Old Mission is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. It is located within Peninsula Township near the tip of Old Mission Peninsula along the shores of the East Arm of

Grand Traverse Bay Grand Traverse Bay is a deep bay of Lake Michigan formed by the Leelanau Peninsula in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The bay is long, wide, and up to deep in spots. It is further divided into two east and west arms by the Ol ...

. As an unincorporated community, Old Mission has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own.

History

In the Treaty of Washington in 1836, the federal government agreed to provide local native tribes with both a mission and schools for their reservation.

Henry Schoolcraft Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (March 28, 1793 – December 10, 1864) was an American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist, noted for his early studies of Native American cultures, as well as for his 1832 expedition to the source of the Mississippi R ...

, the Indian agent representing the government, selected a natural harbor on the eastern shore of the peninsula in Grand Traverse Bay for the planned facilities. In 1838, the

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

Board of Missions, sent the Reverend Peter Dougherty (1805–1894) to establish the mission, now known as Old Mission, for which the peninsula would eventually become known. The Dougherty Mission House, also known as the Rushmore House and Inn, was built within the community in 1842. The house and surrounding structures currently serve as a museum. The

Old Mission Inn The Old Mission Inn, previously known as Hedden Hall or the Porter Hotel, is an inn located at 18599 Old Mission Road near Traverse City, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1980 and listed on the National Register of H ...

, built is 1887, is also a historic structure within Old Mission. The two are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

and as

Michigan State Historic Sites The following is a List of Michigan State Historic Sites. The register is maintained by the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, which was established in the late 1960s after the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. ...

. The area received its first post office on April 26, 1850 under the name Old Mission. The post office remains in operation and is located at 4007 Swaney Road. Currently, the post office uses the 49673 ZIP Code, which is used for post office box only and has no delivery. The area is served by the

Traverse City Traverse City ( ) 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 ...

49686 ZIP Code.

Geography

Old Mission is located just east of M-37 near the tip of Old Mission Peninsula about north of

. The community was built along Old Mission Harbor, which is a small safe haven along the East Arm of

. The community sits at an elevation of above sea level. The community is located within an

American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...

and a center of the

Michigan wine Michigan wine refers to any wine that is made in the state of Michigan in the United States. As of 2020, there were under wine-grape cultivation and over 200 commercial wineries in Michigan, producing of wine. According to another count there ...

industry, including the

Old Mission Peninsula AVA The Old Mission Peninsula AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Grand Traverse County, Michigan known for well-regarded Michigan wine. The Old Mission Peninsula extends northward from Traverse City into the Grand Traverse Bay of La ...

Mission Point Light Mission Point Light is a lighthouse located in the U.S. state of Michigan at the end of Old Mission Point, a peninsula jutting into Grand Traverse Bay north of Traverse City. When it was built in 1870, it was an exact copy of the Mama Juda Ligh ...

is located slightly north at the northern terminus of M-37. The 45th parallel is slightly north of Old Mission.

Climate

Education

The area is served by

Traverse City Area Public Schools Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS; ) is a public school district based in Traverse City, Michigan, United States. This district includes 10 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 2 high schools, 1 alternative high school, and 1 Mont ...

, with high school students in Old Mission zoned to

Traverse City Central High School Traverse City Central High School (also known as Central High School or TCC) is a public high school in Traverse City, Michigan. It is one of two comprehensive high schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools district. History The first pu ...

. There are no public schools located on Old Mission Peninsula.

Images

File:Old Mission post office (Old Mission, MI).jpg, File:Rushmore_House_and_Inn_(Michigan).jpg, File:Old Mission Church (Old Mission, MI).jpg, File:Old_Mission_General_Store_(Old_Mission,_MI).jpg,

References