Ellsworth is a village in Antrim County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. The population was 367 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Banks Township. The village is primarily a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

with its primary industry being

gravel Gravel () is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally on Earth as a result of sedimentation, sedimentary and erosion, erosive geological processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gr ...

and other aggregates. Agriculture and forestry are also important industries. Ellsworth is home to a small annual festival called the Pig Roast, which involves a parade and horse pulls and roast pork. Ellsworth is the seat of Banks Township, which also includes the community of Atwood and several

cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet '' Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The na ...

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit tree, fruit- or nut (fruit), nut-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also so ...

s. Ellsworth's main governing body is the Ellsworth Village Council. The town is named after Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth, the first Union officer to die in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

History

The village of Ellsworth was founded in 1881 by Erwin A. Dean and his nephew, August Davis, who settled in the area during a period of rapid development in northern Michigan. Lewis A. DeLine became its first postmaster on February 1, 1884. The new village and post office absorbed the nearby settlements of Needmore and Ox Bow, two small communities that had grown around early logging and farming activity. The name “Ellsworth” was chosen by DeLine in honor of Colonel Ephraim Elmer Ellsworth, a close friend of President Abraham Lincoln and the first Union officer killed in the Civil War. Ellsworth’s death in 1861 while removing a Confederate flag in Alexandria, Virginia, became a rallying cry for the Union cause. The village was officially incorporated in 1938 following a special election, with residents voting 50–6 in favor of incorporation. This marked a turning point in Ellsworth’s civic development, allowing for more structured governance and public services. Much of Ellsworth’s early history is preserved in *Gleanings from Ellsworth’s Yesteryears*, a 1967 book by local historian Elsie Timmer. The book captures personal stories, pioneer hardships, and the transformation of the village from dense forestland to a thriving rural community. In the decades following 1967, Ellsworth experienced a gradual shift from a resource-based economy to one centered on community and recreation. The removal of railroad tracks in the late 20th century marked the end of its role as a shipping hub. In the 1990s, the village gained national attention with the opening of Tapawingo, a fine-dining restaurant that drew culinary acclaim and visitors from across the country. Community revitalization efforts in the 2000s led to the creation of the Ellsworth Labyrinth, a meditative walking path maintained by volunteers. The village also expanded its annual Pig Roast Festival, a tradition since the mid-20th century, into a regional event featuring live music, craft vendors, and family activities. Ellsworth’s location along the Chain of Lakes Water Trail has further positioned it as a destination for paddlers and eco-tourists. Investments in signage, launch sites, and conservation partnerships have supported this identity.

Economy

Ellsworth’s economy has evolved from its 19th-century roots in logging and agriculture to embrace tourism, small businesses, and community development initiatives. A key factor in this transition has been the village’s location along the Breezeway, a 26-mile scenic corridor connecting Atwood to Boyne Falls. Developed in the early 2000s, the Breezeway initiative was designed to promote rural economic vitality by attracting visitors to farm markets, shops, and recreational sites in Ellsworth and neighboring communities. Local efforts to revitalize the downtown area have also played a role. In 2023, Banks Township introduced a program to encourage upper-floor housing development above commercial storefronts in Ellsworth. The initiative seeks to increase year-round residency and support local businesses. Civic engagement has underpinned these economic efforts. A 2024 community survey found that over 60% of residents expressed interest in volunteering for initiatives such as historical preservation, trail maintenance, and local events, highlighting the township's grassroots approach to development. Tourism tied to the Chain of Lakes Water Trail continues to contribute to the local economy. The village supports eco-tourism infrastructure such as kayak launches and wayfinding signage, often in partnership with environmental organizations.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Ellsworth is about northeast of

Traverse City Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although it partly extends into Leelanau County. The city's population was 15,678 at the 2020 census, while the four-county Traverse C ...

.Haddix, Carol.
There Is Such A Thing As Michigan Cuisine, And Tapawingo Serves
" ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

''. June 30, 1985. Retrieved on October 19, 2013. " Ellsworth, a town of 400 about 40 miles northeast of Traverse City. "

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 349 people, 142 households, and 100 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 186 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.6%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.9% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population. There were 142 households, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.6% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the village was 42.9 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 32.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 483 people, 174 households, and 132 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 204 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.48%

, 0.21%

, 0.41% Native American, 1.04% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.04% of the population. There were 174 households, out of which 43.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17. In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males. The median income for a household in the village was $38,125, and the median income for a family was $45,694. Males had a median income of $34,375 versus $26,719 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $16,781. About 5.5% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{authority control Villages in Antrim County, Michigan Villages in Michigan 1938 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1938