Mackinaw City, Michigan

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Village of Mackinaw City
settlement_type = Village


imagesize =
image_caption =


imagesize =
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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Mackinaw City within Michigan|.


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = Counties
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = Michigan
subdivision_name2 = Emmet, Cheboygan
established_title = Village
established_date = ?
government_type =
leader_title = Village President
leader_name = Robert R. Heilman
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 19.6
area_land_km2 = 8.7
area_water_km2 = 10.9
area_total_sq_mi = 7.6
area_land_sq_mi = 3.4
area_water_sq_mi = 4.2
population_as_of = 2000
population_note =
population_total = 859
population_density_km2 = 98.7
population_density_sq_mi = 255.3
timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
latitude = ?
longitude = -?
elevation_m = 181
elevation_ft = 594
latd = 45 |latm = 47 |lats = 02 |latNS = N
longd = 84 |longm = 43 |longs = 40 |longEW = W
website = http://www.mackinawcity.org/
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 49701
area_code = 231
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 26-50320GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1620662GR|3
footnotes =

Mackinaw City is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census the population was 859. The name "Mackinaw City" is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a village. The population greatly increases though during the tourist season with seasonal workers for the large number of hotels and other recreational facilities along the Straits of Mackinac. Mackinaw City is at the southern end of the Mackinac Bridge, which allows travel to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Mackinaw City, along with St. Ignace across the straits, is a base for ferries to Mackinac Island.

According to AAA's 2005 TripTik requests, Mackinaw City is the most popular tourist city in the state of Michigan followed by Traverse City, Muskegon, Sault Sainte Marie and Ludington. [http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/about_us/press_releases.asp?articleID=1888] Local attractions include Fort Michilimackinac, the Mackinac Bridge, the Mackinaw Crossings shopping mall, and the Old Mackinac Point Light.

The larger portion of the village, in area, is in Wawatam Township, Emmet County, though the downtown district and much of the development lies within Mackinaw Township, Cheboygan County.

Main highways and transportation

Mackinaw City is at the tip of the mitten formed by the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. This makes it the terminus for several important Northern Michigan highways, and the junction for all routes from the Lower peninsula to the Upper peninsula via the Mackinac Bridge.

The Mackinaw Trail, also known as Mackinac Trail, is an historically important route to and from the community, both from the north and the south.

* Three ferry companies operate out of Mackinaw City, connecting tourists and commuters to Mackinac Island.

Historically, the Pennsylvania Railroad's Northern Arrow and other rail lines provided passenger traffic to Mackinaw City.

The nearest airports with scheduled passenger service are in Pellston Regional Airport [ [http://www.pellstonairport.com/ Pellston Regional Airport] ] , Traverse City Cherry Capital Airport and Alpena County Regional Airport in the Lower peninsula and Chippewa County International Airport in Sault Ste. Marie, in the eastern Upper peninsula.

Geography

*According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.6 km²), of which 3.4 square miles (8.7 km²) of it is land and 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²) or 55.54% of it is water.
*Mackinaw City County is considered to be part of Northern Michigan

History

When the Europeans arrived in the Straits of Mackinac area the predominant tribes were: three Algonquian tribes, known as the Three Fires: Chippewa (Ojibwe), Ottawa (Odawa), and Potawatomi. Although these were not permanent settlements in the European sense, these tribes frequented this area to fish, hunt, trade, and worship. Mackinac Island, which lies within the Straits of Mackinac to the northeast, appeared to have the shape of a turtle. This image led the Native Americans here to believe that the turtle contributed to life's beginnings.

The first European to pass by Mackinaw City was Jean Nicolet in 1634 in search of the Northwest Passage. Although his mission failed, he did find many fur-bearing animals. He sent this message to the French government, and they provided funding to have settlers, missionaries, traders, and soldiers come to the New World and Great Lakes region. Although Father Jacques Marquette had established a mission on Mackinac Island (which was shortly moved to St. Ignace), Mackinaw City's first European settlement came in 1715 with Fort Michilimackinac. This fort was a fairly small garrison that housed French civilians inside the fort walls, but allowed them to garden, hunt, and fish outside the fort walls. Also, it served to impress the Natives, who most likely never witnessed such a large structure.

