A Garden Apart: An Agricultural and Settlement History of Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

A Garden Apart: An Agricultural and Settlement History of Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Western Michigan Agriculture

This report presents an overview of the agricultural evolution of two adjacent counties, Benzie and Leelanau, located in the northwestern corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Encompassing a large portion of the Lake Michigan coastline of both counties, in addition to North and South Manitou Islands, is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, created by Congress in 1970 and administered by the National Park Service. Although the National Lakeshore is best known for its unique natural features, many significant cultural resources also are located within the park, including a number associated with agriculture.

The primary purpose of this overview is to provide contextual information that can be used to interpret the region's agricultural history. Provided with this baseline information, subsequent researchers will be able to focus upon specific agricultural districts and /or issues within the Lakeshore's boundaries.

Susan Olsen Haswell & Arnold R. Alanen

National Park Service, Midwest Regional Office, State Historic Preservation Office, Michigan Bureau of History

1994

Internet Archive

Public Domain