The suburban city, creeks, and river are all named after this portage or carrying-place for birch bark and dugout canoes, a key link in the Native American infrastructure of what was to become the state of Michigan.

The headwaters and upper reaches of the Portage River once contained countless examples of post-glacial wetlands.

Farmers built drainage ditches to dry out many of the wetter flatlands for arable cropland, and significant population growth south of Kalamazoo has led to further alterations in the landscape.

Many of the larger glacial lakes remain: The Portage River was an early trade route for the Pottawatomi, Ojibwa, Ottawa, and French traders.

A pow-wow is held annually in Three Rivers to celebrate this history, along with a reenactor camp of French traders.

In 1831 John Vickers spied this power source and built a gristmill on the creek, thereby flooding Sunset Lake and founding the town that would be named after him.