Allegan

History

The men after whom Allegan's downtown streets were named – Elisha Ely, Samuel Hubbard, Charles Christopher Trowbridge, Pliny Cutler, and Edmund Monroe – patented land in the area in 1833. They considered the site a prime location for industry, due to its potential for water power (since it straddled the Kalamazoo River) and water bound transportation. By 1835, a dam and sawmill had been established.
In 1886, a one-lane bridge was built over the Kalamazoo River to connect limited highway M-89 to the downtown area. The bridge fell into disrepair and was going to be removed until a group of activists raised the money to restore the bridge in 1983. Now a highlight of Allegan, the one-lane bridge is used in the city logo and is considered an important part of the city.
In 1914, Allegan entered the automobile (race car) industry as the manufacturing site of Howard E. Blood and Louis Chevrolet's unique chain-drive Cornelian automobile. The venture was short-lived, however, with fewer than 100 Cornelians actually produced.
Easter/Passover Weekend 1967, some scenes from the movie Ciao! Manhattan were filmed at the old Allegan County Jail, now the Allegan County Jail Museum.

By car

From the larger town of Holland, drive southeast on State Route 40 and you will eventually reach a highway junction, which is in Allegan. Another option is to drive south from Grand Rapids on U.S. Route 131 until you reach State Route 222 (116th Avenue), and take the westbound exit. Drive a few miles west on Route 222 and you should cross a river and you should be in Allegan.

• County statue

  address: Chestnut Street

• Kalamazoo RiverThis river manages to weave its way a lot of the town; a short distance northwest of Allegan, there is a reservoir on the river, Lake Allegan.

• Castle in the Country

  address: 340 M-40 South
  Historic B&B in two buildings on 65 acres. Rooms and suites.