Traverse City (/'træv?rs 's?ti/ or local /'træv?r.s?ti/) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse City micropolitan area.
The Traverse City area is the largest producer of tart cherries in the United States. Near the time of cherry harvest, the city hosts the annual week-long National Cherry Festival in the first full week of July, attracting approximately 500,000 visitors annually. The surrounding countryside also produces grapes, and is one of the centers of wine production in the Midwest. Tourism, both summer and winter, is another key industry. The Traverse City area features varied natural attractions, including freshwater beaches, vineyards, a National Lakeshore, downhill skiing areas, and numerous forests. In 2009, TripAdvisor named Traverse City the number two small town travel destination in the United States. In 2012, the city was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the U.S., by U.S. News.
History
Traverse City is named after the Grand Traverse Bay, which the city heads. The bay earned its name from 18th-century French voyageurs who made la grande traverse, or "the long crossing", across the mouth of bay.
In 1847, Captain Boardman of Naperville, Illinois, purchased the land at the mouth of the Boardman River at the head of the west arm of the bay. During that year the captain, his son, and their employees built a dwelling and sawmill near the mouth of the river. In 1851 the Boardmans sold the sawmill to Hannah, Lay & Co (Perry Hannah, Albert Tracy Lay and James Morgan), who improved the mill greatly. The increased investment in the mill attracted additional settlers to the new community.
As of 1853, the only operating post office in the Grand Traverse Bay region was the one located at Old Mission, which was then known as "Grand Traverse." While in Washington, D.C. in 1852, Mr. Lay had succeeded in getting the U.S. Post Office to authorize a new post office at his newer settlement. As the newer settlement had become known as "Grand Traverse City," Lay proposed this name for its post office, but the Post Office Department clerk suggested dropping the "Grand," in the name, as to limit confusion between this new office and the one at nearby Old Mission. Mr. Lay agreed to the name "Traverse City" for the post office, and the village took on this name.
Climate
Its location near the 45th parallel is tempered by the strong and moderating effects of Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay, which have a particularly noteworthy effect on the peninsulas that branch north of the city. As a result, they have viticulture and Cherry orchards. Consequently, it generally experiences warm, mild summers and severe winters. Lake Michigan especially, but also Grand Traverse Bay, greatly impact the area's diverse coastal weather patterns, which occasionally consist of sudden and/or large amounts of precipitation during the seasonally active periods. Lake-effect snowfall constitutes a large percentage of the total annual snow accumulation, which averages around 80 inches (203 cm). Periods of snowfall typically last from November to April, although light snow as late as May or as early as September sometimes occur.
Traverse City's record high temperature is 105 °F (41 °C),recorded in 1936, and its low temperature is -33 °F (-36 °C), recorded on February 17, 1979.
ArrayGeography
Traverse City is a part of the greater Northern Michigan region. The city is the main inland port of the Grand Traverse Bay--a long, natural harbor separated from the waters of Lake Michigan by the Leelanau Peninsula, and divided longitudinally almost evenly by a narrow peninsula of tiered hillsides and farmland called Old Mission Peninsula.
The most prominent of the city's waterways is the Boardman River. Along with Boardman Lake, the river is part of the Boardman River Watershed. The Boardman's 287-square-mile (740 km2) watershed contributes one-third of the water volume to the bay and is one of Michigan's top-ten fisheries, with more than 36 miles (58 km) of its 179 miles (288 km) designated as a Blue Ribbon trout fishery. It is also a state-designated "Natural River".
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.66 square miles (22.43 km2), of which, 8.33 square miles (21.57 km2) of it is land and 0.33 square miles (0.85 km2) is water.
ArrayDemographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 14,674 people, 6,675 households, and 3,369 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,761.6 inhabitants per square mile (680.2/km2). There were 7,358 housing units at an average density of 883.3 per square mile (341.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.4% White, 0.7% African American, 1.8% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.
There were 6,675 households of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.5% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.77.
