Harbor Springs, Michigan | |
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City | |
Downtown Harbor Springs
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Nickname(s): Harbor | |
Location in the state of Michigan |
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Coordinates: 45°25′54″N 84°59′31″W / 45.43167°N 84.99194°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Michigan |
County | Emmet |
Government | |
• Mayor | Alan Dika |
Area | |
• Total | 1.30 sq mi (3.37 km2) |
• Land | 1.30 sq mi (3.37 km2) |
• Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
Elevation | 669 ft (204 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 1,194 |
• Estimate (2012) | 1,201 |
• Density | 918.5/sq mi (354.6/km2) |
Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
ZIP codes | 49737, 49740 |
Area code(s) | 231 |
FIPS code | 26-36560 |
GNIS feature ID | 0627758 |
Website | http://www.cityofharborsprings.com/ |
Harbor Springs is a city and resort community in Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,194 at the 2010 census.
Harbor Springs is in a sheltered bay on the north shore of the Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. The Little Traverse Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse on the Harbor Point peninsula, which shelters the deepest natural harbor on the Great Lakes. M-119 connects with US 31 7 miles (11 km) east and south at Bay View, and Petoskey, which is 4 miles (6.4 km) away on the south side of the harbor.
The area is known for its historic summer resorts, such as Wequetonsing, which was founded by Illinois businessmen and lawyers Henry Stryker, III, and Henry Brigham McClure. They were both connected with the Jacob Bunn industrial dynasty of Illinois.
The European-American settlement started with a mission by French Catholic Jesuits; they called this area L'Arbre Croche, meaning Crooked Tree. In 1847, L'Arbre Croche had the largest concentration of Native Americans in Michigan. French traders renamed the area Petit Traverse, or Little Traverse, when they arrived in the area. After more settlers came to the area from the eastern United States, they changed the name of the village to Harbor Springs, incorporating it in 1880.
The federally recognized Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians are descendants of the numerous Odawa bands that historically occupied this area. They have their tribal offices in Harbor Springs, and a gaming resort in Petoskey. Their reservation lands encompasses approximately 336 square miles (870 km2) of land in Charlevoix and Emmet counties.