The following is an excerpt from A History of Leelanau Township In 1855 no roads had yet been opened. Some early settlers followed Indian trails on foot or followed the beaches to get to Traverse City.
In winter some traveled on the ice. In 1862 word came of the opening of a new state road from Newaygo to Northport. Hearing that the road had been cut out to Traverse City, 30 miles, Deacon Dame, 70 years old, started on foot alone to examine this route. It took him two days. He left word for a team to come after him. Next day, Captain Nelson, Mr. George Voice, and wife and the Deacon’s wife started out. They arrived safely after 17 miles at a public house. It was 10 feet high but they had to enter on all fours. There was place to build a fire with a hole in the roof for smoke to escape. They ate boiled bee and cheese, then continued on the newly cleared road to Traverse City. Mrs. Voice and Mrs. Dame were the first women to travel this road.
One family, the Greenes, came to Northport in 1868 on a “side wheeler” with a covered wagon and horses aboard. Then they drove through deep sand on a one track road from Northport to Omena. In 1854, Mr. Califf arrived to see about getting help to open the road to Carp River (Leland). Rev. Dougherty and Rev. Smith started to Carp River to lay out a road. They overtook Deacon Dame and all stayed at Califf’s on the Carp River. On the way back, they took supper at Onumunsee (near Johnson Road ) and went on home. They said they had laid the road through most beautiful country.