The median age in the city was 40.8 years. 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,532 people, 6,443 households, and 3,485 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,728.7 per square mile (667.2/km²). There were 6,842 housing units at an average density of 813.9 per square mile (314.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.00% White, 0.65% African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population.
There were 6,443 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,330, and the median income for a family was $46,912. Males had a median income of $31,587 versus $22,512 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,247. About 4.8% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
ArrayGovernment
Traverse City is a home rule charter city under the Home Rule Cities Act, incorporated on May 18, 1895. The city is governed by six commissioners and a mayor, elected at-large. Together they comprise a seven-member legislative body. The commission appoints a city manager who serves as chief executive for city operations.
ArrayEducation
- West Middle School
- East Middle School
- The Children's House, an independent Montessori school, infant-6th grade
- The Pathfinder School, ISACS-accredited pre-K to 8th grade independent school
- Northwestern Michigan College
- Great Lakes Maritime Academy
- Northwestern Michigan College University Center
- Traverse Bay Area Career-Tech Center
- Central Grade School (public elementary school)
- Traverse City Central High School
- Traverse City Christian High School
- Traverse City High School (alternative school)
- Saint Francis High School (a Roman Catholic school)
- The Woodland School (a charter school)
- Grand Traverse Academy (a charter school)
- Traverse City West Senior High (established 1997 by a division of Traverse City Central)
- Trinity Lutheran School (Preschool-Grade 7)
- Western Michigan University - branch campus
- Interlochen Arts Academy - Fine arts boarding and day school, located 20 minutes outside of Traverse City
- Traverse Bay Christian School
- Along with 13 public elementary schools
Tourism
Most of Traverse City's economy is based on tourism. As part of the 2011 tourism advertising campaign the Traverse City Visitors Bureau, Traverse City Cherry Capital Airport and local businesses sponsored a video to be played on all Delta flights in the month of June 2011.
The National Cherry Festival, usually in the first week of July, tends to host hundreds of thousands of tourists and locals to the area hitting a record with over 500,000 in 2014.
Tourists are called "Fudgies" by some of the locals.
ArrayMedia
The Traverse City Record-Eagle is one of northwest lower Michigan's daily newspapers. It is circulated in the 13 counties surrounding the city. In December 2006 it was sold by Ottaway Newspapers Inc., the community newspaper subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company to Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. (CNHI). It is the newspaper of record for Grand Traverse County. Daily editions of the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News, and The Grand Rapids Press also are available on news stands throughout the region. Other local publications include Traverse (a monthly regional magazine), NM3 Magazine (a local lifestyle and entertainment publication), Grand Traverse Insider (a local weekly community newspaper), Northern Express Weekly, Traverse City Business News, Edible Grande Traverse magazine dedicated to the food, farms and chefs of the area, and Grand Traverse Woman Magazine.
At least seven national magazines are published in Traverse City, including Thirdeye Magazine. Village Press is based in Traverse City; it publishes the Home Shop Machinist, Live Steam and Outdoor Railroading, Machinists' Workshop, Just Labs, Pointing Dog Journal, Retriever Journal and Twin and Turbine magazines.
Traverse City is also the home of Arbutus Press, one of the leading Michigan publishers for regional non-fiction. The company has published many books including four books selected by the Library of Michigan as Michigan Notable Books: Historic Cottages of Mackinac Island (awarded in 2002), Asylum for the Insane: History of Kalamazoo State Hospital (awarded in 2009), Vintage Views Along the West Michigan Pike (awarded in 2012), and Fishtown (awarded in 2013).
Television
Traverse City is the largest city in the Traverse City-Cadillac-Sault Ste. Marie Designated Market Area, the largest television market in area east of the Mississippi River. Accordingly, most stations in this region are broadcast simultaneously on widely spaced transmitters on separate channels.
Traverse City has two television stations licensed directly to the city:
- Channel 7: WPBN-TV "TV 7&4" (NBC) (simulcast on channel 4, Cheboygan)
- Channel 29: WGTU "ABC 29&8" (ABC) (simulcast on channel 8, Goetzville)
Additionally, WGTU operated a CW Plus station on its second digital subchannel and Northern Michigan cable television systems:
- Channel 61: WGTU-DT2 "Northern Michigan's CW" (The CW).
