Traverse City, Michigan

History

Early history

Prior to European settlement, what is now Traverse City was part of the territory of the Council of Three Fires, an alliance of three Anishinaabe tribes, the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi. The Odawa, who were particularly prevalent in the area, called the area Kitchiwikwedongsing, a name which was often shortened to Wequetong, meaning "place at the head of the great bay". The area was the northern end of what is today known as the Old Indian Trail, a trail which serviced travel for the Hopewell, and later the Anishinaabe, coming to and from the Cadillac area.

Grand Traverse Bay was named by 18th-century French voyageurs who made la grande traverse, or "the long crossing", across the mouth of the bay, from present-day Norwood to Northport. The area was French territory at first, and then part of the Kingdom of Great Britain as the Province of Quebec. The area was ceded to the United States in 1783 following the Treaty of Paris, becoming part of the Northwest Territory.

In 1847, Captain Horace Boardman of Naperville, Illinois, purchased the land at the mouth of the Boardman River (then known as the Ottawa River) at the head of the west arm of the bay, which at the time was still inhabited by Native Americans. In 1847, the captain, his son, and their employees built a dwelling and sawmill near the mouth of the river. In 1851, the Boardmans sold the sawmill to Hannah, Lay & Co (made up of Perry Hannah, Albert Tracy Lay and James Morgan), who improved the mill greatly. The increased investment in the mill attracted additional settlers to the new community. Perry Hannah today is known as the founding father of Traverse City.

Traverse City was originally part of Omeena County, which was originally set off in 1840 from Michilimackinac County. The county remained unorganized, lacking a central government until 1851, when it was reorganized as Grand Traverse County. The newly designated county government was assigned a county seat at Boardman's Mills, a location in present-day downtown Traverse City.

Late 19th century

As of 1853, the only operating post office in the Grand Traverse Bay region was the one located at Old Mission, which was then known as "Grand Traverse". While in Washington, D.C. in 1852, Mr. Lay had succeeded in getting the U.S. Post Office to authorize a new post office at his newer settlement. As the newer settlement had become known as "Grand Traverse City", after the Grand Traverse Bay, Lay proposed this name for its post office, but the Post Office Department clerk suggested dropping the "Grand" from the name, to limit confusion between this new office and the one at nearby Old Mission. Mr. Lay agreed to the shortened name of Traverse City for the post office, and the village took on this name. Around this time, the first cherry trees were being planted on the Old Mission Peninsula, for which the peninsula is widely known today.

In 1890, another rail line was extended to Traverse City, this one from Baldwin via Copemish and Interlochen. This line primarily served lumber companies, such as the Buckley & Douglas Lumber Company, and was used to transport logs from the vast forest of Northwest Michigan to sawmills in Manistee and Traverse City. Two years later, new railroads were extended out of Traverse City. One line was extended along the bay into Leelanau County, and curved south to a preexisting spur at Lake Ann. Another line was extended east into present-day Williamsburg, and to Charlevoix and Petoskey. This railroad was largely to serve tourists.

In 1881, the Northern Michigan Asylum, later the Traverse City State Hospital, was established as the demand for a third psychiatric hospital in Michigan, in addition to those established in Kalamazoo and Pontiac, began to grow. Perry Hannah, by then a prominent Michigan Republican, used his political influence to secure its location in Traverse City. Under the supervision of prominent architect Gordon W. Lloyd, the first building, known as Building 50, was constructed in Victorian–Italianate style according to the Kirkbride Plan. The hospital opened in 1885 with 43 residents. Under Dr. James Decker Munson, the first superintendent from 1885 to 1924, the institution expanded. Twelve housing cottages and two infirmaries were built between 1887 and 1903 to meet the specific needs of male and female patients. The institution became the city's largest employer and contributed to its growth. While the hospital was established for the care of the mentally ill, its use expanded during outbreaks of tuberculosis, typhoid, diphtheria, influenza, and polio. It also cared for the elderly, served as a rehab for drug addicts, and was used to train nurses.

On May 18, 1895, Traverse City was incorporated as a city. Perry Hannah served as the first mayor of Traverse City, after also serving as first and third village president.

