Boyne City

History

The area was first settled as early as 1856 by the families of John Dixon and John Miller in 1856, which was part of Emmet County until Charlevoix County was organized in 1869. Miller first named the settlement Boyne, as it was near the already-named Boyne River, which derived its name from a river in Ireland. A post office named Boyne opened on September 29, 1869, with Miller serving as the first postmaster. Others moved to the area with the opening of the Pine Lake House by A. J. Hall in 1879. The community incorporated as a village in 1885 and was renamed Boyne City in 1904. It incorporated as a city in 1907. Boyne City was home to the Buelah Home, which was built by Herman Swift in 1902. It served as a housing facility for delinquent boys. By 1910, the Buelah Home housed approximately 200 boys, who were also reviled by the community for committing numerous crimes and causing mischief. Soon after, Swift was accused of molesting numerous boys under his care, and criminal charges were filed. It became a cause célèbre in Northern Michigan, and it made headlines throughout the country. Many boys who accused Swift of the charges dropped out of the lawsuit to avoid public scrutiny. The case dragged on for three years before eventually making its way to the Michigan Supreme Court under chief justice Joseph H. Steere. Swift was acquitted, but it led to the Buelah Home being closed in 1912 and demolished in 1920. The city contains two listings on the National Register of Historic Places. The downtown area along Lake Street and Water Street has been included into the Boyne City Central Historic District. The municipal Boyne City Water Works Building was constructed in 1910 when the city was experiencing a tremendous growth in population, and the building…

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,219
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,453
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  3,213
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,106
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,646
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,614
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,536
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,196

Largest nearby schools

• Boyne City High School
  High · BOYNE CITY · 450 students · 17.3:1 ratio
• Boyne City Elementary School
  Elementary · BOYNE CITY · 407 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• East Jordan Elementary School
  Elementary · EAST JORDAN · 397 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• Boyne City Middle School
  Middle · BOYNE CITY · 388 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• East Jordan MiddleHigh School
  High · EAST JORDAN · 342 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• Boyne Falls Public School
  Other · BOYNE FALLS · 193 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Concord Academy Boyne
  Other · BOYNE CITY · 89 students · 8.9:1 ratio
• MorganShaw School
  High · Boyne City · 43 students