Williamsport, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Williamsport, Michigan
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 Williamsport, Michigan
Location in Michigan
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Manistee |
| Township | Onekama |
| Elevation | 591 ft (180 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code(s) | 231 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2106973 |
Williamsport is a name for a specific area in Onekama Township, which is part of Manistee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located on the southwest side of Portage Lake.
This area began around 1871. That's when a channel was dug to connect Portage Lake with the much larger Lake Michigan. The name Williamsport has appeared on Michigan maps since 1871. It continued to be used throughout the 20th century. However, a real town never fully developed there.
How Williamsport Got Its Name
The name Williamsport comes from a steam tugboat called the Williams. This boat was the very first vessel to travel through the new man-made channel. This exciting event happened on May 15, 1871.
Landowners around Portage Lake decided to dig this channel. They were unhappy with the owners of Portage Mill at Portage Point. The mill owners kept raising the lake's water level. This caused the landowners' properties to flood. The channel was their solution to this problem.
Early Plans for Development
One of the first people to support building up Williamsport was A. T. Shanks. In June 1871, he received a special license. This license allowed him to run a ferry across the new channel for ten years.
The ferry had different prices:
- Five cents for each person.
- Fifteen cents for a person with a horse.
- Twenty cents for a person with a horse and a wagon.
- Twenty-five cents for a two-horse wagon.
William Shanks and his wife Annie also tried to develop the area. They ran a boarding house and a picnic spot in Williamsport. They even planned their own land as a village. A saw mill was built there, but it burned down soon after. It was never rebuilt.
Their plans for Williamsport didn't work out. This was mainly because the nearby village of Portage Point moved. It relocated to the current spot of Onekama, at the northeast end of the lake. This move stopped the Shankses' dreams for Williamsport from coming true.
