WILLIAMSBURG, MI

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, 100 to 150 sinkholes opened up around the town due to natural gas leaks. The sinkholes were caused by increased oil and natural gas drilling operations caused by the 1973 oil crisis. The leaks started when Amoco well E1-22 struck a pocket of natural gas under the village. The gas was then over pressurized, and tore open holes in the surface soil. Residents were evacuated and an exclusion zone was established. Few pictures of the event remain, as fears that the spark of a camera could light the gas in the air, causing the whole town to spontaneously combust. The newly constructed thoroughfare into Traverse City, M-72, was rendered completely unusable after the event. A class action lawsuit was filed by residents that had been displaced for several months during the event. Silt that had become disturbed along creeks and streams in the area had poured in to the Grand Traverse Bay and raised environmental concerns and concerns over the safety of the usually clear water.

Geography

Williamsburg sits between the Traverse City State Forest, Elk Lake and Grand Traverse Bay. This area is a hotspot for cherry growers. It lies within Whitewater Township.

The town is located about halfway between Traverse City and Kalkaska on M-72.

Transportation

Major highway

Notable resident