20th century

The first National Cherry Festival was held in Traverse City in 1925. It was first called "Blessing of the Blossoms" and held in the spring to attract people during the blooming season. With the exception of the years before and during World War II, this tradition has been carried on since in Traverse City. The legislature moved the date of the festival to the summer, and it attracts tourists from around the state and across the country. During the week the festival takes place, the population of Traverse City rises from about 15,000 to about 500,000. In 2004 the legislature added "Blossom Days", again as a spring festival.

Also in 1925, Munson Medical Center opened, and has since grown to serve much of Northern Michigan and serves as one of Traverse City's largest employers.

In 1929, Traverse City's first airport, Ransom Field, opened, offering flights to Grand Rapids. It closed in 1936, when the new Traverse City Airport (now called Cherry Capital Airport) was opened. In 1953 the grounds of Ransom Field were redeveloped as Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

In 1934, the original Traverse City High School building burnt down, with no casualties. For three years, while the high school was being rebuilt, classes were moved to the Perry Hannah House, the former residence of the city's founder. Classes were moved back to the new school building in September 1937. In 1960, the high school was moved from downtown Traverse City to a new college-style campus on the grounds of Northwestern Michigan College, which opened a few years prior in 1951. The former high school building was converted to Traverse City Junior High (now Central Grade School). In 1997, the high school split into Traverse City Central and Traverse City West High Schools due to extreme overcrowding at the 1960s building.

In 1989, the Traverse City State Hospital closed, leaving hundreds without jobs, massive abandoned buildings, and many homeless former patients. Since 2000, the Minervini Group has undertaken the project of renovating the entire property into a social center, including many restaurants, retail spaces, office space, and residential space.

21st century

On November 3, 2015, Traverse City elected Jim Carruthers, its first openly gay mayor. After serving as mayor of Traverse City for six years, in June 2021 Jim Carruthers announced he would not run for his fourth mayoral term.

May 18, 2020, served as the city's 125th anniversary of Traverse City's incorporation as a city in 1895, and was known as the "quarantine quasquicentennial".

In April 2021, a group composed mostly of White students from two Traverse City high schools held an online mock slave auction via social media app in a private group chat titled "Slave Trade", wherein they traded their Black student peers for monetary amounts while using derogatory language. After the local community was made aware of this event, a coalition of community members and Traverse City Area Public School (TCAPS) Board of Education officials drafted in response a resolution which denounced the behavior. The draft of the resolution itself led to community backlash initiated largely by White conservative parents and community members who regarded the planned resolution to be "...interlaced with critical race theory". In the aftermath of the backlash, the resolution was edited by TCAPS school board officials. No date for consideration of the revised resolution has been set.

On July 26, 2025, a mass stabbing attack was committed at a Walmart store just south of Traverse City in Garfield Township, leaving eleven injured.

Geography

Traverse City is located in the northwest of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, and is the core city of the Traverse City metropolitan area, the largest population center in Northern Michigan and the largest statistical area in the state north of the Tri-Cities.

The city is located at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, a long, natural harbor separated from the waters of Lake Michigan by the Leelanau Peninsula. The bay is divided into an East Arm and West Arm by the Old Mission Peninsula, a thin strip of rolling hills and farmland known for its cherry crop and viticulture industry. As Traverse City contains shores on both of Grand Traverse Bay's East and West Arms, one cannot access the Old Mission Peninsula without entering Traverse City.

The Boardman River bisects Traverse City, flowing from south to north. It snakes through Traverse City's downtown district, effectively forming a peninsula, and dividing it from the Grandview Parkway. The river terminates at Grand Traverse Bay northeast of downtown Traverse City. The river's 287 sqmi watershed contributes one-third of the water volume to the bay and is one of Michigan's top-ten fisheries, with more than 36 mi of its 179 mi designated as a Blue Ribbon trout fishery. It is also a state-designated "Natural River". As of 2025, only one of the five dams constructed on the Boardman River remains; the last, the Union Street Dam, is, as of 2025, being converted into FishPass, a facility that will allow for native fish to move upstream while blocking invasives.

Traverse City is surrounded by a substantial suburban ring, particularly within Garfield Township, to its southwest. Garfield Township is the largest municipality in Northern Michigan by population. Other adjacent townships, East Bay, Elmwood, and Peninsula, and nearby Blair and Long Lake townships, boast significant suburban populations dependent upon Traverse City.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a federally protected sand dune on Lake Michigan, is located about 20 mi west-northwest of Traverse City, in southwestern Leelanau County. Traverse City has one superfund site, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is the Avenue E Groundwater Contamination Site. At this location, toxic runoff from the Coast Guard Air Station contaminated the groundwater along Avenue E.

