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The Harbor Springs Visitors Guide
Should you have additional needs, we encourage you to visit our office at 368 E. Main St., in downtown Harbor Springs. During the summer months, you also can visit our information gazebo on the waterfront. Year round, our website, www.harborspringschamber.com, is your guide to all there is to see and do in the Harbor Springs area. We thank you for visiting the Harbor Springs area and hope that our small town charm, natural beauty, and wonderful amenities will bring you back again. Visitor InformationWhile in the Harbor Springs area, stop by the Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce located on Main Street or visit our summer gazebo on the waterfront so that we can say hello. The Chamber of Commerce is located with the Andrew Blackbird Museum in an historic building easily identified by the totem pole outside. We are experts in answering your questions about the Harbor Springs area. From where to play a round of golf, or even a round of disc golf, to the best bike paths, to a spot for a picnic dinner, we can help. Leave us a message if were not in the office or visit our website, www.harborspringschamber.com for up-to-date information on the area. History AboundsHarbor Springs is rich in history. Our natural beauty helps make us special today and was a part in drawing visitors to Harbor Springs generations ago. Our location on the water, a deep, natural harbor perfect for large passenger ships, was a draw more than 100 years ago. Today, our streets are lined with history and period architecture has been restored in many locations. Our quaint downtown business area hugs the waterfront and welcomes visitors as it has for more than 100 years. Over the years, Harbor Springs has been a trading center, Native American community, a mission, a summer destination, and a year round community. In 1691, Catholic missionaries began their work with the Odawa Indians. This area, from Harbor Springs to Good Hart, was known as LArbre Croche during the 1880s. A thriving community at the time, the area was the home of a large Native American population who supported themselves with agriculture, trapping, carpentry, fishing, tailoring, and shoemaking, to name a few. In 1858, the Village of Little Traverse was established along the natural harbor. A few years later, in 1862, a post office was established with William Fife as the first postmaster. Chief Andrew Blackbird was appointed postmaster in 1869 followed by Lorenzo Clark in 1877. In 1866, the original Emmet County courthouse was built which later became the Harbor Springs City Hall and today is the home of the Harbor Springs History Museum. Harbor Springs began to be known as a summer destination in the 1870s. Religious and business groups from around the Midwest traveled by passenger ship to Harbor Springs. The area became known as a recreational and health resort where socialites could escape the pollen, dust, and heat of the city. Boarding houses and hotels were built for the summer guests and the associations of Wequetonsing and Harbor Point were formed as resort communities. The Little Traverse Bay provided easy access to the steamships and passengers who came from around the Midwest to Harbor Springs. In 1882, the railroad arrived and guests could then come by ship or train. The Pointer boat ferried passengers to and from Harbor Springs to the summer resorts. Ephraim Shay made his mark in Harbor Springs with his Hemlock Central, a narrow gauge railroad that hauled logs during the week and picnickers on the weekends to excursions at the lumber camps at Stutsmanville and Weimers Lake. By the 1920s, Harbor Springs was known as the Naples of the North and 11 hotels greeted summer guests. Many of the buildings that hold a place in Harbor Springs history are still in use today such as the Depot, Holy Childhood Church, Ottawa Stadium, and the History Museum. The restored Pointer boat carries passengers around the harbor in the summer and departs from the dock behind the Pier Restaurant. Visitors return year after year to our charming community to enjoy Harbor Springs just as visitors did more than 100 years ago. The same spectacular beauty and resort hospitality that have brought people here for generations continues today. Celebrating History
Wrapping up the experience is a look at how the town and waterfront progressed, the development of the ski resorts and a celebration of Harbor Springs traditions. In the Discovery Gallery, kids of all ages will be introduced to inventor Ephraim Shay, light keeper Elizabeth Whitney Williams, and postmaster Andrew Blackbird. Visitors also will meet merchants from Harbor Springs early days and step inside a fish shanty for a fun look at wintertime activities. Throughout the exhibits, guided interactive displays allow youngsters to experience topics from Shays locomotive to the Odawa language. The Harbor Springs History Museum is open Wednesdays-Saturdays during the summer, Thursdays-Saturdays the rest of year. It is located on Main Street, across from the Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. Walk Harbor SpringsNamed a pedestrian-friendly community, Harbor Springs is the place for walkers of all ages. Walking is a way to enjoy Harbor Springs by strolling past our unique shops, along the waterfront, on the pier, or in the woods. As you walk, youll find many places to sit and enjoy the views of summer. Benches throughout the downtown area and picnic tables along the waterfront and the beaches are the perfect place to view Harbor Springs! Outdoors GaloreIf you like the outdoors, then year round, Harbor Springs is the place for you. Summers are known to be spectacular and our moderate weather is one of the many reasons guests have been summering here for more than a century. Our summer days are typically mild, not humid, and enjoyable from dawn to dusk. Summers here are special for many reasons. Fabulous beaches, gorgeous sunsets lasting until after 10 p.m., Lake Michigan, and an abundance of outdoor activities make this area an ideal summer destination. But summer is not our only season. Spring indeed springs from the frozen ground to turn the countryside into a brilliant green, perfect for hiking, biking, and morel mushroom hunting. Fall is a kaleidoscope of colors and fall activities can be an extension of summer. Beach days in October? You bet! Winter is the quintessential Currier & Ives image complete with a decorated tree in the middle of Main Street. Our two area ski resorts, Boyne Highlands and Nubs Nob, draw visitors from around the Midwest. Ample trails for cross country skiing, snow shoeing, and snow mobiling along with frozen lakes for ice fishing adds to the winter fun. Outdoors? It is here and waiting for you in Harbor Springs.
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| Chamber of Commerce Members |
478
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| Year 'Round Population of City |
1,568
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| Seasonal Population of City |
3,500
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| Year 'Round Population of Harbor Springs School District |
8,004
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| Seasonal Population of Harbor Springs School District |
20,000+
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| Harbor Springs Schools Student Population K-12 |
1,150
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| City Parks |
7
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| Area Parks |
4
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| City Tennis Courts |
10
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| Golf Courses |
10
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| Ski Resorts |
2
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| City Beaches |
2
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| Dog Beach |
1
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| Area Beaches |
4
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| Spring-fed Water Fountains |
7
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| Boat Launches |
1
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| Libraries |
1
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| Snowmobile Trails |
Miles & Miles
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| Natural Acreage Conserved |
22,400
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| Baseball Diamonds |
4
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| Public Swimming Pools |
1
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| Outdoor Track |
1
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| SK8 Board Park |
1
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