About Old Mission Peninsula
Geography and History
Old Mission Peninsula is located in Traverse City, Michigan. The peninsula sits within Grand Traverse Bay, an approximately 32 mile long separation from Lake Michigan by Leelenau Peninsula. The bay reaches depths of over 600 feet. It is said that Grand Traverse Bay and its unique Old Mission Peninsula was formed tens of thousands of years ago by glacial activity. The area was first home to Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) and Odawa (Ottawa) tribes. Old Mission provided its earliest inhabitants with a more moderate climate where tribes grew crops in small gardens. When the first European settlers arrived on the peninsula, they noted gardens with flourishing apple trees and rich soil.
French Fur Trading
French fur traders began establishing trading networks with indigenous communities in the area sometime in the early to mid-17th century. The French dubbed the location as Grande Traverse, or "the long crossing" which referred to the Native American canoe route that crossed the bay. The bay became a prominent trading location for the French and later the British who assumed control of the territory following the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The British would later expand its trade in the area by connecting it to the fur trade in Montreal and markets across Europe.
NOAA Chart - Grand Traverse Bay to Little Traverse Bay
American Settlement
Old Mission is the first permanent American settlement of Northern Michigan dating back to 1839 when Reverend Peter Dougherty was sent to establish a church and school for tribes that resided there. In 1852, Dougherty decided to move the “mission” across Grand Traverse’s West Bay to Leelenau Peninsula. They referred to Leelenau Peninsula as New Mission and as a result, Old Mission got its name. Following a large shipwreck in the 1860s, Congress issued funds for Mission Point Lighthouse to be built. The lighthouse sits on Old Mission's northern point which falls on the 45th parallel.
American Viticultural Area Designation
Grand Traverse became increasingly focused on fruit farming in the 19th century, particularly cherries and apples. Later that century, Edward O’Keefe Jr. suspected that the peninsula would provide favorable characteristics for certain grape varieties. In 1974, he opened Old Mission’s first winery, Chateau Grand Traverse. O'Keefe Jr. proved he was onto something as Old Mission Peninsula became designated as an American Viticultural Area in 1987, marking it as a federally recognized wine growing region. Today it is home to eleven wineries which predominantly produce cool climate grapes such as Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Mission Point Lighthouse
