A History of Harbor Springs

First Community Bank

Founded by the Jesuits, Harbor Springs was once called L'Arbre Croche, which means Crooked Tree. In 1847, L'Arbre Croche had the largest concentration of Indians in the states. French traders renamed the area Petit Traverse, or Little Traverse. The village was incorporated as Harbor Springs in 1880. Indian residents and white settlers of Little Traverse subsisted mainly on fishing, agriculture and trapping. In 1853, however, the establishment of Richard Cooper's trading post and general store marked the beginning of commercial operation in the village. Lumbering was the dominant industry in Harbor Springs from 1880 to 1920. Other thriving businesses included Emmet County Bank, which still operates today as First Community Bank. In 1895, Joseph and Martha Juilleret opened a boat livery and an ice cream parlor. The building which housed these businesses is now the south half of Juilleret's restaurant, which has passed through generations of the Juilleret family.

Vestiges of the past also live on in many of Harbor Springs' visitor attractions. The scenic M-119 Shore Drive was once part of the old Mackinac Trail used by the Indians. Stafford's Pier Restaurant was once known as Booth's, a speakeasy that operated during the 1920's. Harbor Springs is home to several private resort associations. Among the oldest are Harbor Point, Wequetonsing and Roaring Brook. With the deepest harbor in the Great Lakes, the town was a regular stopping place for large passenger ships.

Harbor Springs' healthy climate and natural beauty also attracted many well-known wealthy families in the Midwest who built spacious summer homes around the bay in Wequetonsing and Harbor Point. Families like the Gambles (Proctor & Gamble), Fords, Upjohns, and Offields (Wrigleys Gum) became a part of the area's summer community. Many of these grand homes (quaintly called "cottages") are still owned and occupied by the current generation of the founding families.

For more information about Harbor Springs' history, contact the Little Traverse History Museum at 231-347-2620.