Williamsport, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Williamsport is a place name in Onekama Township
, Manistee County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is located on the southwestern shore of Portage Lake
at 44°21′30"N 86°15′50"W. and had its beginning in about 1871 when a channel was dug connecting Portage Lake with Lake Michigan
. The place name has been used on maps of Michigan since 1871 and throughout the 20th century, although no town ever developed.
The place takes its name from the steam tug Williams, which was the first vessel to enter the man-made cut on 15 May 1871. Landowners around Portage Lake made the cut in opposition to the owners of Portage Mill at Portage Point, who persisted in raising the level of the lake and flooding their lands.
The first supporters to develop Williamsport was A. T. Shanks, who was granted a license in June 1871 to operate a ferry across the channel for a period of ten years, charging five cents a person, fifteen cents for each horse and person, twenty cents for each person, horse, and wagon, and twenty-five cents for a two-horse conveyance.
William Shanks and his wife Annie operated a boarding house and picnic grounds at the site of Williamsport and platted their homestead land as a village. A saw mill was built at the site, but it burned shortly after construction and was never rebuilt. With the move of the village from Portage Point to the present location of Onekama
at the northeastern end of the lake made the Shanks's plans for the development of Williamsport.
Onekama Township, Michigan
Onekama Township is a civil township of Manistee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,514 at the 2000 census.- Communities :* The Village of Onekama is located within the township on the northeast side of Portage Lake...
, Manistee County
Manistee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,527 people, 9,860 households, and 6,714 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 14,272 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is located on the southwestern shore of Portage Lake
Portage Lake (Michigan)
Portage Lake is a natural lake, located in Onekama Township in Manistee County, Michigan. The village of Onekama, Michigan is situated at the northeastern end of the lake.-History:...
at 44°21′30"N 86°15′50"W. and had its beginning in about 1871 when a channel was dug connecting Portage Lake with Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. The place name has been used on maps of Michigan since 1871 and throughout the 20th century, although no town ever developed.
The place takes its name from the steam tug Williams, which was the first vessel to enter the man-made cut on 15 May 1871. Landowners around Portage Lake made the cut in opposition to the owners of Portage Mill at Portage Point, who persisted in raising the level of the lake and flooding their lands.
The first supporters to develop Williamsport was A. T. Shanks, who was granted a license in June 1871 to operate a ferry across the channel for a period of ten years, charging five cents a person, fifteen cents for each horse and person, twenty cents for each person, horse, and wagon, and twenty-five cents for a two-horse conveyance.
William Shanks and his wife Annie operated a boarding house and picnic grounds at the site of Williamsport and platted their homestead land as a village. A saw mill was built at the site, but it burned shortly after construction and was never rebuilt. With the move of the village from Portage Point to the present location of Onekama
Onekama, Michigan
Onekama is a village in Manistee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 647 at the 2000 census. The village is located on the shores of Portage Lake and is surrounded by Onekama Township. The town's name is derived from "oneka-ma-engh", a native phrase for "portage"...
at the northeastern end of the lake made the Shanks's plans for the development of Williamsport.