Petoskey

History

The Little Traverse Bay area was long inhabited by indigenous peoples, including the Odawa people. The name Petoskey is said to mean "The rising sun, the day’s first light, or the sun’s first rays moving across the water," in the language of the Odawa. After the 1836 Treaty of Washington, Odawa Chief Ignatius Petosega (1787–1885) took the opportunity to purchase lands near the Bear River. Petosega's father was Antoine Carre, a French Canadian fur trader and his mother was Odawa. By the 1850s, several religious groups had established missions near the Little Traverse Bay. A Mormon offshoot had been based at Beaver Island, the Jesuit missionaries had been based at L'arbre Croche and Michilimackinac, with a Catholic presence in Harbor Springs, then known as "Little Traverse". Andrew Porter, a Presbyterian missionary, arrived at the village of Bear River (as it was then called) in 1852. Amos Fox and Hirem Obed Rose were pioneer entrepreneurs who had made money during both the California Gold Rush and at Northport selling lumber and goods to passing ships. Originally based at Northport, in the 1850s Rose and Fox (or Fox & Rose) expanded their business interests to Charlevoix and Petoskey. Rose also earned income as part of a business partnership that extended the railroad from Walton Junction to Traverse City. H.O. Rose, along with Archibald Buttars, established a general merchandise business in Petoskey. After the partnership split, Rose relocated to Petoskey and in 1873 built the first dock in the town. When the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad was about to be extended into the Bay View area, Rose purchased much land in that area, as well as trolley cars, to enable transport between Petoskey and Bay View. Rose also developed the first general store, extensive lime…

Geography

Part of Northern Michigan, Petoskey is on the southeast shore of the Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Bear River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Petoskey High School
  High · PETOSKEY · 909 students · 19.3:1 ratio
• Petoskey Middle School
  Middle · PETOSKEY · 582 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Harbor Springs Middle School
  Middle · HARBOR SPRINGS · 327 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Sheridan School
  Elementary · PETOSKEY · 269 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Central Elementary School
  Elementary · PETOSKEY · 249 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Ottawa Elementary School
  Elementary · PETOSKEY · 248 students · 13.1:1 ratio
• Harbor Springs High School
  High · HARBOR SPGS · 243 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Lincoln School
  Elementary · PETOSKEY · 226 students · 16.1:1 ratio