The city also has a low power rebroadcast transmitter of Mount Pleasant's PBS affiliate, WCMU-TV, operating on channel 46 (W46AD).
Stations licensed to nearby Cadillac are considered local to Traverse City:
- Channel 9: WWTV "9 & 10 News" (CBS) (simulcast on channel 10, Goetzville, MI in the eastern U.P.)
- Channel 32: WFQX-TV "Fox 32" (Fox)
Fox's sister network, MyNetworkTV, did not have an affiliate in the region when it launched back in September 2006. That changed at some point in 2008 when WLLZ-LP channel 12 added the network. This station also airs programming from America One and RTV.
Cable television service is provided within Traverse City and many outlying communities by Charter Communications. Public-access television cable TV programming is provided on channel 2.
Radio
Traverse City is the home of Northern Michigan talk radio station WTCM News/Talk 580 AM. Other talk stations available in the Traverse City area include WJML, WMKT, WSRT, and WLDR. AM 1310 ESPN Radio (operated by WCCW) broadcasts national ESPN content along with Detroit Pistons, Tigers, Red Wings and Lions games. MSU Football and Basketball can also be heard on 1310. There are 16 Commercial radio stations in a variety of typical commercial radio formats. WNMC 90.7 FM is a community public radio station that is committed to a wide variety of musical genres and local events.
Traverse City has 2 Religious radio stations; W201CM (a Translator at 88.1) and WLJN AM/FM 89.9FM and 1400AM
Interlochen Center for the Arts's NPR member station Interlochen Public Radio. it serves a large portion of Northwest Lower Michigan via two stations: Interlochen Public Radio broadcasts on two stations: 88.7 is music and 91.5 is talk.
There is also WLDR who for 10 years was Sunny Country 101.9 until October 22, 2014 when the station switched back to an adult contemporary format. Prior to country it was also adult contemporary. The station went on the air in 1966 with owner Roderick Maxson serving the Grand Traverse area and surrounding counties. They are the first to broadcast in HD radio in Michigan. They have been the sponsor for several major events in Traverse City, including The Beach Bum Games, Horses by the Bay, the Make-A-Wish Motorcycle Tour, and the Traverse City Easter Egg Hunt. WNMC 90.7 radio is a public supported radio station with the license held by Northwestern Michigan College. Broadcasts variety of music genres including jazz, blues, world music, and others Espn is now on 105.5 fm and 1310 am is fox sports
Recreation
The National Cherry Festival, held during the first full week of July every year, is a draw for tourists to Traverse City. The festival features parades, fireworks, an air show, election of festival royalty, live music, a pie-eating contest and cherries. It is estimated that the Grand Traverse region produces up to 360,000,000 pounds (163,000,000 kg) of cherries annually. The largest variety of cherry produced locally is the Montmorency cherry, or the "pie cherry". Other cherries grown in the region include the Ulster, or sweet cherry, and the Balaton (from Lake Balaton in Hungary), a cherry situated between the Montmorency and Ulster in terms of color and taste.
The locale and topography is conducive for road bicycling, aided by the TART trail system. A map with routes, different trips, advice and local knowledge is available. Lake Michigan presents a location for sailing, fishing, and kayaking.
The Traverse City State Park, with about 250 campsites, is located three miles (4.8 km) east of downtown on 47 acres (19 ha) including a quarter mile beach on the East Bay arm of Grand Traverse Bay.
The sandy soil is conductive to viticulture, and there are over 50 wineries in the Traverse City area. Most offer free wine tasting. Traverse city is located at the base of the Old Mission Peninsula wine region.
Shopping
Traverse City's central business district is located along Front Street downtown. Another major shopping district is on US 31 southwest of town, where several big box stores are located, as well as two shopping malls: the Grand Traverse Mall, anchored by Target, JCPenney, Macy's, and the Preferred Outlets, a factory outlet center. Another mall, Cherryland Center, is located on Garfield Avenue on the south end of town; this mall features Kmart, Younkers, and Sears.
