Onekama

Onekama is in Manistee County, and in the Northern Region. This community is located southwest of Traverse City between Benzonia and Manistee along US Highway 31 near Portage Lake and the shore of Lake Michigan. The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 574, an increase of 59 since 1990.

Adam Stronach started settlement of the area, building a lumber mill on the channel between Portage Lake and Lake Michigan in 1845. The Indian word for "Portage," "Oneka-ma-engh" was chosen for the town when it received a post office in 1871, as there was already another town named Portage in southern Michigan. The town became a station on the Manistee and Northwestern Railroad in 1888 and later organized as a village in 1891.

Today, Onekama is a popular seasonal tourist spot, with its park, marina, resorts, restaurants and shops.