Traverse City is laid out primarily in a grid plan, with major streets running east–west and north–south. The city's tallest building, at 10 stories, is the Park Place Hotel.

Neighborhoods and districts

The city officially recognizes the following neighborhood associations:

• Base of Old Mission (BOOM) Neighborhood

• Boardman Neighborhood

• Central Neighborhood

• Fernwood Neighborhood

• Indian Woods Neighborhood

• Kids Creek Commons

• Midtown Centre Condominium

• Morgan Farms Neighborhood

• Oak Park Neighborhood

• Old Towne Neighborhood

• Slabtown Neighborhood

• Traverse Heights Neighborhood

• Triangle Neighborhood The city also recognizes the following commercial districts:

• East Side Social District

• Front Street District

• North Boardman Lake (NoBo) District

• Old Town District

• Warehouse District

The city employs two tax increment financing (TIF) districts: TIF 97, overlapping with the Front Street District, and Old Town TIF in the Old Town District.

Climate

Its location near the 45th parallel is tempered by the strong and moderating effects of Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay, which have a particularly noteworthy effect on the peninsulas that branch north of the city. As a result, they have viticulture and cherry orchards. Consequently, it generally experiences warm, mild summers and severe winters. Lake Michigan especially, but also Grand Traverse Bay, greatly impact the area's diverse coastal weather patterns, which occasionally consist of sudden and/or large amounts of precipitation during the seasonally active periods. Lake-effect snowfall constitutes a large percentage of the total annual snow accumulation, which averages around 80 inches (203 cm). Periods of snowfall typically last from November to April, although light snow as late as May or as early as late September sometimes occur.

Traverse City's record high temperature is 105 F, recorded in 1936, and its low temperature is -37 F, recorded on February 17, 1979.

| Jan record high F = 59 | Feb record high F = 73 | Mar record high F = 87 | Apr record high F = 90 | May record high F = 96 | Jun record high F = 104 | Jul record high F = 105 | Aug record high F = 100 | Sep record high F = 96 | Oct record high F = 89 | Nov record high F = 78 | Dec record high F = 66 | year record high F = 105 | Jan avg record high F = 46.4 | Feb avg record high F = 49.7 | Mar avg record high F = 63.7 | Apr avg record high F = 77.4 | May avg record high F = 87.2 | Jun avg record high F = 91.8 | Jul avg record high F = 92.5 | Aug avg record high F = 90.9 | Sep avg record high F = 86.8 | Oct avg record high F = 78.3 | Nov avg record high F = 63.2 | Dec avg record high F = 51.1 | year avg record high F = 94.6 | Jan avg record low F = -2.8 | Feb avg record low F = -3.6 | Mar avg record low F = 1.2 | Apr avg record low F = 18.6 | May avg record low F = 28.8 | Jun avg record low F = 38.8 | Jul avg record low F = 46.2 | Aug avg record low F = 46.1 | Sep avg record low F = 37.4 | Oct avg record low F = 27.5 | Nov avg record low F = 18.0 | Dec avg record low F = 6.3 | year avg record low F = -6.7 | Jan record low F = −21 | Feb record low F = −37 | Mar record low F = −30 | Apr record low F = 1 | May record low F = 17 | Jun record low F = 28 | Jul record low F = 31 | Aug record low F = 32 | Sep record low F = 26 | Oct record low F = 15 | Nov record low F = −5 | Dec record low F = −26 | year record low F = −37

Demographics

| align-fn = center

Of Traverse City's 15,678 residents in 2020, 15,341 lived in Grand Traverse County, with 337 (about 2.1%) in Leelanau County.

Religion

Traverse City is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord. The city is part of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes and is served by Grace Episcopal Church.

Government

Traverse City is a home rule, charter city under the Home Rule City Act, incorporated on May 18, 1895. The city is governed by six commissioners and a mayor, elected at-large. Together they compose a seven-member legislative body. The commission appoints a city manager who serves as chief executive for city operations. The current city manager is Benjamin Marentette, who has been serving since July 21, 2025.

