Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan

Описание: The Old Mission Peninsula extends about 17 mi (27 km) from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan into Grand Traverse Bay, itself a bay of Lake Michigan. The peninsula separates Grand Traverse Bay into its West Arm and East Arm. Additionally, the peninsula is adjacent to Bowers Harbor and Old Mission Harbor, smaller inlets of the West Arm and East Arm, respectively. At its widest, the peninsula is only about 3.25 miles shore-to-shore (5.23 kilometers). Unlike the rest of mainland Grand Traverse County, the Old Mission Peninsula, like the neighboring Leelanau Peninsula, has unusually steep and rising terrain for the region. The northern end of the peninsula, however, is much flatter than the rest, and is a part of the Antrim–Charlevoix Drumlin Field.

The "Old Mission Peninsula Cruise" is considered to be a "serendipitous" adventure for road bike riders. It is favored by local riders, including bicycle clubs, because of the scenery, the quality of the road, and lack of traffic.

The peninsula is a great place to sea kayak. The bay offers a shelter from the prevailing westerly winds and from the Lake Michigan waves. One can get close to shore, the lighthouse, picnic grounds and parks. Maps, rentals and guided tours are available.

There are eleven wineries on the Old Mission Peninsula. The Old Mission Peninsula sits close to the 45th parallel, a latitude known for growing prestigious grapes.The two Grand Traverse Bays provide the ideal maritime climate and the rich soil does the rest. Northern Michigan specializes in growing white grapes and is known for its Rieslings which grow well in the summer months and late fall which Traverse City is known for.

The peninsula's only distillery, Civilized Spirits, occupies a site which has been used for distilling since the late 1800s - when it was built by lumber baron J.W. Stickney and his wife Genevive.

The settlement at Old Mission was the first community founded by Europeans in the Grand Traverse Bay region, as a duty of the federal government under the Treaty of Washington (1836). It was founded in May 1839 by Rev. Peter Dougherty and Rev. John Fleming. They had spent the winter on Mackinac Island, and founded a Presbyterian mission at the small Old Mission Harbor, which of course did not yet have that name. The location is a convenient and strategic location along canoe routes between native settlements in the Grand Traverse Bay region. At the time of their arrival there were a few Native American residents of what appeared to be a nearly abandoned village at the harbor. These natives made smoke signals over their watch fire to summon a substantial number of men of the tribe to canoe across the bay to join the visitors for a multi-day parlay. The mission had peaceful relations with native residents in the surrounding area.

In June of 1839 Henry Schoolcraft arrived at the mission in a small vessel and helped found a school there. By 1841 a seasonal village that was important for sheltering tribal members during trading expeditions, hunts, fishing endeavors, and gathering nearby wild rice had grown to a permanent village, with 5 log buildings as well as several wigwams at the settlement. By 1850 the settlement had grown to a considerable size, and the schooner Arrow was making weekly trips to the mission from Mackinaw City.

In 1852, Rev. Dougherty decided to move his mission across the west bay along the Leelanau Peninsula to an existing Native American village at the site of modern Omena, Michigan, thus establishing a "New Mission." The previous community was therefore already known as the "Old Mission" in the early 1850s. By the time of the civil war, the Presbyterian organization which funded Dougherty had financial difficulty, and missionary activities were discontinued. Dougherty sold his land there in 1868.

The post office at the mission was formally established in 1851 with W. R. Stone as first postmaster. The post office was known at this time as Grand Traverse, being the only official post office in the Grand Traverse Bay region, indeed the only one between Mackinaw City and Croton. By the winter of 1852–3, a community had formed at the head of the bay at the Boardman river, at which a new post office was founded. The U.S. post office in consultation with Mr. A. T. Lay, a founder of Traverse City, decided to rename the post office at Dougherty's settlement to "Old Mission" and named the post office at the Boardman River "Traverse City." The "Grand" had to be dropped, as "Grand Traverse City" was too long a name per post office guidelines.