NMI Village & Assoc.

Located on the East side of the island, North Manitou Village was the location of the most intensive and continuous human settlement, serving as the center of economic and social life. As the village grew the Manitou Island Association (MIA), an organization of Chicago businessmen, formed in the late 1920’s and eventually acquired most of the land and properties, making North Manitou a “company island.”

After the closure of the U.S Coast Guard Life-saving Station the MIA was the largest employer on the island and became the center of the island economy. The growth of the North Manitou Village complex can be attributed to 4 primary themes: logging, agriculture, maritime commerce, and recreation, and the village is more-or-less divided into 3 districts.

The Manitou Island Association Village Farm Complex was the center of logging and agriculture, and includes a still intact steam-powered sawmill and the large MIA barn, built in 1927. The North Manitou Island Life-saving Station, located along the lakeshore at the center of the village is a rich center of maritime history. To the West and Southwest of the life-saving station is Cottage Row, the center of recreation.