Little Traverse Bay

rdf:langString Little Traverse Bay

rdf:langString Little Traverse Bay

rdf:langString Little Traverse Bay

rdf:langString Little Traverse Bay at sunset, viewed from Petoskey

rdf:langString Little Traverse Bay at sunset, viewed from Petoskey

rdf:langString Michigan#USA

rdf:langString Location of Little Traverse Bay in Michigan, USA.

rdf:langString Little Traverse Bay is a small bay, 170 feet (55 m) deep, off Lake Michigan in the northern area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The cities of Harbor Springs and Petoskey are located on this bay. Harbor Springs originated as L'arbre de Croche, a French Jesuit mission village to serve the Odawa people bands in the area. After the British took over the territory, the village was renamed in English. The federally recognized Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians have their headquarters here. They have land here, and additional land and a gaming casino in Petoskey. The Little Traverse Light marks the entrance at Harbor Springs to the smaller harbor within the bay. After the Odawa bands in northern Michigan were persuaded to cede considerable lands to the United States, the Little Traverse Bay region was developed by Illinois land developers and resort founders, such as lawyers and , and the of Jacksonville, Illinois and woolen mills fame. The Stryker, Capps, and McClure families were interconnected with the Jacob Bunn industrial dynasty of Chicago and Springfield, Illinois. The bay has also been used as a refuge by Great Lakes freighters during severe weather.