Old Mission, Michigan

{{Hatnote|This article is about the community. For the peninsula, see [[Old Mission Peninsula]].}}

{{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Old Mission, Michigan | settlement_type = [[Unincorporated area|Unincorporated community]] | nickname = | motto =  | image_skyline = Old Mission road sign (Old Mission, MI).jpg | image_size = 275 | image_caption = Road signage along Mission Road | image_flag = | image_seal =  | pushpin_map = Michigan#USA | pushpin_label = Old Mission | pushpin_label_position = left | pushpin_map_caption = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption =  | coordinates = {{Coord|44|57|44|N|85|29|07|W|region:US-MI_type:city_source:GNIS|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{Flagu|United States}} | subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]] | subdivision_name1 = {{Flag|Michigan}} | subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]] | subdivision_name2 = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Grand Traverse County, Michigan.svg}} [[Grand Traverse County, Michigan|Grand Traverse]] | subdivision_type3 = [[Civil township|Township]] | subdivision_name3 = [[Peninsula Township, Michigan|Peninsula]]

| elevation_footnotes = <ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis|634007|Old Mission}}</ref> | elevation_ft = 587 | elevation_m =  | population_footnotes = | population_as_of = | population_total = | pop_est_footnotes = | pop_est_as_of = | population_est = | population_density_sq_mi = | population_density_km2 =  | timezone = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]] | utc_offset = -5 | timezone_DST = EDT | utc_offset_DST = -4 | postal_code_type = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]] | postal_code = 49673<br>49686 ([[Traverse City, Michigan|Traverse City]]) | area_code = [[Area code 231|231]] | blank_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID | blank_info = 634007<ref name="gnis"/> | website = | footnotes = }}

'''Old Mission''' is an [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] in [[Grand Traverse County, Michigan|Grand Traverse County]] in the U.S. state of [[Michigan]].<ref name="gnis"/> The community is located within [[Peninsula Township, Michigan|Peninsula Township]], and is located about {{Convert|2|mi|km}} south of the tip of the [[Old Mission Peninsula]], along the shore of the East Arm of [[Grand Traverse Bay]]. As an unincorporated community, Old Mission has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own.

Old Mission is one of the oldest communities in [[Northern Michigan]], and is the oldest permanent settlement in the Grand Traverse Bay region, founded in 1839 by [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] missionary Peter Dougherty.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History in Grand Traverse County, Michigan |url=https://genealogytrails.com/mich/grandtraverse/history_county6.html |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=genealogytrails.com}}</ref> The Old Mission Peninsula today is known largely for its [[Cherry production in Michigan|cherry crop]], which is also attributed to Dougherty.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Cherries |url=https://www.cherryfestival.org/p/get-cherries/history-of-cherries |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=www.cherryfestival.org |language=en}}</ref>

==History== In the [[Treaty of Washington (1836)|Treaty of Washington]] in 1836, the federal government agreed to provide local native tribes, such as the [[Ojibwe]] and [[Odawa]], with both a [[Christian mission|mission]] and schools for their reservation. [[Henry Schoolcraft]], the Indian agent representing the government, selected a natural harbor on the eastern shore of the peninsula in Grand Traverse Bay for the planned facilities. In 1838, the [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] Board of Missions, sent the Reverend Peter Dougherty (1805–1894) to establish the mission, doing so in 1839. The settlement became known as '''Grand Traverse''', and was given a [[post office]] in 1850. In 1852, Dougherty relocated the mission to the Leelanau County community of [[Omena, Michigan|Omena]], originally established as '''New Mission'''. In 1869, the Grand Traverse post office was renamed to Old Mission.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Romig |first=Walter |title=Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |year=1986 |isbn=0-8143-1838-X |location=[[Detroit]] |pages=414}}</ref>

The [[Dougherty Mission House]], also known as the Rushmore House and Inn, was built within the community in 1842. The house and surrounding structures currently serve as a museum. The [[Old Mission Inn]], built is 1887, is also a historic structure within Old Mission. The two are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and as [[Michigan State Historic Preservation Office|Michigan State Historic Sites]].

The area received its first post office on April 26, 1850, under the name Old Mission. The post office remains in operation and is located at 4007 Swaney Road.<ref>{{GNIS|2496057|Old Mission Post Office}}</ref> Currently, the post office uses the 49673 ZIP Code, which is used for [[post office box]] only and has no delivery.<ref>{{cite web|last=UnitedStatesZipCodes.org|url=https://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/48627/|title=ZIP Code 49673: Old Mission|date=2020|access-date=October 16, 2020}}</ref> The area is served by the [[Traverse City, Michigan|Traverse City]] 49686 ZIP Code.<ref>{{google maps |url = https://www.google.com/maps/place/Traverse+City,+MI+49686/@44.8472257,-85.6723856,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x881fc8541d0e3d51:0xe6a46215d5426404!8m2!3d44.8474167!4d-85.5303235?hl=en |title = 49686 ZIP Code map |access-date = October 20, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=UnitedStatesZipCodes.org|url=https://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/48627/|title=ZIP Code 49686: Traverse City|date=2020|access-date=October 16, 2020}}</ref>

