Long a part of territory under the Council of Three Fires (comprising the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi), Grand Traverse County's first European settlement was established in 1839.[4] It was originally created in 1840 as Omeena County,[5][6] however it was reorganized in 1851 as Grand Traverse County. The county itself and Traverse City are named after Grand Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan.
Prior to European settlement, Grand Traverse County was part of territory under the Council of Three Fires (comprising the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi). These people called the area at the head of Grand Traverse Baygichi-wiikwedoongsing (Ojibwe: 'place at the head of the great bay').
As a duty of the federal government under the 1836 Treaty of Washington, the first permanent settlement in the county was the mission now known as Old Mission, established in May 1839 as "Grand Traverse".[4] Grand Traverse Bay, from which the area takes its name, earned its name from 18th-century French voyageurs who made la grande traversée, or "the long crossing", across the mouth of bay.[1][8]
On April 7, 1851, an act of legislature organized Omeena County, effectively renaming it Grand Traverse County. The seat of government was designated to Boardman's Mills, a location in the young Traverse City. The future counties of Antrim, Benzie, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, and Wexford were subsequently attached to Grand Traverse County for administrative purposes, until being organized in their own rights.[10] However, the act contained no provisions on formation of townships or choosing of election officials, thus Grand Traverse County had no legal government until 1858. That winter, an act of the state legislature completed the organization of Grand Traverse County and divided the county between two initial townships:[5]
The Old Mission Peninsula, which projects 17 miles (27 km) into Grand Traverse Bay, is politically part of Grand Traverse County, and is largely part of Peninsula Township. Power Island, an island in Grand Traverse Bay, is also part of Peninsula Township.
U.S. Decennial Census[17] 1790-1960[18] 1900-1990[19] 1990-2000[20] 2010-2018[2]
As of the census[21] of 2000, there were 77,654 people, 30,396 households, and 20,730 families residing in the county. The population density was 167 inhabitants per square mile (64/km2). There were 34,842 housing units at an average density of 75 per square mile (29/km2). By 2020, its population grew to 95,238.
There were 30,396 households, out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $43,169, and the median income for a family was $51,211. Males had a median income of $34,796 versus $24,139 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,111. About 3.80% of families and 5.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.30% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.
Historically, Grand Traverse County has been a Republican-leaning county; it has voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election since the Civil War,[23] except for four: 1912, 1932, 1936, and 1964. In the last decade, the county has become more politically competitive; though Democratic candidates have not carried the county since 1964, their margins of defeat have narrowed in recent elections. Traverse City leans Democratic while the rest of the county leans Republican.
In the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump carried the county, despite losing the state of Michigan. In 2020, he won the county with 50.54% (30,502 votes), and in 2016, won with 52.73% (27,413 votes).[26] Despite Trump's relatively similar percentage, his margin was massively decreased due to the lack of third party options in 2020 as well as a higher turnout for Democrats.
In 2008, Republican candidate John McCain received 24,716 votes in the county (50.60% of the total) to Democratic candidate Barack Obama's 23,258 (47.62%), even as Obama carried the state of Michigan by a double-digit margin.[27] McCain's margin of victory was narrower than usual for a Republican candidate in the county.
In 2004, Republican president George W. Bush received 27,446 votes in the county (59.42%) to Democrat John Kerry's 18,256 (39.52%).[28]
In 2000, Bush received 22,358 votes in the county (58.48%) to Democrat Al Gore's 14,371 (37.59%).[29]
Government
The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
In the Michigan House of Representatives, Grand Traverse County is divided between the 103rd and 104th districts. The 103rd, which comprises Traverse City and the townships of East Bay, Garfield, Long Lake, and Peninsula, is represented in Lansing by Betsy Coffia (D). The 104th, which comprises the rest of Grand Traverse County, is represented by John Roth (R). In the Michigan Senate, Grand Traverse County is part of the 37th Senate district, and is represented by John Damoose (R).
Formerly, there was an airport on the south side of Traverse City called Ransom Field.[32] This was located on Rennie Hill. This airport closed sometime in the 1930s.
Major highways
US 31 follows a jagged path through the county, at various points traveling north–south and east–west. The route is one of Northern Michigan's busiest thoroughfares as it passes through Traverse City. It provides access to cities to the north (such as Charlevoix and Petoskey) and southwest (such as Ludington and Muskegon). The highway runs south to Spanish Fort, Alabama, through major cities like Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville, and Birmingham.
M-37 is the longest highway in the county. A north–south route, the highway enters the county from near Buckley and continues north to the Old Mission Peninsula via Traverse City. The highway terminates at a cul-de-sac near Mission Point Light. South of Grand Traverse County, the route continues south through the state to Baldwin, Grand Rapids, Hastings, and Battle Creek.
M-72 is an east–west route, entering the county from the northwest. The route passes through Traverse City, and continues east toward Kalkaska, passing through Williamsburg along the way. The highway provides access to Empire and central Leelanau County to the west, and Grayling and Harrisville on the Lake Huron shore to the east.
M-113 is an east–west route in the south of the county, connecting M-37 to US 131 while passing through Kingsley and Walton.
M-186 is a short highway providing a direct route from M-113 to US 131 at Fife Lake.
USBR 35 parallels the shore of Grand Traverse Bay along a number of roadways and local trails, including those that are part of the TART Trails system.
^Romig, Walter (1986). Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 415. ISBN0-8143-1837-1.
^Menendez, Albert J. (2005). The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868–2004. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. pp. 222–227. ISBN0786422173.
United States
Michigan