Professional sports
Traverse City is home to a professional baseball team and a semi-professional football team. The Traverse City Beach Bums are a minor league baseball team who play their home games at Wuerfel Park in nearby Blair Township, Michigan. The Beach Bums are a member of the independent Frontier League. Their inaugural season in Traverse City was 2006.
Starting in 2005 Traverse City was host to the Traverse City North Stars a Junior "A" level hockey club (member of the North American Hockey League), they played at the Centre I.C.E. hockey arena. At the end of the 2011-2012 season it was announced the North Stars would fold and be replaced in the NAHL by the Soo Eagles. Shortly thereafter the former owner of the North Stars, Chad Fournier, announced he would be bringing a new junior hockey team to Traverse City. The Traverse City Cohos will begin play in the Midwest Junior Hockey League in September 2012. Traverse City also hosts the training camp for the Detroit Red Wings NHL hockey team as well as the Traverse City Prospects Tournament, an annual tournament displaying young NHL prospects from select NHL teams.
The Traverse City Wolves are a semi-professional football team who played their home games at Thirlby Field. Their inaugural season was 2009. The Wolves are a member of the North American Football League, in the Great Lakes region of the Northern Conference.
Arts and culture
The City Opera House, located in downtown Traverse City features plays, movies, and other performances.
The Dennos Museum Center, located on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College, is home to a collection of Inuit art including sculpture, drawing and prints. The center is also home to a children's museum, as well as various ongoing exhibitions in their large exhibition space.
Historical markers
There are eleven recognized Michigan historical markers in the Traverse City area. They are:
- Bingham District No. 5 Schoolhouse
- City Opera House
- Congregation Beth El
- Grand Traverse Bay
- Grand Traverse County Courthouse
- Great Lakes Sport Fishery
- Ladies Library Association
- Novotny's Saloon
- Park Place Hotel
- Perry Hannah House
- Traverse City State Hospital
Surrounding wineries
Traverse City was named by USA Today among the Top Ten Places for Local Wine. There are seven wineries on the Old Mission Peninsula and twenty-one wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula, both just a few minutes drive from downtown Traverse City. Both peninsulas sit close to the 45th parallel, a latitude known for growing prestigious grapes. The two Grand Traverse Bays provide the ideal maritime climate and the rich glacial soil does the rest. Northern Michigan specializes in growing white grapes and is known for its Rieslings which grow well in the summer months and late fall which Traverse City is known for. Every October the wineries host a harvest fest. Some Riesling grapes are spared being picked in the fall to be picked when they freeze, from which Ice Wine is made. The wineries along the Old Mission Peninsula are Black Star Farms, 2 Lads Winery, Bowers Harbor Vineyards, Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery, Chateau Chantal Winery And Inn, Chateau Grand Traverse, and Peninsula Cellars. The wineries along the Leelanau Peninsula are Black Star Farms, Leelenau Cellars, Silver Leaf Vineyard and Winery, Gill's Pier Vineyard and Winery, Raftshol Vineyards, Circa Estate Winery, Forty-Five North Vineyard and Winery, Good Harbor Vineyards, Chateau Fontaine, Boskydel Vineyards, L. Mawby Vineyards, Ciccone Vineyard and Winery, Willow Vineyards, Chateau de Leelanau Vineyard and Winery, Shady Lane Cellars, Cherry Republic Winery, Longview Winery, Boathouse Winery, Verterra, Brengman Brothers, and Bel Lago Winery.
Transportation
Planes
With a new terminal completed in 2004, Cherry Capital Airport provides regularly scheduled passenger airline service to Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and seasonally to New York, Cleveland, Atlanta and Denver as well as to smaller Michigan destinations to the north.
Ships and boats
- Adjacent to the airport is Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, responsible for both maritime and land-based search and rescue operations in the northern Great Lakes region. On April 7, 2010, the USCG designated Traverse City a Coast Guard City. Traverse City is the second city in Michigan and tenth in the country to receive this honor.
