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Northwest Michigan is a destination
of unmatched beauty and unrivaled seasonal activities. Winters
here melt into colorful springs! Hike our trails and bike our
paths, mountain or paved. Stroll our beaches and take your pick of
more than 20 championship golf courses. Or just relax. When autumn
falls, hiking and bicycling are local favorites. Plus, no matter
what season it is, shopping is certain to be on your list of
things to do with our area's unique shops and boutiques. Come
experience the skiing that makes this the Midwest's premier winter
destination. And, ice skating, sledding, snowmobiling, sleigh
rides and ice fishing are just a sampling of all that's in store
for you here. Inviting restaurants in a Victorian setting on the
shores of Lake Michigan are all waiting for you at the end of a
full day. It's a place so special, Ernest Hemingway referred to it
as a "priceless place."
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SKIING
DINING
RECREATION
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Harbor Springs
Ball Field - (231)526-9600.
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Harbor Springs
Skating Rink - (231)526-5810.
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Harbormaster -
(231)526-5355.
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Harbor Springs
Municipal Marina - (231)526-5355.
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Zorn Park -
Municipal beach, lifeguard, restrooms, picnic area.
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Josephine Ford
Park - Restrooms, public boat launch, picnic area.
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Zoll Street
Sailboard Launch - Sailboard launch site.
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Petoskey State
Park - 347-2311 - Lifeguard, camping, hiking, biking, picnic
areas.
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Thorne Swift
Nature Preserve - (231)526-6401
Nature hikes, nature center, dune observation platform. Beach on
Lake Michigan.
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Touring Gear
Bicycles, Inc. - (231)526-7152. Touring Gear supplies all of
your bicycling needs.
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Walstrom Marine
- (231)526-2141. We proudly represent the finest boat
franchises in the country.
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The Harbor House -
(231)526-0936. Enjoy a daysail on Little Traverse Bay, or
an extended live aboard or cruising experience.
SCHOOLS
WEATHER
NEIGHBORING CITIES
History
Founded by the Jesuits, Harbor Springs was once called L'Arbre
Croche, which means Crooked Tree. In 1847, L'Arbore Croche had the
largest concentration of Indians in the states. French traders
renamed the area Petit Traverse, or Little Traverse. The village
was incorporated as Harbor Springs in 1880.
Indian residents and white settlers of Little Traverse subsisted
mainly on fishing, agriculture and trapping. In 1853, however, the
establishment of Richard Cooper's trading post and general store
marked the beginning of commercial operation in the village.
Lumbering was the dominant industry in Harbor Springs from 1880 to
1920. Other thriving businesses included Emmet County Bank, which
still operates today as First Community Bank. In 1895, Joseph and
Martha Juilleret opened a boat livery and an ice cream parlor. The
building which housed these businesses is now the south half of
Juilleret's restaurant, which has passed through generations of
the Juilleret family.
Vestiges of the past also live on in many of Harbor Springs'
visitor attractions. The scenic M-119 Shore Drive was once part of
the old Mackinac Trail used by the Indians. Stafford's Pier
Restaurant was once known as Booth's, a speakeasy that operated
during the 1920's.
Harbor Springs is home to several private resort associations.
Among the oldest are Harbor Point, Wequetonsing and Roaring Brook.
With the deepest harbor in the Great Lakes, the town was a regular
stopping place for large passenger ships. Harbor Springs' healthy
climate and natural beauty also attracted many well-known wealthy
families in the Midwest who built spacious summer homes around the
bay in Wequetonsing and Harbor Point. Families like the Gambles
(Proctor & Gamble), Fords, Upjohns, and Offields (Wrigleys Gum)
became a part of the area's summer community. Many of these grand
homes (quaintly called "cottages") are still owned and occupied by
the current generation of the founding families.
Emmet County Statistics
(requires Adobe
Acrobat)
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