The City of Bridgman, Michigan is in Berrien County, in the southwestern Lower Peninsula. Lake Michigan forms its western boundary, and the city is otherwise surrounded by Lake Township.
The main route through the city is I-94, which runs roughly north-south through the city. Red Arrow Highway mostly parallels the interstate. Other routes through the city include Baldwin Road, California Road (Church Street), Rambo Road, and Shawnee Road (Lake Street). The village of Stevensville is 5.8 miles north, with the cities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor further north, and the village of Baroda is 4.6 miles east-northeast of Bridgman.
When the area that would eventually be named Bridgman was first settled, the community was known as Plummer's Pier, although not much is known about that earlier settlement. In 1856, a lumber company came into the region, and the community that grew up along the lumber company operations was named Charlottesville for Charlotte Howe, the wife of one of the lumber company owners.
Another lumber company owner, George C. Bridgman, established operations about a half-mile east of Charlottesville, at the place where a railroad station had been established. Both the railroad station and the community that grew around it became known as Bridgman. A post office was established there on November 11, 1862, with Elijah Cowles as postmaster. However, the post office was named Laketon, for the surrounding Lake Township. In 1870, George Bridgman platted a village at that location. On April 9, 1874, the name of the post office was changed to Bridgman, to match the railroad station.
Due to the advantages of the railroad station and post office, Bridgman eventually absorbed Charlottesville, and was incorporated as a village in 1927, and became a city in 1949.
Besides lumbering, an early business in Bridgman was created by Orzo Baldwin, who established the Railroad View Plant Farm there, advertising his raspberry plants for sale in the Farm Journal, published in Philadelphia. Other local residents also entered the nursery business.
Construction on the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant began on a 650-acre site just north of Bridgman in 1969, and it was commissioned in 1975, and last renewed in 2005. Owned by American Electric Power and operated by Indiana Michigan Power, the plant has two nuclear reactors. Prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, the plant was open to drop-in visits by the public. Since then, it is open only to school groups by reservation.
Other significant employers are Weldun Tool & Engineering Company and the Hoover Ugine Plant.
The focus of this guide is on the City of Bridgman, Michigan, as well as its industries, businesses, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, sports, and recreational opportunities, and events.
Categories
Faith & SpiritualityServices & Industries |
Recommended Resources
The Bridgman Public Schools athletics program is featured, including its fall, winter, spring, and year-round programs at the elementary, middle school, junior varsity, and varsity levels. Coaches, team rosters, schedules, camps, game summaries and headlines, videos, photographs, a calendar of events, and other data are available. An online shopping area offers team t-shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys, jackets, and other apparel and accessories for sale.
https://bridgmanathletics.com/
Serving the Bridgman, Michigan community, the dental office offers general dentistry services, teeth whitening, fillings, and Invisalign, along with other services and procedures which are highlighted here. Its location is shown on a map, and its hours of operation are posted. New patient forms, post-op instructions, and surgical instructions are available through the site, and a form is available for online appointment requests. Dental education resources are included.
https://www.bridgmanfamilydentalcare.net/
BPMM is a family-owned and operated business in downtown Bridgman, Michigan, where the proprietors specialize in cut-to-order meat, handcrafted barbecue and deli items, local beer and wine, and catering services. Its beef, pork, and chicken items are highlighted, and a list of custom smoked meat and sides available for catering is included. Other resources include a gallery of foods and a blog in which seasonal recipes and local food news is shared.
https://www.bridgmanpremiermeatmarket.com/
The municipal library is located on Lake Street in Bridgman, Michigan. Its hours of operation, special programs, and a calendar of events are published to the site. Cardholders may access their accounts, search the library’s catalog, download e-books, audiobooks, and music. Other resources include New York Times bestsellers, book previews, community information, a directory of recommended websites, a community calendar of events, and general library information.
https://www.bridgmanlibrary.com/
Offering a K-12th-grade curriculum, the school district operates three campuses, Bridgman High School, F.C. Reed Middle School, and Bridgman Elementary School, each of which is located in Bridgman, Michigan. School schedules, building information, phone numbers, and fax numbers are posted, along with district enrollment policies, a district calendar, and various documents and reports. The school’s aquatic center is highlighted.
https://bridgmanschools.com/
Pike Funeral & Cremation Services, The Boyd Chapel
The family-owned and directed business is located on Red Arrow Highway in Bridgman, Michigan. Its location is shown on a map. Its pre-planning policies, funeral services, memorial services, burial services, and cremation services are featured, along with its special offers for veterans, including eligibility for the basic Military Funeral Honors ceremony, veteran’s headstones, and veteran’s burial flags. Obituaries are posted on the site. Various forms are available.
https://www.pikefh.com/
In business for more than forty years, the auto dealership is located on Red Arrow Highway in Bridgman, Michigan, where it offers new Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep, and Mazda cars, trucks, and vans. Directions, sales lot hours, and service hours are posted to the site, and its inventory of new and pre-owned vehicles is highlighted and searchable through a variety of variables. Current special offers are included, and employment opportunities are posted to the site.
https://siemansinbridgman.com/
