Portland

History

According to government records, the first land that was owned in what is now known as Portland was owned by Elisha Newman in 1833. Ionia County histories say that Philo Bogue built a trading post on the Grand River later that year, the Bogue Flats Recreation Area now being named for him. The first post office arrived in 1837. Portland has been home to several Native American tribes, and was the dwelling-place of John Okemos in the 1850s. The first train arrived in Portland in 1869, the last train left in 1984 when the tracks were removed. The railroad bridge built in 1881 remains, having replaced an earlier wooden bridge built in 1869. The city used to get 6 passenger trains per day in 1881, three in each direction. Portland's growth in population led to becoming a Village in 1869 and a City in 1969. The opera house opened in 1880, and the Carnegie library in 1905. The newspaper of record is the Portland Beacon.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,049
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,908
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,856
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,780
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  1,711
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,693
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,575
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,558