Page 606 of Walter Romig's Michigan Place Names says:
it was first called Potter for Willis L. Potter, a farmer who
owned most of the land on which his village in Augusta Township
was built; the village owes its existence to the coming through
of the Grand Trunk Railroad in 1880; it was given a post office
as Newcomb on Sept. 27, 1881 but changed to the first name of
Mr. Potter on Dec. 15, 1887 [Beakes; 1889; PO Archives]."
Willis is located north-east of Milan. The village tried to use
the name of Potter but after checking it was found that another
Potter already existed in Michigan.
Last Changed on August 10, 2005 by Ronald R. Morey.