Northport

History

In 1848 Michigan suffered from a smallpox epidemic that affected the entire community of people. Chief Peter Waukazoo and Reverend George Smith moved the community as well as the Holland-area Ottawa Mission up to the Leelanau Peninsula on boats or canoes. When the settlers had reached their destination they called it Waukazooville. Deacon Joseph Dame arrived at Waukazooville in 1854 and decided to change the name to Northport at this time. Northport was the largest town in Leelanau County for quite a while in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Several general stores were built in the town in 1859 which sold items such as cloth, thread, needles, foods, axes, and more. There was no doctor in town at this time so Reverend Smith was called on to deliver babies and help the ill. Many people that ended up living in Northport came from New York or Canada. The fishermen, farmers, and other community members would gather on the bay and cut chunks of ice for fisheries, hotels, or even private homes. The cherry industry that is prevalent in Northport today had just begun in 1853 on Reverend Smith's farm. Farmers began producing cherries so much within those first few years that cherries were being shipped to nearby cities for their markets. The cherry industry in Northport and Leelanau County remains one of the largest in the world.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land. * reaches the northernmost point along its route in Northport, with the highway's two legs meeting at a junction south of the central business district. Southwest of Northport, M-22 travels along the Lake Michigan shore through the communities of Leland, Glen Arbor, Empire, Frankfort, Elberta, Arcadia, and Onekama, before terminating at US-31 north of Manistee. South of Northport, M-22 travels along the western shore of Grand Traverse Bay through the communities of Omena, Suttons Bay, and Greilickville, before terminating at an intersection in Traverse City. * is a short north–south highway solely serving travelers through the village of Northport. North of the village, the highway transitions to Leelanau County Road 640, which can be used to access Leelanau State Park and the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,721
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,651
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  2,262
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,222
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,648
• Ring-billed Gull

  Larus delawarensis Ord, 1815 · Aves
  1,514
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  1,486
• American Redstart

  Setophaga ruticilla (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,416