When I saw this photo of a tent under the stars on North Manitou Island by Chris Arace, my second thought – right after Wow! – was “Hey, didn’t Cody write some stories about Ghost Towns of Leelanau?” Sure enough, she had… The Manitou Islands were the first places in Leelanau County to become settled. […]
The Polish community in Leelanau County originally consisted of four small settlements one or two miles apart. These settlements, Shomberg, Bodus, Cedar and Isadore began in 1868 when Polish families first started arriving in the county. The first wave of Poles in the county came to scout out the area. In the 1870s a large […]
Maple City is nestled in the heart of Leelanau County in a grove of grand maples trees. The countryside around Maple City is hilly with many farms, orchards, and lakes. Many Maple City settlers came to the area because of the Homestead Act of 1862 which “allowed anyone to file for a quarter-section of free […]
The town of Lake Leelanau is located where Lake Leelanau itself narrows. The Native Americans who lived in the area called the lake “lee-lan-au” which means “delight of life.” French settlers were the first to arrive in the area, coming from Canada, in the mid 1900s. They called the settlement Le Naro. The early white […]
Peshawbestown is located just a few miles south of Omena and is part of the Grand Traverse Indian Reservation, which is owned by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. The village is composed of a community center, Indian art store, medicine lodge, governmental center, Strongheart Civic Center, Fire/Rescue/Police departments, and the historic […]
Omena is a small community in Leelanau County located between Suttons Bay and Northport. Omena began in 1852 when Reverend Peter Daugherty brought a band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians from Old Mission and settled in what is now Omena. In 1858 the Protestant Church was dedicated, and today is the oldest in Leelanau County. […]
Suttons Bay is a charming village located on the western shore of Leelanau County. Surrounded by vineyards, orchards, and farms, Suttons Bay’s unique charm reflects these surroundings. In 1854 Harry C. Sutton settled in the area with a crew of woodsmen and soon began supplying fuel to the passing wood-burning steamboats. In January of 1866 […]
“Pleasantly situated on a safe and capacious harbor of the bay,” Northport is located near the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. The surrounding area is filled with cherry and apple orchards, as well as many terrific vineyards. Northport was one of the earliest settlements in Leelanau County. In 1849 Reverend George N. Smith, a minister […]
Leland is on the western shore of the Leelanau Peninsula, between Lake Leelanau and Lake Michigan. The Carp River (known to locals as the Leland River) connects Lake Leelanau to Lake Michigan and runs through the village. Leland is well known for its 140 year old historic fishing village, Fishtown. Fishtown is popular, in part, […]
Glen Arbor is located on a small strip of land between Glen Lake and Lake Michigan, which is located in the middle of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Glen Lake’s natural beauty attracts visitors throughout the summer. Considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the entire state, local legend says that Glen Lake […]
Empire is the southernmost town in Leelanau County and is approximately 25 miles due west of Traverse City. Empire is located in the center of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, on the shore of Lake Michigan. It is well know for its breathtaking views of Lake Michigan, the dunes, and the Manitou Islands. Two […]
Greilickville today is hard to distinguish from Traverse City. Located just north of Traverse City on the western shore of the Grand Traverse Bay, Greilickville is the fist stop in Leelanau County, and yet it looks like it is still part of Travers City. The only notice that one has passed into Greilickville is a […]