East Jordan, MI

East Jordan grew up at a particularly legible Michigan crossroads: the Jordan River reaches the south arm of Lake Charlevoix at the city's waterfront. Canadian settler William Empey built the first store there in 1874, and the post office followed in 1878. The community absorbed South Arm, became a village in 1887, and incorporated as a city in 1911. Water and rail then pushed the place toward industry; the company now called EJ began as a foundry here in 1883, and its headquarters still sit in town. Today, Main Street carries the city's practical center, with City Hall and the EJ visitor center downtown and the South Arm Marina on Lake Charlevoix. East Jordan Public Schools serve the city and parts of surrounding townships, while the East Jordan City Airport occupies a small city exclave to the southeast. East Jordan is a lake-and-river town with a manufacturing name still on the map.