Colon, Michigan - 49040

Photos courtesy of:
Ken Huisjen

Colon is located on the eastern border of St. Joseph County. It is situated between Palmer and Sturgeon Lakes, which are part of the St. Joseph River chain of lakes in the area.

This town was founded in the mid 1830’s by the Schellhouse family, one of the first to settle in the area. It was named by Lorensie Schellhouse when he opened a dictionary at random and saw the word: "colon." He indicated the town would be named that, as he felt the lake and the river resembled the shape of a grammatical colon.

Today, Colon remains a picturesque town situated on a hill overlooking a dam holding back the waters of Palmer Lake. It has also preserved much its turn-of-the-century architecture downtown, making it a pleasant place to visit, shop and enjoy the scenery.