The Fruit Belt
Because of Lake Michigan’s moderating effect, a narrow coastal strip from Indiana to Grand Traverse Bay, three hundred miles north, is blessed by a climate uniquely suited to fruit growing. This fact was observed by the 1840s when peaches already were being shipped from Berrien County to Chicago. Apples, cherries, berries, grapes, pears, and plums added to the fame of the “fruit belt.” One of the world’s great fruit markets has developed here in Benton Harbor to provide an outlet for these bountiful crops.
Plaque via Michigan History Center