Grand Traverse County City Map Poster

About Grand Traverse County

Grand Traverse County was organized in 1857. It is named for the Grand River, which flows through it. The county seat and largest city is Traverse City. The first permanent settlement in present-day Grand Traverse County was established at what became known as Old Mission Point on the Leelanau Peninsula by Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet during their exploration of Michigan's interior with a band of Ojibwe guides led by Chief Oshkosh around 1668–1669 (although some sources place this event as early as 1659). In 1851, Peter White had built a trading post at "the mouth of the creek" on Old Mission peninsula to trade with natives; he called his post "Omeena". This name may have been derived from an Ojibwa term meaning either 'trader' or 'beach', although other theories exist to explain its origin.