- Located in the harbor of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy is the T/S State of Michigan, a 224-foot (68 m) former Navy submarine surveillance vessel. The vessel is used as a classroom and laboratory while cadets of the Academy are underway and shore side.
- A tall ship, the schooner Manitou is berthed at Traverse City, and offers passages to the public.
- Near Traverse City are two other tall ships, the schooner Madeline and the 55-foot (17 m) long replica of the sloop Welcome, an 18th-century British warship sloop, which was built for the 1976 Bicentennial of the American Revolution. They are the only two boats recognized by the State of Michigan for their historic significance. From May through October, trained volunteers conduct tours (when in port), and give a history of the boats and Great Lakes sailing. The Madeline is berthed at Elmwood Township "Coal Dock" (Heritage Harbor) - West Bayshore, just south of the Elmwood Township Marina Both are maintained by the Maritime Heritage Alliance.
- The Nauti-Cat, a 43 passenger catamaran books passages on Grand Traverse bay. The Nauti-Cat is the largest commercial sailing catamaran on the Great Lakes at 47-foot (14 m) long, 29-foot (8.8 m) wide and has a 63-foot (19 m) mast. They offer cruises 7 days a week, 4 times a day.
Buses
The area is served by Indian Trails Bus service and which is an intercity bus system that connects to St.Ignace to the north. Also connects to Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo to the south. The bus station is located at 107 Hall Street with connection to the BATA transfer station.
Traverse City also has a public transportation system, the Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) which serves most of the Grand Traverse and Leelanau region. With link services and a fixed route bus service, called the Loops, serves Traverse City and the urbanized areas of Garfield Township. BATA put into service its first hybrid bus in December 2005. BATA's downtown bus transfer terminal on Hall Street opened July 21, 2006. The terminal is used to transfer riders to different buses on different routes.
Major highways
- US 31 connects northward from Traverse City to Petoskey and the Mackinaw City area. It also continues south and westerly from the city to Ludington, Muskegon and other points along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
- M-22 follows the Lake Michigan shoreline around the Leelanau Peninsula, providing a scenic drive.
- M-37 runs almost due south through the Manistee National Forest to Grand Rapids. The highway also continues north up Old Mission Peninsula to end at Old Mission Point in the middle of Grand Traverse Bay.
- M-72 passes east-west through the city, connecting west to Empire in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan and east through Kalkaska and Grayling to Harrisville on Lake Huron.
Railroads
The Great Lakes Central Railroad (GLCR) provides freight rail service to the Traverse City area on track owned by the state of Michigan. The tracks were once owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (ex-Pere Marquette Railway) and the Pennsylvania Railroad (ex-Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad) but were purchased by the state in the late 1970s and early 1980s to preserve rail service in the area. Current freight traffic includes fruit/perishables, scrap metal, and lumber.
Regular intercity passenger train service ended on October 29, 1966, after the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) discontinued Grand Rapids-Traverse City-Bay View service. Since then, excursion passengers trains have operated in and out of Traverse City on an irregular basis. Recently, Lake Central Rail Tours has operated a summer excursion during the Cherry Festival until 2008. On May 11, 1996, the Grand Traverse Dinner Train began year round service from the Traverse City depot to Williamsburg and to Walton Junction. Dinner train service was suspended in 2004 after a contract dispute with the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway and additional difficulties. The train itself was removed to Owosso in mid-July 2006.
Religion
Traverse City is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord.
Notable people
See also
- Former Traverse City State Hospital - Historical Kirkbride Building
- Munson Medical Center - regional medical referral center serving patients from 32 counties in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula
- Northern Michigan
- Traverse City Film Festival
- Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay
Notes
References
Further reading
External links
- Chamber of Commerce
- City of Traverse City official website
- Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay
- Clarke Historical Library, Central, Michigan University, Bibliography for Grand Traverse County
- Clarke Historical Library, Central, Michigan University, Bibliography for Leelanau County
- T.A.R.T trail
- Traverse City, Michigan at DMOZ
Interesting Informations
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