Glen Arbor
| Glen Arbor Township, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Township | |
 Glen Arbor Township, Michigan
Location within the State of Michigan
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| Coordinates: 44°53′46″N 85°59′54″W / 44.89611°N 85.99833°WCoordinates: 44°53′46″N 85°59′54″W / 44.89611°N 85.99833°W | |
| Country |
 United States |
| State |
 Michigan
|
| County |
 Leelanau
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| Area | |
| • Total | 87.6 sq mi (226.8 km2) |
| • Land | 28.6 sq mi (74.0 km2) |
| • Water | 59.0 sq mi (152.8 km2) |
| Elevation | 581 ft (177 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 229 |
| • Density | 27.6/sq mi (10.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 49636 |
| Area code(s) | 231 |
| FIPS code | 26-32380 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626359 |
Glen Arbor Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 229 at the 2010 census. However, the population of the town expands rapidly during the summer months as a result of it being a summer colony.
John LaRue moved from South Manitou Island to the area of the Sleeping Bear Bay that would eventually become the town in 1848. After establishing a trading post, subsequent settlers began to move to the area with one, Mrs. John E. Fisher, giving the town the name "Glen Arbor" in 1854. Other prominent settlers were John Dorsey, who set up a cooper shop, and C.C. McCarty, who built the Sleeping Bear Inn, originally as a residence for lumbermen. Additionally, George Ray built a dock in 1856 and became the settlement’s first postmaster and W. D. Burdick established a sawmill and grist mill nearby in 1864. In 1878, D. H. Day, a land developer and agent for the Northern Transportation Company, took interest in Glen Arbor. Day serves as the namesake for the historic barn that sits opposite of the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
The town's economy was largely based around the lumber industry in the mid 19th century. Wood became the first commodity of Leelanau County as it was used for constructing houses and for fueling the steamers that traversed the Great Lakes. The increase of maritime traffic and the constant threat of shipwrecks along the Manitou Strait led the U.S. Life-Saving Service to establish a small boat station at Sleeping Bear Point in 1901. In 1931, the U.S. Coast Guard moved the facility eastward to its present location near Glen Haven, then closed it in 1944. The station is now a maritime museum that is run by the National Park Service.
The size of the town has gradually risen over the years with many summer homes and resorts having been constructed. The primary industry of the town today, especially in the summer months, is tourism.
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Wikipedia