As of 2025, the city commission consists of mayor Amy Shamroe, mayor pro tempore Laura Ness, and commissioners Jackie Anderson, Lance Boehmer, Kenneth Funk, Heather Shaw, and Mitch Treadwell.

Traverse City is in Michigan's 1st congressional district, represented by Jack Bergman (R–Watersmeet). Like the rest of Michigan, it is served by Elissa Slotkin and Gary Peters (both Democratic) in the United States Senate. It is represented in the Michigan House of Representatives by Betsy Coffia (D–Traverse City), and is a part of the 103rd district. It is represented in the Michigan Senate by John Damoose (R–Harbor Springs) and is a part of the 37th senate district.

Economy

Companies headquartered in Traverse City include Hagerty Insurance Agency and Oilgear. 20Fathoms, a technology incubator, is also located there.

Arts and culture

Most of Traverse City's economy is based on tourism.

In November, Beer Week offers tours of breweries, samplings, and workshops.

The National Cherry Festival, held annually in July, features parades, fireworks, an air show, carnival rides, election of festival royalty, music, a pie-eating contest, and cherries.

The Traverse City Film Festival was held in July and August from 2005 to 2019.

The Great Lakes Equestrian Festival features jumping, show hunting and equestrian competitions.

The Boardman River Nature Center is the interpretive center and management headquarters for the Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve, a 505-acre local park and natural area.

Traverse City is located immediately adjacent to two American Viticultural Areas, the Leelanau Peninsula AVA and the Old Mission Peninsula AVA. There are over 50 wineries near Traverse City. Located in the harbor of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy is the T/S State of Michigan, a 224 ft former Navy submarine surveillance vessel. The vessel is used as a classroom and laboratory while cadets of the academy are underway and shore side.

A tall ship, the schooner Manitou, is berthed at Traverse City, and offers passages to the public.

Excursion passenger trains from Traverse City have included a Cherry Festival train in 2008, and a "dinner train" from 1996 to 2004.

Performing arts and museum

The City Opera House features plays, movies, and performances.

The Traverse Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1952.

The Dennos Museum Center is located on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College.

Historical markers

There are eleven recognized Michigan historical markers in the Traverse City area. They are:

• Bingham District No. 5 Schoolhouse
• City Opera House
• Congregation Beth El
• Grand Traverse Bay
• Grand Traverse County Courthouse
• Great Lakes Sport Fishery
• Ladies Library Association
• Novotny's Saloon
• Park Place Hotel
• Perry Hannah House
• Traverse City State Hospital

Libraries

Traverse City is served by the Traverse Area District Library (TADL), which has six branch libraries in Grand Traverse County.

Sports

The Huntington Rink indoor arena is used primarily for ice hockey, and is the home of the Traverse City North Stars hockey team.

During their annual offseason, the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League hold their training camp at Traverse City's Centre Ice Arena. In addition to training camp every September, the Red Wings host an NHL Prospect Tournament, consisting of prospects of participating teams around the league. In 2021, the Traverse City Prospect Tournament consisted of players from the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, and St. Louis Blues. For this reason, Traverse City is often referred to as Hockeytown North, in reference to Detroit's nickname, Hockeytown.

Parks and recreation

Traverse City has over 30 parkland properties. The city also owns and operates Hickory Hills, in adjacent Garfield Township, which offers downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, hiking trails, and disc golf.

Traverse City State Park, with about 250 campsites, is located east of the city, and features a beach on the East Bay arm of Grand Traverse Bay. The state park is located in nearby East Bay Township.

The Grand Traverse County Civic Center is a sports complex featuring seven baseball and softball fields, a skate park, walking trail, amphitheater, sledding hill, pavilion, and playground, as well as Howe Ice Arena, an indoor ice rink, and Easling Memorial Pool, an indoor swimming pool. The Grand Traverse Bay YMCA system, with locations outside city limits, features four complexes with swimming, soccer, and tennis.

The TART trail system is a series of non-motorized recreational trails in and around Traverse City.

Education

Public schools

Public education is administered by Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS). The district includes ten traditional elementary schools, one Montessori elementary and middle school, two traditional middle schools, and three high schools: Traverse City Central and Traverse City West, two traditional comprehensive high schools, and Traverse City High School, an alternative high school. The district includes the entirety of the city of Traverse City, as well as about half of Grand Traverse County, a portion of Leelanau County, and a smaller portion of nearby Benzie County.

