Pullman, Michigan

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 / 42.48361°N 86.09139°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, 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.

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