When was petoskey founded

Passenger trains and steamships played a major role in the growth of Petoskey. From to , several major rail lines brought thousands of summer visitors from cities like Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Detroit to the area's fresh air and resort atmosphere. Once in the area, visitors got around via stagecoach, ferry, local rail lines, carriage, bicycle and on foot. Petoskey's oldest building is the St. Francis Solanus Mission, built in Symons General Store, built in , exemplifies the trend toward brick construction in Petoskey, an attempt to safeguard against the destruction fires caused in other area lumber towns.

The quarters were used until when the light was automated. A distinctive red and white spiral candy cane painted tower with a red parapet is nearly the same size as the lower building.

This light is limited to boat travel. Cecil Bay This former bustling lumbering community today provides an acre park on 2. The economy of the settlement of some persons was based entirely on lumber. Initially, in , the cutting of standing pine, hemlock timber, and the production of lumber, was the principal endeavor. By the pine was finished.

However, in work was expanded to include the making of shingles, barrel staves, pulpwood, and railroad ties. In December , the Emmet Lumber Company ceased operation. Significantly, Cecil Bay is one of the only few Great Lakes wetlands, and possibly the only remaing waterfront wetland site on Lake Michigan. The property boasts a boardwalk, a mile-long beach, a spacious pavilion with grills, and access the nearby North Country Trail.

Chicago industrialist Roger McCormick established the Headlands in the late s. It remained in his hands until his death in , when the property was assumed by the McCormick Foundation and eventually obtained by Emmet County.

The Headlands recreation area comprises more than forested acres, four miles of trails, two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, and was designated as an International Dark Sky Park in May — one of 6 in the U. Geographic landmarks like St. Helena Island and the Upper Peninsula are visible from the shore, while several shipwrecks rest beneath the waters. The land supports numerous deciduous and conifer species, along with fruit trees, black walnut trees and more than 20 varieties of wildflowers and plants.

Wild turkeys, deer, coyotes, and an occasional bear can also be seen. The Headlands is an ideal day-trip, with miles of marked trails criss-crossing the acreage. Mackinaw Heritage Village The Mackinaw Heritage Village's period is from through , a period of unparalleled changes in lighting, transportation, communication, housing, disease, and nearly every other aspect of the Straits area living.

It also reflects an era from which some are still living, a precious few buildings are still standing, and stories told by parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents abound. Structures currently include an 's, one-room school from the community of Freedom; a Mackinaw City pest pestilence house from the same era; the sawmill that cut logs for the locks at Sault Ste. Marie right after the turn of the century; an 's Mennonite hewn log farmhouse; a tar paper work shack; a vintage baseball field; an artifacts building;and community gardens.

Entrance off W. Central Ave. Hundreds of years ago, the Big Rock was under water in the Straits. Through the centuries, it has been used as a marker to determine the rise and fall of water levels in Lake Michigan. It was described in a letter sent back to France in as being at times, high and dry, and at other times, completely submerged. That led the letter-writer to conclude that the Straits of Mackinac rose and fell by as much as 8 feet. The 'Chi-sin' is approximately It is about 9 feet tall.

An estimate weight puts it around 54 tons. McGulpin Point Lighthouse In its inaugural season in , thousands of area residents and visitors from across the country came to Emmet County to view the newest piece in the parks' collection. Originally the site of an Odawa village, McGulpin Point was established in and served as a crucial beacon on the Straits of Mackinac as it guided vessels through the shoal-filled waters.

By , the McGulpin Point Lighthouse had reverted to private ownership until its purchase and historic restoration, by Emmet County, beginning in Free admission. Gift shop, docents. Colonial Fort Michilimackinac Fort Michilimackinac was originally built by the French in to control the fur trade and European development of the upper Great Lakes. Michilimackinac was more of a fortified community than a military outpost.

The colonial community was located both inside and outside the walls and the walls were expanded several times during the French and British occupation of the area. There was an Odawa Ottawa community along the shore when Fort Michilimackinac was built, but the Odawas moved 20 miles west to L'Arbre Croche in when their corn fields were no longer fertile.

North I underpass, Mackinaw City Call for hours or visit online: www. Mackinac Bridge and historical pathway The Mackinac Bridge is the third longest suspension bridge in the world. The total length of the Mackinac Bridge is 26, feet. The height of the roadway at mid-span is approximately feet above water level. All suspension bridges are designed to move to accomodate wind, change in temperature, and weight.

It is possible that the deck at center span could move as much as 35 feet east or west due to high winds. The deck would not swing or "sway" but rather move slowly in one direction based on the force and direction of the wind. After the wind subsides, the weight of the vehicles crossing would slowly move it back into center position. North I, Mackinaw City; pathway begins under the bridge www.

The Pellston Area Historical Museum is filled with logging artifacts and emphasizes the area's local connection to the logging industry. There are displays which include photos and artifacts on each community along the entire water route.

They also have special focus displays on logging, railroad use , and lodging as it pertained to the early settlement years of the water route.

The original bridge built in was operated by a manual pinion on a rack. Today, the rebuilt bridge almost a replica is operated by hydraulics and still uses a rack and pinion gear system.

The approximate height clearance is 4 feet. If you need to have the bridge opened, sound your horn three times, and wait. Passage for boaters is one way. The new Oden State Fish Hatchery complex was completed in and is one of the most advanced fish culture facilities of its kind, This facility is the brown and rainbow trout broodstock station and is a major rearing facility for those two species.

The facility has production buildings for rearing and broodstock, outdoor rearing facilities, and a state of the art effluent treatment system. The old hatchery has been transformed into a Great Lakes watershed interpretation area, featuring the Michigan Fisheries Visitor Center that includes a replica of a fish transportation railcar.

History museum on-site. The park was originally constructed in the s as a boys' camp. It is a popular trinket at souvenir shops and jewelry stores in Petoskey. The railroad soon gave land to the United Methodist Church to build an encampment.

The community of Bay View was then established in The community has grown over the years to include around cottages, most of which were built prior to Bay View Association is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and still functions today as it did in its beginnings as a Chautauqua on Lake Michigan.

In Bay View they practice the four pillars of a Chautauqua: religion, recreation, education, and the performing arts. Washington, and Helen Keller, to name a few. Bay View still presents a series of lectures and performances throughout the year, many of which occur in John Hall Auditorium, an auditorium with seating for more than 1, The latest resort community to emerge is Bay Harbor which started just west of Petoskey in Today, about one-third of the residential units in Emmet County are non-primary residences.

People came from throughout the Midwest on railroads and steamships to escape the summer heat of the non-air conditioned cities or to seek hay fever relief in the cool, clean air that came off Lake Michigan. By there were hotels in Petoskey that could accommodate as many as 2, guests on any given night. That land is now known as Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls. On any given weekend, 5, skiers can be found on the slopes in northern Michigan. Toggle navigation.