Leland was established on the site of one of the oldest and largest Ottawa villages. These peoples migrated to the Great Lakes region around 1200 CE. Today, this charming town is a top tourist destination and has been for many years.
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Keith Burnham, with his great love of the charming village of Leland, and its accompanying historic Fishtown, lives by the words, “Every day’s a joy, and some days are more joyous than others…” And that right in his own special place. He has been taking photos of this area for well over five decades. Keith’s constant companion was his dog Biscuit. His daily photos turned into the blog the Leland Report, and the Report and Biscuit came to have followers in every state in the nation as well as from all over the world.
After a year of high water, seiches, and the Leland river seeping into the old wooden shanties in Fishtown, the historic village is beginning to get the makeover it needs. Before Christmas the Cheese Shanty and Morris Shanty will be lifted off their foundations and temporarily moved to the parking lot to make way for sheet metal pilings and poured foundations.
The Harry Goldson Quintet will perform on Sunday, August 25, at the Old Art Building in Leland featuring live jazz music. Harry will be accompanied by Steve Sandner on piano, Elgin Vines on bass, Will Harris on percussion, and Jim Cooper on vibraphone. Doors open at 7 pm; the show will begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $25 available online at oldartbuilding.com, mynorthtickets.com, or by calling 231-256-2131.
June swelled Lake Michigan by another 4 inches which is bad news for Megan Grosvenor Munoz, whose family owns and operates Manitou Island Transit. The company ferries passengers on pleasure tours to the Manitou Islands out of Leland. This spring and summer, they’ve had to cancel four or five trips, Munoz says, “because we can’t get people on South [Manitou] safely” due to water splashing over the dock on the island.”
“Although the water coming from over the (Leland Dam in Fishtown) is forceful, it’s not the real cause of the floods,” Leelanau County drain commissioner Steve Christensen told the Glen Arbor Sun. “When you look at the forces involved, the flooding is from Lake Michigan-Huron.”
Safety issues due to rising waters has forced Leland’s Fishtown Preservation Society (FPS) to cancel its June 21 “Shanty Aid” kickoff fundraiser. Ironically, the event was to be a benefit to save Fishtown from rising water. Meanwhile, the water continues to rise, threatening shanties and docks.
Main Street Gallery in Leland is kicking off the start of summer with an event, focused on introducing new owners Daniel and Anna Oginsky, and new manager of the Gallery – Cece Chatfield.
The Fishtown Preservation Society (FPS) in Leland is honoring a milestone in early 2019, when, after 12 years, the nonprofit organization becomes debt-free. FPS has scheduled a celebration on Thursday, Feb. 14, from 5:45-6 p.m. in Fishtown, the same day that the organization makes the final payment for its Fishtown property with a $789,600 balloon payment.
Light up Leland for the holidays on Wednesday, Nov. 21, at 5:30 p.m. The event begins with the lighting of the tree at Christmas Tree Corner followed by Santa riding in a fire engine to the Village Green where you can enjoy more tree lighting, caroling, treats and time with Santa.