Private schools

Traverse City offers a number of private schools.

Interlochen Center for the Arts, also home to the Interlochen Arts Academy, is a private fine arts boarding school. Founded in 1928, Interlochen Center for the Arts is one of the nation's first and foremost institutions dedicated to the development of young artists. The roots of Interlochen began with Joseph Maddy and his founding of the National Music Camp, now known as Interlochen Arts Camp and the Interlochen Summer Arts Festival, which bring student and professional artists from around the globe.

For over 45 years, The Pathfinder has been teaching children to achieve their personal best as lifelong learners, young global citizens, creative thinkers, and stewards of the Earth. The Pathfinder School was officially founded in 1972 by Arthur and Nancy Baxter alongside a commitment of teachers from Interlochen, The Leelanau School, and Traverse City Area Public Schools.

The Traverse Children's House emerged as a unified Montessori school when it opened its main campus in 2002 on North Long Lake Road. The building was intentionally designed to enhance the school's Montessori philosophy and teaching method for infants through 6th grade. The Children's House expanded to include 7th and 8th grade in 2014. In 2022, the growing young adolescent program became known as Compass Montessori Junior High and moved to its own campus in downtown Traverse City.

Religious schools

Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools administers Catholic schools, including St. Francis High School.

Other religious schools include:

• Traverse City Christian School
• Trinity Lutheran School
• Traverse Bay Mennonite School
• Traverse City Adventist School

Higher education

Traverse City is home to Northwestern Michigan College, a two-year community college. Its annual enrollment is around 5,100. One of its campuses is at the Cherry Capital Airport, and offers aviation and auto service classes. Another campus is at the Hagerty Center on Grand Traverse Bay, which is home to Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Great Lakes Culinary Institute, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, and the Hagerty Conference Center.

Media

Print

The Traverse City Record-Eagle is a daily newspaper circulated in the 13 counties surrounding the city, and is the newspaper of record for Grand Traverse County. Daily editions of the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News, and The Grand Rapids Press are available.

Traverse is a monthly regional magazine.

Village Press and Arbutus Press are located in Traverse City.

Television

• Channel 7: WPBN-TV (NBC)
• Channel 29: WGTU (ABC)

Additionally, Traverse City is served by Cadillac stations WWTV (Channel 9, CBS); WMNN (Channel 26, ShopHQ); WCMV (Channel 27, PBS), satellite of WCMU in Mount Pleasant; WFQX (Channel 32, Fox); WFQX-DT2 (Channel 32.2, The CW Plus); and W23EB-D (Channels 23.1-23.7, 3ABN, Amazing Facts TV, Strong Tower Radio).

Radio

There are 16 commercial radio stations in a variety of radio formats. Talk radio stations include WTCM, WWMN, WMKT, WSRT, and WLDR. AM 1310 broadcasts sports. WKLT broadcasts rock music, and WNMC is a community public radio station. There are three religious radio stations: W201CM (a translator at 88.1) and WLJN AM/FM 89.9 FM and 1400 AM. WLDR plays an adult contemporary format. Interlochen Center for the Arts broadcasts the NPR member station called Interlochen Public Radio; it serves a large portion of Northwest Lower Michigan via two stations.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Airports

Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City is the third busiest airport in Michigan, and serves as a primary aviation hub for Northern Michigan.

Buses

Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) offers local transit service in Traverse City, as well as to and from surrounding areas. Additionally, Indian Trails offers intercity bus service to St. Ignace to the north and Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo to the south.

Major highways

• is a major north–south route running through the city. In Michigan, the highway largely parallels the shore of Lake Michigan.
• is a scenic highway with a terminus in Traverse City. The highway loops around the Leelanau Peninsula, and follows the shore of Lake Michigan south to Manistee.
• is a north–south route that passes through the city. The highway's northern terminus is at Mission Point Light, north of Traverse City.
• is an east–west route that traverses the Lower Peninsula.

Coast Guard

Main article: Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City

The Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City is responsible for maritime and land-based search and rescue in the northern Great Lakes region. Traverse City is one of two designated Coast Guard cities in Michigan, the other being Grand Haven.

Health care

Munson Medical Center is located here.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Traverse City, Michigan

Sister cities

• Japan Kōka, Japan.

Notes

References

Footnotes

Works cited

References

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