At the end of the French and Indian War, the British took possession of this area, but they did allow the French civilians to live within the fort's walls as they were very valuable to the fur trade. As a part of Pontiac's Rebellion, Chippewa and Fox warriors captured the fort on June 2, 1763 during the baggatiway game surprise attack. The British were kicked out and did not return until the following spring under the agreement that they would trade more fairly with the Native Americans. The British abandoned this fort during the American Revolutionary War. From 1779-81, the British Army moved the fort, including its buildings, to Mackinac Island, where they established Fort Mackinac. What they did not take with them, they burned; this was so that if the Americans did make it to the Straits area, they could not use Michilimackinac.

During the 1850s, two men by the names of Conkling and Searles platted the development of what would become Mackinaw City as it is today. The original designs allowed for the northern portion to be left as a park for two main reasons: preserve the area that was once Fort Michilimackinac and for the possibility that a lighthouse may be built in the town. The village would become a very pivotal port for trains and automobiles crossing the Straits of Mackinac beginning in the 1890s for trains. Car transportation lasted from the early 1900s to 1957 with the completion of the Mackinac Bridge. Train transportation ran through the Straits until 1984. This is still an important port city for tourists traveling by passenger ferry boat to Mackinac Island using the Arnold, Shepler's, and Star Line services.

Through the course of time, the main industry of Mackinaw City became almost strictly tourist-oriented, with other civic services such as postal service, police, firefighting, schooling, etc. Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse was built in 1892 in the same northern park that was originally allotted for its construction. This lighthouse would eventually replace McGulpin's Point Lighthouse, which was built in the 1870s in the far western end of the village limits. When the Mackinac Bridge was completed in 1957, the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse was decommissioned immediately. Also, a grant was provided to the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, which owned the property at the Bridge's southern terminus, to begin archeological excavations of the Michilimackinac ruins. Ultimately, a reconstruction of the fort to its 1770s appearance would ensue [ [http://www.mackinacparks.com Mackinac State Historic Parks: Mackinac Island, Mackinaw City Michigan ] ] . Camping, which began in Michilimackinac State Park in 1907, was halted in 1971 as a Maritime Park was opened in 1972 around the lighthouse. This park was shut down in 1990, but Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse was opened to the public in 2004. Mill Creek State Park, which includes the area believed to be where Mill Creek's sawmill once flourished when Mackinac Island was being settled, is located about five miles southeast of the village along U.S. Highway 23.

Amenities

Mackinaw City's central shopping district is located along Central Avenue downtown. Many of the shops sell fudge, T-shirts, and toffee. Also located downtown is a small outdoor shopping mall called Mackinaw Crossings, which features a movie theater.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 859 people, 404 households, and 244 families residing in the village. The population density was 255.3 people per square mile (98.7/km²). There were 630 housing units at an average density of 187.3 per square mile (72.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 93.02% White, 0.12% African American, 4.54% Native American, 0.12% Asian, and 2.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population.

There were 404 households out of which 21.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.67.

In the village the population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $37,031, and the median income for a family was $43,125. Males had a median income of $31,771 versus $30,125 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,725. About 7.5% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Elected officials

*Village Manager - Jeffery B. Lawson
*Village President - Ronald Wallin
*Village Clerk - Elizabeth Clemens
*Village Treasurer - Patty Peppler
*Superintendent of Public Works - Jim Tamlyn
*Community Development Director - Jeffery B. Lawson
*Recreation Director/Harbormaster - Dave Paquet
*Police Chief - Pat Wyman
*Water, Wastewater Superintendent - Pat Rivera
*Planning Commission Chair - Fred Thompson, Jr.

Other affiliations

*It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord. [ [http://www.dioceseofgaylord.org/ Diocese of Gaylord.] ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.mackinawcity.org/ Village of Mackinaw City Municipal Website]
* [http://www.mackinawcity.com/ Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau, including events calendar]
* [http://www.mackinawchamber.com/ Mackinaw area Chamber of Commerce, including events calendar]