Benton Harbor is a city located in the southwest corner of Michigan's lower peninsula. Benton Harbor and its sister city, St. Joseph, are divided by the St. Joseph River. The area lies on the shores of Lake Michigan. It was mainly swampland before settlers came into the area.http://bentonharbortreeservices.com/city_info.html Over the years, it was established as a resort community as well as an industrial city. Being only 60 miles east of Chicago, people saw it as a place for fun and amusement away from the big city. Over the years, the area economy became stronger as business grew. This brought jobs to the city and led to new homes, schools, office buildings and hotels. http://www.citiesofpromise.org/BentonHarbor/History.aspx http://www.bentonharborcity.com/history.html

In the 1950s, when industries and residents began relocating to St. Joseph, Benton Harbor went bankrupt. In 1986, Benton Harbor was designated as an enterprise zone by the state government. This created incentives for businesses to come back. Focus was put on job training, housing, law enforcement and healthcare. This led to economic renewal, such as the city becoming the administrative home of the Whirlpool Corporation in 2006.http://www.citiesofpromise.org/BentonHarbor/History.aspx http://www.bentonharborcity.com/history.html

In 1836, Eleazar Morton bought 160 acres of land and moved his family into a log cabin west of Ox Creek. This site is located on present-day Benton Harbor's Main Street. Morton planted orchards and his family lived off of the sale of fruit that he raised. In 1849, Morton moved his family to a home that still stands on Territorial Street.http://www.bentonharborcity.com/history.html

Sterne Brunson, Charles Hull and Henry Morton started building a canal through the wetlands between the river and the site that would eventually become Benton Harbor. This was done so that farmers would have a convenient market on the east side of the St. Joseph River. Because of Brunson's work to build the canal, the town was founded as Brunson Harbor in 1860. When the canal opened two years later, the land below the bluff began to dry out. Within a year, land lots could be sold.http://bentonharbortreeservices.com/city_info.html http://www.bentonharborcity.com/history.html

In 1865, the name of the town was changed to Benton Harbor in honor of Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton, who had helped Michigan become a state. It was incorporated as a village in 1866. Because of the canal and its proximity to Lake Michigan, Benton Harbor became a port. By the 1870s, ships were loading more than 300,000 packages of fruit per year. Factories and sawmills were built along the canal. In 1891, Benton Harbor was incorporated as a city and a charter was granted by the Michigan state legislature.http://www.citiesofpromise.org/BentonHarbor/Facts.aspx http://www.bentonharborcity.com/history.html

Benton Harbor began to attract tourists by the 1890s. People seeking rest and relaxation found it in the mineral baths being offered at local hotels. In 1903, Benjamin Purnell founded the Israelite House of David, a communal society. The commune was built on a large parcel of land east of Benton Harbor. Part of the commune included an amusement park that attracted thousands of visitors. http://www.citiesofpromise.org/BentonHarbor/History.aspx http://www.bentonharborcity.com/history.html

The Benton Harbor Development Company was established in 1905. Its purpose was to attract new business to the area. Financial assistance and land grants were offered to encourage businesses to come to the city. During the 1920s, new hotels, office buildings, schools and churches were built, continuing the growth of the city into the 1950s.http://www.bentonharborcity.com/history.html

Benton Harbor is in the southwest corner of Michigan in Berrien County. It is located at 42° 11' 67" North latitude and 86° 45' 42" West longitude. It is in the Eastern Time Zone, (UTC -5 hours).http://24timezones.com/mapa/usa/mi_berrien/benton_harbor.htm http://www.bentonharborcity.com/parks.html

Benton Harbor has a land area of 4.39 square miles and an elevation of 594 feet.http://michigan.hometownlocator.com/mi/berrien/benton-harbor.cfm It has an average annual temperature of 51.9° F and annual precipitation of 39.17 inches per year. Annual snowfall amounts are an average of 103 inches.http://climate.fizber.com/michigan-city-benton-harbor-climate.html

• The House of David Museum — Commemorates the Christian commune that settled in Benton Harbor in the early 1900s. Tours are available by appointment.http://www.houseofdavidmuseum.org/index.html http://www.houseofdavidmuseum.org/hoursdirectionsdonations.html
• Arts District — Home to Water Street Glassworks and Galleria del Corazon, studio of sculptor Richard Hunt.http://www.michigan.org/city/Default.aspx?city=G2817
• Curious Kids' Museum — Features interactive exhibits for children on subjects such as electricity, geology and air currents.http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/michigan/benton-harbor
• Morton House Museum — The oldest standing home in Benton Harbor.http://www.mortonhousemuseum.com/index.html

• Julie Krone — First female jockey to win a Triple Crown race.http://www.thingstodo.com/states/MI/famous_people.htm
• Ernie Hudson — Actorhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001368/
• Sinbad (David Adkins) — Actor, producer and writerhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005435/
• Al Brenner — NFL football playerhttp://www.nfl.com/players/albrenner/profile?id=BRE458997
• Arte Johnson — Comedianhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0424527/bio