growing in Benton Harbor,” says Be

See Full Page