Williamsburg, Michigan


Williamsburg is an unincorporated community in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is located in central Whitewater Township, which is part of Grand Traverse County. M-72 runs directly through the town.

History

There is evidence that three different cultures of people have lived in this area since 10,500 BC, especially on Skegemog Point in Lake Skegemog and Elk Lake. Records show that a branch of the Algonquin people, known as the Mascoutin, lived in the area until around 1630s. The Ottawa and Chippewa peoples came in after this, until the early 1800s, when white settlers moved in, calling their new settlement Dunbar. It was later renamed to Williamsburgh, and soon after the "h" was removed.
In 1973, many sinkholes opened up around the town due to natural gas leaks.
There has been a recent proposal to incorporate the town into a village, as it once was.

Geography

Williamsburg is located at the top of the Skegemog Valley, a depression between here and Kalkaska County, caused by Lake Skegemog, approximately 4.7 mi northeast of Williamsburg. The town is situated on Williamsburg Creek, which flows into Elk Lake..
Williamsburg sits between the Traverse City State Forest, Elk Lake and Grand Traverse Bay. This area is a hotspot for cherry growers.
The town is located about halfway between Traverse City and Kalkaska on M-72.

Transportation