Page 2 - John Okemos News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Once a trading post and successful farm community, Okemos got absorbed by the big city and is now a Lansing suburb. Photos and brief info are here!

The Early Years of Portland, 1800s-1940s The Ionia County town of Portland was home to many Native American tribes, pre-1830s. Then in 1833, Elisha Newman arrived and settled near the Looking Glass and Grand rivers. Portland is now known as “The City of Two Rivers” as both flow through downtown. Why was it named 'Portland'? Sometime around 1836, the settlers got together for a meeting in order to give their new community a name.....mainly, because they felt mail would get to them easier if they had an actual town name. Some of the suggestions given at the meeting were Boguetown, Boyervil...