Bangor: Where History Meets Today
The City of Bangor (1,933) is a full service community in the heart of Van Buren County. Maple Creek and the southern branch of the Black River run through the City of Bangor. These two natural features provide for great natural spaces and community park land. The Black River helped found the start of Bangor. The water supply and rich farm land brought people to the area. They settled and used the river for water power for mills and as a way to transport their agricultural products. The great natural resource helped bring diverse people to Bangor.

Today, the hard work ethic is still found in the people of Bangor. Business and the downtown is thriving. The schools are great and pride in Bangor is strong.

Diversity has always been a part of Bangor. The first successful African-American businessman in Bangor was Ed Cable. A barber by trade, Mr. Cable came to this community in the early 1870’s. He was highly respected and served his trade for almost 60 years. Shortly before 1910, an inappropriate racial comment was printed in the Bangor Advance newspaper. Mr. Cable responded and let his thoughts be known, at a time in history when African-Americans were usually afraid to comment on such matters, his letter to the editor was printed in the following week’s edition of the local newspaper. The Cable House still stands today and people have been trying to preserve it for its place in the History of Bangor.

The rich farmlands in southwest Michigan along with its temperate climate also brought large numbers of Hispanic peoples to Bangor as migrant workers. Over the years, many quit following crops and settled. They have become a part of the community and add to its rich diversity. Third generation Hispanic people residen in Bangor, own businesses and are active in the community. The Bangor American Legion Post honors a Hispanic veteran who lost his life in the Vietnam War, The Eastman-Wilcox-Salinas American Legion Post 160.

Today, people in Bangor are proud of the diversity and believe it to offer the children of Bangor a competitive edge in life.