ABOUT TRAVERSE CITY
The Talk of the North
A SNAPSHOT OF TRAVERSE CITY'S HISTORY
The birth of Perry Hannah was in September, 1824 was quite the important birthday for Traverse City. This man grew up to be the founder of Traverse City after sailing into the city in 1851 and buying 200 acres of land to grow an industry in sawmills, sailing ships, and building up one of the largest department stores in the north. Today, this land can now be known as the more familiar Downtown Traverse City. As Hannah’s booming business grew, so did his opportunity to give back to this beautiful city, where he’d donate land for churches and other community essentials.
As for the city’s name, it had been set in stone even before Perry Hannah made his mark on the community. The name of this place comes from the Grand Traverse Bay, which was first occupied by Indian hunters and French traders. These people called it “La Grand Traverse” which also means the “Long Crossing” due to the long way from the mouth of the bay that these traders had to canoe to get to.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT TRAVERSE CITY
Some Ideas on the Things to Do in Traverse City
This video, hosted by Monica Ortega, gives some great ideas for things to do while visiting Traverse City. This place is full of fun and adventure, including some well-known sand dunes, yummy breweries, and the effect that the cherries has on its community.
THE SLEEPING BEAR DUNES
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The name of these popular sand dunes is rather peculiar, but like several other places in Michigan, the name is backed up by a Native American legend. According to the National Park Service, it's said that its name comes from Mother Bear, where she lay to rest at the sand dune that is said to be shaped like a sleeping bear, and the Ashininaabek have a story on how she came to get there.
One version of her story is as follows:
"Once, long ago, in the land called Wisconsin across the great lake, there was terrible hunger and many people died. A bear and two little cubs were trying to leave that place and come around the lake where there would be more food.
They walked for many days on the beach together, but after a while the two little cubs began to whimper with hunger, and so the bear decided to swim across the rest of the lake.
They waded into the water, one cub on each side of the bear, and they swam off into the lake a long way. After a while the cubs began to get very tired, and so the bear said, “Try hard, the land is not very far.” And very soon they did come in sight of land.
But gradually the cubs got weaker, and only ten miles away, one cub sand into the water. Soon after, the other also drowned.
The bear’s heart was broken, but she could do nothing. She waded ashore and lay down, looking out on the water where her cubs had died. Eventually, both of them came to the surface as two little islands, and so the bear still lies there atop the dunes, looking after here children."
Another version says this:
"Long ago, along the Wisconsin shoreline, a mother bear and her two cubs were driven into Lake Michigan by a raging forest fire. The bears swam for many hours, but soon the cubs tired. Mother bear reached the shore first and climbed to the top of a high bluff to watch and wait for her cubs. The cubs drowned within sight of the shore. The Great Spirit created two islands to mark the spot where the cubs disappeared and then created a solitary dune to represent the eternal vigil of mother bear."
Each of these excerpts were obtained from the National Park Service. The children's book shown in the center photo describes the story of the second version, and I vividly remember reading this story in elementary school, attempting to hold back my tears at the thought of the Mother Bear's heartbreak for her sweet cubs. At the same time, knowing that there are now beautiful landscapes to commemorate their honor brightened my spirits.
Though I have not had the chance to visit this incredible tourist attraction, climbing the steep hill is one of the most popular activities on the dunes, which can take up to 3-4 hours. Just looking at its steep incline makes me exhausted! If visitors aren't feeling ambitious to climb the hill, then there are incredible hiking trails to see gorgeous views of Lake Michigan and even Glen Lake.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Find Out More on Upcoming Events In Traverse City