==Geography== Old Mission is located just east of [[M-37 (Michigan highway)|M-37]] near the tip of Old Mission Peninsula about {{convert|16|mi|km|2}} north of [[Traverse City, Michigan|Traverse City]]. The community was built along Old Mission Harbor, which is a small safe haven along the East Arm of [[Grand Traverse Bay]].<ref>{{GNIS|634008|Old Mission Harbor}}</ref><ref>{{GNIS|2777589|Old Mission Peninsula}}</ref> The community sits at an elevation of {{convert|587|ft|m}} above sea level.<ref name="gnis"/>

The community is located within an [[American Viticultural Area]] and a center of the [[Michigan wine]] industry, including the [[Old Mission Peninsula AVA]]. [[Mission Point Light]] is located slightly north at the northern terminus of [[M-37 (Michigan highway)|M-37]]. The [[45th parallel north|45th parallel]] is slightly north of Old Mission.

===Climate=== {{Weather box |location = Old Mission 3 SSW, Michigan (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1979–present) |single line = yes |width = auto |Jan record high F = 54 |Feb record high F = 65 |Mar record high F = 84 |Apr record high F = 85 |May record high F = 92 |Jun record high F = 95 |Jul record high F = 97 |Aug record high F = 99 |Sep record high F = 92 |Oct record high F = 87 |Nov record high F = 76 |Dec record high F = 65 |year record high F = 99 |Jan high F = 29.5 |Feb high F = 30.8 |Mar high F = 40.6 |Apr high F = 52.3 |May high F = 65.6 |Jun high F = 75.5 |Jul high F = 79.9 |Aug high F = 78.6 |Sep high F = 71.4 |Oct high F = 57.8 |Nov high F = 46.1 |Dec high F = 35.2 |year high F = 55.3 |Jan mean F = 23.0 |Feb mean F = 23.4 |Mar mean F = 31.4 |Apr mean F = 41.8 |May mean F = 54.1 |Jun mean F = 63.9 |Jul mean F = 68.8 |Aug mean F = 68.3 |Sep mean F = 61.2 |Oct mean F = 49.5 |Nov mean F = 39.3 |Dec mean F = 29.9 |year mean F = 46.2 |Jan low F = 16.5 |Feb low F = 15.9 |Mar low F = 22.2 |Apr low F = 31.3 |May low F = 42.6 |Jun low F = 52.4 |Jul low F = 57.7 |Aug low F = 58.1 |Sep low F = 50.9 |Oct low F = 41.3 |Nov low F = 32.5 |Dec low F = 24.5 |year low F = 37.2 |Jan record low F = -14 |Feb record low F = -20 |Mar record low F = -16 |Apr record low F = 8 |May record low F = 23 |Jun record low F = 31 |Jul record low F = 36 |Aug record low F = 34 |Sep record low F = 27 |Oct record low F = 21 |Nov record low F = 13 |Dec record low F = -5 |year record low F = -20 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation inch = 1.78 |Feb precipitation inch = 1.18 |Mar precipitation inch = 1.43 |Apr precipitation inch = 2.81 |May precipitation inch = 3.05 |Jun precipitation inch = 3.02 |Jul precipitation inch = 2.78 |Aug precipitation inch = 3.32 |Sep precipitation inch = 3.61 |Oct precipitation inch = 3.98 |Nov precipitation inch = 2.36 |Dec precipitation inch = 2.00 |year precipitation inch = 31.32 |source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name= NOAA > {{cite web | url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=apx | title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = August 28, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI> {{cite web | url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00206158&format=pdf | title = Station: Old Mission 3SSW, MI | work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = August 28, 2021}}</ref> }}

==Education== The area is served by [[Traverse City Area Public Schools]], with high school students in Old Mission zoned to [[Traverse City Central High School]]. There are no public schools located on Old Mission Peninsula.<ref>{{cite web|last=Traverse City Area Public Schools|url=https://www.tcaps.net/downloads/transportation/tcaps-boundary-map.pdf|title=TCAPS: Boundary map|date=2020|access-date=October 21, 2020}}</ref>

==Images== <gallery widths="220" heights="125" perrow="4"> File:Old Mission post office (Old Mission, MI).jpg|{{center|U.S. Post Office in Old Mission}} File:Rushmore House and Inn (Michigan).jpg|{{center|[[Dougherty Mission House]], also known as the Rushmore House and Inn}} File:Old Mission Church (Old Mission, MI).jpg|{{center|Replica of an Old Mission Church}} File:Old Mission General Store (Old Mission, MI).jpg|{{center|Old Mission General Store}} File:Old Mission Congregational Church.jpg|Old Mission Congregational Church </gallery>

==Further reading== *Potter, Elizabeth V. ''The Story of Old Mission''. (Ann Arbor, MI: Edward Brothers, 1956).

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commonscatinline}}

[[Category:Unincorporated communities in Michigan]] [[Category:Unincorporated communities in Grand Traverse County, Michigan]] [[Category:Populated places in the United States established in 1838]] [[Category:1838 establishments in Michigan]] [[Category:Michigan populated places on Lake Michigan]] [[Category:Traverse City metropolitan area]]