Because of Lake Michigan's moderating effect, a narrow coastal strip from Indiana to Grand Traverse Bay, 300 miles north, has a climate uniquely suited to fruit growing. By the 1840's, peaches already were being shipped from Berrien County to Chicago. Apples, cherries, berries, grapes, pears, and plums added to the fame of the fruit belt, and Benton Harbor developed into one of the world's great fruit markets as an outlet for these bountiful crops.