Corn, grain and beans were major crops but potatoes were the most important crop in Montcalm County. When tree stumps were cleared farmers found that the soil was ideal for raising potatoes. They brought their potatoes by horse drawn wagons and later tractors to the various towns and they were shipped by rail to Greenville and all over the country. Greenville became known as the "potato capital of the world", at one time shipping out as many as 1,500,000 bushels in a year.
