The History of Harbor Springs

The History of Harbor Springs

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 in1880. Indian residents and white settlers of Little Traverse subsisted mainly on fishing, agriculture and trapping. In 1853, the establishment of chard Cooper’s trading post and general store marked the beginning of commercial operations in the village. Lumbering was the dominant industry in Harbor Springs from 1880 to 1920. Another thriving business included the 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 has been the southern half of Juilleret’s Restaurant, which recently closed but was 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 on 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 from the Midwest who built spacious summer homes around the bay in Wequetonsing and Harbor Point. Families like the Gambles(Proctor & Gamble), Fords,.Upjohn’s, and Offields (Wrigley’s 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.