Old Mission Point
| Peninsula Township, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Township | |
 Peninsula Township, Michigan
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| Coordinates: 44°52′41″N 85°31′53″W / 44.87806°N 85.53139°WCoordinates: 44°52′41″N 85°31′53″W / 44.87806°N 85.53139°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Grand Traverse |
| Area | |
| • Total | 31.8 sq mi (82.5 km2) |
| • Land | 27.9 sq mi (72.2 km2) |
| • Water | 4.0 sq mi (10.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 594 ft (181 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 5,433 |
| • Density | 189.0/sq mi (73.0/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| FIPS code | 26-63340 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626889 |
Peninsula Township is a civil township of Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 5,433, up from 5,265 at the 2000 census. The township is coterminous with the Old Mission Peninsula, which projects into the Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. The Old Mission Point Lighthouse is located at the northern end of the peninsula. The peninsula is included in the Old Mission Peninsula AVA, an American Viticultural Area known for its Michigan wine. The Grand Traverse region has two of Michigan's four federally recognized wine growing areas.
The settlement at Old Mission was the first community founded by Europeans in the Grand Traverse Bay region. It was founded in May, 1839 by Rev. Peter Dougherty and Rev. John Fleming. They had spent the winter on Mackinac Island, and founded a Presbyterian mission at the small Old Mission Harbor, which of course did not yet have that name. At the time of their arrival there were a few Native American residents of a nearly abandoned village at the harbor, and the mission had peaceful relations with those and other native residents in the surrounding area.
In June that year Henry Schoolcraft arrived at the mission in a small vessel and helped found a school there. By 1841 there were 5 log buildings as well as several wigwams at the settlement. By 1850 the settlement had grown to a considerable size, and the schooner Arrow was making weekly trips to the mission from Mackinaw City.
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