Portland Village
Portland village, covering a tract of territory that measures just one mile and a half square, lies upon the Grand and Looking Glass Rivers, and at about the center of the village the two streams make a junction. Each river possesses at this point a power of no small value, and this consideration was naturally the motive that actuated the founders of the village in making a start where they did.
In 1870 the population of the village was one thousand and ten and in 1880, it was one thousand seven hundred and ninety, or a gain of nearly eighty per cent. The increase in enterprise is shown in the erection of numerous fine business blocks such as few similar towns can boast. A certain substantial and prosperous growth must necessarily mark Portland's progress, for it is the center of a fine agricultural region, it must always be a manufacturing point, and is moreover a station on the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railway, with the prospect of having at no distant day a second railway at its very doors.
The Pioneers of Portland
Although Elisha Newman made the first land entry in the township of Portland (June, 1833), he did not become a settler until three years later, by which time a few settlers had located in the town. From Mr. Newman's story, it appears that early in 1833, he was visiting friends in Ann Arbor, and during an evening conversation discussed with others the subject of unlocated lands lying west of Ann Arbor. One of the company (Joseph Wood) remarked that he had been out with the party sent to survey Ionia and other counties, and that the surveyors were struck by the valuable water-power at the mouth of the Looking Glass River, saying there would surely be a village there some day.
Mr. Newman was at once taken with the idea of locating lands at the mouth of the Looking Glass. Following up his impulse, he made ready to start at once, and, accompanied by James Newman and Joseph Wood, went out to the Looking Glass on a tour of inspection. Being satisfied with the location, he returned Eastward with his companions, and at White Pigeon made his land entry.
Newman did not return for a permanent settlement until the spring of 1836, and meanwhile, in November, 1833, Philo Bogue bought a piece of land on section 28, in the bend of the Grand River, where he proposed to set up a trading post. He brought a small load of pork, flour, and whisky with him, put up a tent, and opened traffic with the savages in short order. Unaided he rolled up a log cabin near where the Detroit, Lansing, and Northern depot was located, and when he brought the house into decent shape went over to Hunt's at Lyons for his family, whom he had left there against such time as he should have affairs prepared for their comfort.
Portland was organized as a township by legislative act March 6, 1838, and the first township meeting was held April 2, 1838 at the home of Joshua Boyer. Abram Wadsworth laid out the village in 1837, but no plats were recorded until 1846. And so the town grew in spite of the hardships of that early life. Fever and ague raged through the Village in 1846 and Dr. Beers was hard pressed to care for all the sick.
In addition to those families already mentioned the following people also helped in the development of the early village.
Taverns- Joshua Boyer - Proprietor of the Mansion House in the Churchill Building. He also acted as first Postmaster (1837-1842).
James Harrington - built a tavern-hotel on southeast corner of James and Kent Streets
Samuel Northam -no location given.
Millwright -Peter Kent.
Mill employees -William Henry, Mr. Cogswell.
Physician-Dr. Moses B. Beers.
Carpenters -William H. Arms, A. F. Morehouse, Christian Klimper.
Blacksmiths - Hiram Harrington, Alfred Olin, Milton Sawyer, Lyman Bennett.
Shoemakers-0. D. Parker, William Dinsmore, David Smith.
Farmers-Isaiah Decker, Samuel Sutliff, Charles Ingalls (Postmaster 1842-1849).
In 1843 there were, reportedly, four stores on Kent Street. The only picture available for any of these is one of the Simmons block built in 1843, evidently built and occupied by others because Simmons is not reported as settling here until 1849. In 1907 it was cut in two and moved to sites at 133 and 125 Island St. to serve as residences in use today. The Knox-Blanchard block replaced the Simmons Building at the SW corner of Bridge and Kent. 
The census figures of 1870 showed a population of 27,675 people in Ionia County 1,353 in Portland Township; and 1,060 in Portland Village.
So as they neared this figure the people decided that it was time to incorporate as they did in 1869.
