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The Little Traverse Bay area was long inhabited by indigenous peoples, including the Odawa people. The name Petoskey is said to mean "where the light shines through the clouds" 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 Canadianfur trader and his mother was Odawa.[10]
Early Presbyterian missions
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'arbor Croche and Michilimackinac, with a Catholic presence in Harbor Springs, then known as "Little Traverse".[11] Andrew Porter, a Presbyterian missionary, arrived at the village of Bear River (as it was then called) in 1852.[12][13]
Pioneer commercial interests
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[14] (or Fox & Rose)[15] 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.[16] H.O. Rose, along with Archibald Buttars,[17] established a general merchandise business in Petoskey.[18]
After the partnership split, Rose relocated to Petoskey and in 1873 built the first dock in the town.[19] 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.[20] Rose also developed the first general store, extensive lime quarries (Michigan Limestone Company, aka Petoskey Lime Company;[21]),[22] building the Arlington Hotel, and lumbering enterprises, and harbor improvements in 1893.[23][24] He served as first president of the village and officiated at early commemorative public events.[25][26] Rose's influence on the city was also commemorated by the naming of the H. O. Rose room at the Perry Hotel.[27]
Passenger Pigeons
Petoskey viewed from the harbor, circa 1900s
In the late 19th century, Petoskey was in the region of Northern Michigan where 50,000 passenger pigeon birds were killed daily in massive hunts, leading to their complete extinction in the early 20th century.[28] A state historical marker memorializes these events, including the last great nesting of the passenger pigeons at Crooked Lake in 1878.[29] One hunter was reputed to have personally killed "a million birds" and earned $60,000, the equivalent of $1 million today.[30]
Petoskey is noted for a high concentration of ancient fossil coral, now named Petoskey stones, designated as the state stone of Michigan.
With members descended from the numerous bands in northern Michigan, the Little Traverse Bay Band is a federally recognized tribe that has its headquarters at nearby Harbor Springs, Michigan. It also owns and operates a gaming casino in Petoskey.
Geography
The Petoskey stone, a form of ancient fossil coral found in abundance in the area; it is named after the town.
As of the census[33] of 2010, there were 5,670 people, 2,538 households, and 1,319 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,113.9 inhabitants per square mile (430.1/km2). There were 3,359 housing units at an average density of 659.9 per square mile (254.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.7% White, 0.7% African American, 4.7% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.
There were 2,538 households, of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.0% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.81.
The median age in the city was 39.8 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.5% were from 25 to 44; 28.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.
2000 census
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 6,080 people, 2,700 households, and 1,447 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,210.9 inhabitants per square mile (467.5/km2). There were 3,342 housing units at an average density of 665.6 per square mile (257.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.18% White, 0.33% African American, 3.17% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.
There were 2,700 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.4% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,657, and the median income for a family was $48,168. Males had a median income of $35,875 versus $25,114 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,259. About 6.6% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
The Little Traverse History Museum is housed in the former Chicago and West Michigan Railroad depot.Petoskey Marina
The EMGO/SRR bus service runs Monday through Friday, from Petoskey, Mackinaw City, Harbor Springs, and to multiple locations in Emmet County with flexible routes within many communities along the way.
Rail
Freight rail service to Petoskey is limited and provided by the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway (TSBY); however, the tracks are owned by the state of Michigan in order to preserve rail service in northern Michigan. Freight traffic includes plastic pellets delivered to a rail/truck transload facility for Petoskey Plastics. Occasional passenger/special excursion trains to Petoskey occur every now and then.
The City of Petoskey Department of Parks and Recreation operates a 144-slip marina located in Bayfront Park. The marina offers seasonal and transient slips, gasoline, diesel fuel, boat launch, wireless internet, 30/50 AMP power, water, pump-out, restroom/showers, playground and adjacent park grounds. The Gaslight District is connected to Bayfront Park via a pedestrian tunnel. The marina received initial designation as a "Michigan Clean Marina"[41] in May 2007 and was recertified in 2010.[42]
C-58 begins at C-81 just east of the city and continues to Wolverine.
C-81 is a north–south route passing just to the east of the city.
Education
Among the many colleges in Michigan includes North Central Michigan College, located in Petoskey. The public school system consists of a high school, a middle school, and four elementary schools. Additionally, Petoskey Public Schools has a Montessori education building.[43]
This climatic region has large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Petoskey has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[48] The city’s proximity to Lake Michigan results in significant seasonal lag, with August and February being the hottest and coldest months respectively.
Climate data for Petoskey, Michigan (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1891–present)
Petoskey and the surrounding area are notable in 20th-century U.S. literature as the setting of several of the Nick Adams stories[51][52] written by Ernest Hemingway, who spent his childhood summers on nearby Walloon Lake.[53] They are the setting for certain events in Jeffrey Eugenides' 2002 novel Middlesex, which also features Detroit and its suburban areas. The movie, "Beside Still Waters", directed by co-screenwriter Chris Lowell, was filmed in Petoskey in 2012.[54]
Christopher Wright, an author from Topinabee, wrote his novel "Bestseller" in 2002 under the pen name Christopher Knight. Wright funded the movie project for his book to be filmed in Petoskey in 2013. Wright also wrote the children's series "Michigan Chillers" and the series "American Chillers" under the pen name Johnathon Rand.[55]
^Vogel, Virgil J. (1986). Indian Names in Michigan, pp. 45–46. University of Michigan Press. ISBN0-472-06365-0.
^"History of St. Francis". petoskeysfx.org. The first Catholic Church was built in Petoskey around 1859 by Father Sifferath, who was stationed in Harbor Springs
^"Little Traverse Bay". michmarkers.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2016. Petoskey, named for Chief Pe-to-se-ga of the Bear River Band was first settled in 1852 by Andrew Porter, a Presbyterian missionary.
^Kilborn, Harriet (1960). "The History of Petoskey Area". deemamafred.tripod.com. Welcoming the first train to Petoskey on November 25, 1873, "H. 0. Rose was on hand to do the official "welcoming" honors."
^"Station: Petoskey, MI". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
Cappel, Constance, Hemingway in Michigan, 1999, Petoskey, MI: Little Traverse Historical Society
Cappel, Constance, ed., 2006 Odawa Language and Legends, Philadelphia, PA: Xlibris[self-published source]
Cappel, Constance, 2007, The Smallpox Genocide of the Odawa Tribe at L'Arbre Croche, 1763: A History of a Native American People, Lewiston, NY: Ediwin Mellen Press.
Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Emmet County.[1]
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