Suttons Bay is a village in Leelanau County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. The population was 618 at the 2010 census. The village was incorporated in 1898 and is located within Suttons Bay Township.

History

The community is named for one of the first settlers of European descent, Harry C. Sutton, who arrived in 1854. He arrived with a crew of woodsmen to supply fuel for passing wood steamboats. In 1903 the Traverse City, Leelanau, and Manistique Railroad began a route between Traverse City to the South and Northport to the North, stopping at Suttons Bay, as well as Hatch's Crossing, Fountain Point, Bingham, Keswick, and Omena. Before the turn of the 20th century, four churches had been established—two Lutheran, one Roman Catholic, and one Congregational. In 1920, Leelanau County voters approved moving the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

to Suttons Bay, but the move never took place. Suttons Bay has a school; the sports mascot is a Viking, hence the nickname "Suttons Bay Norsemen." The town is home to the county's only movie theater, opened in 1946. It is now owned by Bob Bahle, and was renovated in 1977. Its fare consists of unique art house films, and occasionally the theater hosts plays and concerts. The town has a clothing store that has been owned by one family over four generations called "Bahles." The original store started as a "dry-goods" business in 1876 by Lars Bahle, an immigrant from Norway. Suttons Bay is also home to one of the oldest continuously operated food establishments in the entire region. Since 1871, the restaurant has gone through several owners and is currently known as The V I Grill.

Culture

Like many other communities in northern Michigan, Suttons Bay relies heavily on tourism to generate revenues for its economy. Activities include the Suttons Bay Jazzfest and the Suttons Bay Art Festival. Suttons Bay also is highly embedded in the cherry industry, producing sweet and tart cherries of many varieties. Harvest operations usually take place in mid-July and run into August. In August 2013, the community held an event to attempt to break the

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for most kayaks and canoes rafted together. The effort followed an attempt a year earlier, which missed the record of 1902 boats set by a group near

Inlet, New York Inlet is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 333 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from its location at the eastern end (inlet) of Fourth Lake, part of the Fulton Chain of Lakes. The town is on the wes ...

in 2011.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, the village has a total area of , all land. The town is located on the shore of Suttons Bay, an inlet of Lake Michigan, one of five lakes that comprise the Great Lakes. The town is fifteen miles north of Traverse City, along M-22. Nearby is a sign marking the

45th parallel north The 45th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 45 degrees north of Earth's equator. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. The 45th parallel north is often called the halfway point between the ...

, halfway between the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...

and the

Equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can al ...

. This is one of six Michigan sites, and 29 in the U.S., where such signs are known to exist.List and map of 45th Parallel markers, with links to pictures (accessed 17 December 2007).
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Major highways

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Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 618 people, 273 households, and 175 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 453 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 93.7%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 2.8% Native American, 1.1% Asian, and 2.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population. There were 273 households, of which 16.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.9% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.48. The median age in the village was 58.8 years. 12.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.5% were from 25 to 44; 29.8% were from 45 to 64; and 39.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 44.7% male and 55.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 589 people, 271 households, and 179 families residing in the village. The

was 538.7 per square mile (208.6/km). There were 374 housing units at an average density of 342.0 per square mile (132.5/km). The racial makeup of the village was 96.94%

, 0.34%

, 1.19% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 1.02% from other races, and 0.17% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.72% of the population. There were 271 households, out of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were

living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.62. In the village, the population was spread out, with 19.5% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 20.7% from 25 to 44, 32.6% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males. The median income for a household in the village was $44,063, and the median income for a family was $52,321. Males had a median income of $38,173 versus $22,045 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $24,097. About 3.6% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Village of Suttons BaySuttons Bay Area Chamber of Commerce

Suttons Bay.org
{{authority control Villages in Leelanau County, Michigan Villages in Michigan Traverse City micropolitan area Populated places established in 1854 1854 establishments in Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Michigan