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Alto is an unincorporated community in Bowne Township, Kent County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on Pratt Lake Creek, at the intersection of Bancroft Avenue and 60th Street, just west of M-50, about two miles south of exit 52 off I-96.
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Map of Alto, MI 49302, USA
Alto is situated at 42°51′24″N 85°22′49″W on the boundary between section 33 of Lowell Township and section 4 of Bowne Township, although it lies mostly within Bowne. The Alto ZIP code 49302 serves most of Bowne Township as well as portions of Lowell Township to the north, Cascade Township to the northwest, and Caledonia Township to the west. It also serves a very small area of Campbell Township in Ionia County around the community of Elmdale.
History
Alto was founded by David N. Skidmore in 1845. A post office was established in September 1851, with Daniel C McVean as the first postmaster. Alto was also a station on the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western Railroad. It was named by Lucy Skidmore McVean for being the highest point of land along the railroad between Grand Rapids and Detroit. The annual Alto Harvest Festival is held in September of each year. This tradition started in 1970.