Alto

Alto is an unincorporated community in Bowne Township, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on Platt Lake Creek, at the intersection of Bancroft Avenue and 60th Street, just west of M-50 about two miles south of exit 52 off I-96. Alto was founded in 1845 by Daniel Skidmore. A post office opened in September 1851 with Daniel C. McVean as the first postmaster. It was a station on the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western Railroad and was named by Lucy Skidmore McVean for being the highest point of land along the railroad between Detroit and Grand Rapids.^[1]

Alto is situated at 42°51′24″N 85°22′49″W / 42.85667°N 85.38028°W / 42.85667; -85.38028^[2] on the boundary between section 33 of Lowell Township and section 4 of Bowne Township, although it lies mostly within Bowne. The Alto ZIP code 49302 serves most of Browne Township as well as portions of Lowell Township to the north, Cascade Township to the northwest, and Caledonia Township to the west. It also serve a very small area of Campbell Township in Ionia County around the community of Elmdale.^[3]

History

Alto was founded by David N. Skidmore in 1845. A post office was established in September 1851 with Daniel C McVean as the first postmaster. Alto was also a station on the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western Railroad. It was named by Lucy Skidmore McVean for being the highest point of land along the railroad between Grand Rapids and Detroit.^[1]

See also

• Kent District Library

References

v t e Municipalities and communities of Kent County, Michigan, United States County seat: Grand Rapids Cities Cedar Springs East Grand Rapids Grand Rapids Grandville Kentwood Lowell Rockford Walker Wyoming Villages Caledonia Casnovia‡ Kent City Sand Lake Sparta Charter townships Caledonia Cascade Gaines Grand Rapids Lowell Plainfield General law townships Ada Algoma Alpine Bowne Byron Cannon Courtland Grattan Nelson Oakfield Solon Sparta Spencer Tyrone Vergennes Unincorporated communities Ada Alaska Alto Belmont Byron Center Cannonsburg Cascade Comstock Park Cutlerville Dutton Forest Hills Northview Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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