Fruit Belt Census Research

During the summer of 2004, students at Western Michigan University gathered and compiled US Census data from 1850-1930* for the counties of Allegan, Berrien, and Van Buren in Southwest Michigan.  They counted total populations as well as the number of household heads that identified as Fruit Farmers and Nursery Growers ("Growers"), as Fruit Farm and Nursery Laborers ("Laborers"), and as workers in basket factories, canneries, processing plants, the Benton Harbor Market, packaging plants, and other allied industries ("Industry").

We have compiled the data into charts and graphs that show the growth of the fruit industry from 1850-1930*, when the Benton Harbor Market was the World's Largest wholesale produce market, as well as the general growth of these counties in Southwest Michigan.

On the chart below, Click to view data and graph as PDF, or download for Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS).

Download Free Adobe Acrobat.

*NOTE: Due to an unfortunate fire in the early twentieth century, the 1890 Census enumeration forms were destroyed.  We are therefore unable to provide any statistics for this Census year.  However, the US Census Bureau did publish aggregate statistics for the 1890 Census.  These are available on the web at www.census.gov.  Additionally, the US Census Bureau holds enumeration forms confidential for 60 years; thus we have only compiled up to 1930, as later forms have not yet been made available for public use.

Census data gathered by Western Michigan University students in Local History Workshop 596, Summer 2004.  Census data and graphs compiled by Joshua Koenig, PhD student in Public History at Western Michigan University.

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WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY / THE HERITAGE MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER