Editing Northport, Michigan (section)

==History==
{{see also|History of Northern Michigan}}
In 1848 Michigan suffered from a smallpox epidemic that affected the entire community of people. Chief Peter Waukazoo and Reverend George Smith moved the community as well as the [[Holland, Michigan|Holland]]-area <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.historygrandrapids.org/photo/1252/ottawa-band-seasonal-travel-ma|title=Ottawa Band Seasonal Travel Map|first=Grand Rapids Community Media Center-|last=www.grcmc.org|website=History Grand Rapids}}</ref> [[Old Wing Mission|Ottawa Mission]] up to the Leelanau Peninsula on boats or canoes. When the settlers had reached their destination they called it '''Waukazooville'''. Deacon Joseph Dame arrived at Waukazooville in 1854 and decided to change the name to Northport at this time.<ref name="history">{{cite book|author=The Leelanau Township Historical Writers Group|title=A History of Leelanau Township|year=1995|publisher=Friends of Leelanau Township Library|location=Leelanau County|pages=288}}</ref>

Northport was the largest town in Leelanau County for quite a while in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Several general stores were built in the town in 1859 which sold items such as cloth, thread, needles, foods, axes, and more. There was no doctor in town at this time so Reverend Smith was called on to deliver babies and help the ill.<ref name="history"/>

Many people that ended up living in Northport came from New York or Canada. The fishermen, farmers, and other community members would gather on the bay and cut chunks of ice for fisheries, hotels, or even private homes.<ref name="history"/>

The cherry industry that is prevalent in Northport today had just begun in 1853 on Reverend Smith's farm. Farmers began producing cherries so much within those first few years that cherries were being shipped to nearby cities for their markets. The cherry industry in Northport and Leelanau County remains one of the largest in the world.