A charming and historic harbor town of around 10,000 citizens, Coloma’s location on Paw Paw Lake, close to Lake Michigan, makes it a wonderful summer recreation spot. Lots of beaches and summer festivals, fantastic boating and summer fun lead to a trebling of the area’s population during the summer months. Yet Coloma remains a safe and friendly town whose strong community spirit and participation make it the perfect place to live and raise a family.
Location
Coloma in Berrien County, Michigan, about six miles inland from Lake Michigan in the Niles-Benton Harbor metropolitan area.
Geography/Terrain
Coloma is a small mostly flat settlement, covering about a square mile and surrounded by farmland, streams and areas of woodland. The Paw Paw River flows along one border of the township, meeting Paw Paw Lake on the southern end of town. The largest lake in Berrien County, Paw Paw covers 857 acres. Lake Michigan is about 6 miles west of Coloma, and a smaller lake, Little Paw Paw, is found within the township.
About 621 feet above sea level where it meets Paw Paw Lake, Coloma rises to over 690 feet at its northwestern corner. Little Paw Paw Lake sits at 624 feet above sea level.
Distance to 3 closest major cities
Kalamazoo is about 38 miles east of Coloma and Niles is about 32 miles south. Chicago, Illionois, is 80 miles southwest around Lake Michigan. St Joseph is just 10 miles west of Coloma.
Jobs
Coloma is primarily an agricultural region, famed for its fruit and wine production, and most locals find employment in this sector, or in the local social, health, and educational services. Local manufacturing and industry is another strong sector, stimulated and supported by Coloma’s proximity to larger centers like nearby St Joseph and Benton Harbor. Tourism has been another major earner for Coloma since the early Twentieth Century, with many locals running B&BS, specialty stores, and the like. Several larger centers are within an easy distance from Coloma, giving residents the choice of a short commute (timed at about 20 minutes on average) to work.
Lane Automotive, an auto parts manufacturer, is the largest employer in Coloma, followed by Menasha Corporation, who makes corrugated boxes, and Witchcraft Tape Products, also local manufacturers.
Along with the local Economic Development Corporation, the Coloma/Watervliet Chamber of Commerce works to support local entrepreneurs, protect tourism, and increase the local business profile.
Coloma’s median household income sits at around $40,000.
Housing
Named one of the best areas in the country to buy a home by Smart Money Magazine, the Coloma and Watervliet region is currently undergoing a period of vibrant expansion.
Still small enough to provide peaceful, picturesque neighborhoods, Coloma has a mix of historic homes and modern, all priced at an affordable range (the current median price for a home here is about $195,000). New dwellings include both single family homes and condominiums. For those wishing to start from scratch, there are still many lots available for either residential or commercial development. While many buyers are looking for a holiday residence, increasing numbers are choosing Coloma as a year round hometown.
Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf
Coloma is a green and leafy township with ample public parks, playgrounds, and ball fields. Found on Paw Paw Lake, at the mouth of the Paw Paw River, Coloma is ideally situated for water sports and locals enjoy fishing, boating and swimming in summer and ice-fishing, ice-skating and skiing here in winter. Little Paw Paw Lake, inside Coloma itself, is another scenic spot, also popular with boaters, canoeists and the like, and gorgeous Lake Michigan is minutes away by car.
The nearby Galien River County Park Preserve is a beautiful wilderness; 86 acres of riverside land that includes extensive upland and wetland habitats that are home to a wide range of birds and other indigenous creatures. Love Creek is another popular spot; the 150-acre park has 6 miles of hiking trails, superb cross-country skiing in winter, and plenty of bird life along winding Love Creek.
Special Attractions/Events
Coloma’s pretty downtown, well equipped marinas and superb river and lake access draw thousands of holidaymakers each summer and provide year round recreational activities and entertainment for residents.
Surrounded by farms, agriculture and vineyards, Coloma also has many rural attractions. Several good wineries are found here, including Karma Vista Winery and Contessa Wine Cellars, who offer wine tasting and seasonal events. Farms like Fruit Acres have fruit picking in season, and Coloma’s annual Glad Peach Festival is a huge event, drawing spectators from all over. Deer Forest is another big draw.
One of the country’s largest petting zoos, Deer Forest has a huge variety of critters for children to get close to and offers animal feeding, pony, train, and amusement rides, and miniature golf. The petting zoo also has a superb children’s playland and a “Storybook Lane”, and magic shows are staged here.
Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
Coloma came into being as a settlement in 1832, when Mr and Mrs Job Davis arrived from England, having bought 150 acres of largely forested land along the Paw Paw River. They built a mill to manufacture wooden shingles and hired local Indians to float them downriver to St Joseph, where they were sold.
As increasing numbers moved here to work in the mill, the burgeoning settlement became know as “Shingle Diggins”. Work proceeded apace, and in 1837 alone about, 1,300,000 shingles were hand split and sold. By 1838 the timber had been used up and Shingle Diggins fell into crisis. Those that stayed turned mostly to farming to get by. As paper money was scarce, shoppers would trade goods, or “dicker” for purchases, and people began to call their settlement “Dickerville”.
Things took a turn for the better in 1871, when the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad came through the district. Dickerville businesses were quick to make the short move to set up near the railway tracks and the town began to grow. Farmers could easily move their goods by train, and holidaymakers began to arrive from the big cities in summer.
By 1895, the resort business was growing so rapidly that one could see hotels and pavilions under construction all around Paw Paw Lake. “Dickerville” had become “Coloma”, double-decked steamboats plied the lake, and new homes were built, many of which still stand today.
Coloma’s Crystal Palace and Woodward and Edgewater Pavilions became renowned for their acts during the nineteen-twenties and –forties, and the best big bands in the country vied for any opportunity to play before the crowds. Some of Coloma’s nicest real estate dates from this period.
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