Fishtown has a timeless presence that leaves its mark on people of all walks of life, and it’s amazing just how much of an impact a small place can have on a person. In the words that Matt Heiman used to describe the Leland River “a very small area becomes very important.” As a local, I thought I knew Fishtown in and out, but now that I’ve reached the end of my internship with the Fishtown Preservation Society (FPS), I know that was far from the truth. There’s more than what meets the eye than just a dozen weathered shanties, a flowing river, and the aged tugboats.
Fishtown is the heart of where I spent much of my time growing up. From elementary days when I’d get dropped off and picked up by my parents for playdates with friends, to my middle school years when we hung out on the docks eating our sandwiches and wandering the breakwall at sunset, to my last days before moving downstate for my freshman year of college when I shared tearful goodbyes with friends in the harbor, fishtown has always been there for me. My love for the town has only grown with each passing year. The experiences I’ve had this summer have meant everything to me, as I not only got to know Fishtown better and piece together its history, but I also got to meet so many lovely people in the community. I can’t walk down the street anymore without seeing someone I recognize, and that’s truly one of my favorite things about this close knit community. With a familiar face at every corner, it makes it all the more difficult to say goodbye as summer comes to a close. The reassurance of a place like Leland though, is that while people come and go with the seasons, I know I’ll see them again with the next summer that rolls around.
Reflecting back on the summer, I feel as though I’ve opened doors to new friends within the same community that I already thought I knew everyone in. With each new person I’ve talked to, it’s become apparent that people love to share what they’re involved with or interested in. Not only has it been eye opening to discover all the cool projects, initiatives, and businesses for which Fishtown is a homebase, but it has also been uplifting to meet people who care deeply about the wildlife, nature, and people of this place. These opportunities have allowed me to build upon my previous knowledge of water quality, and I’ve honed in on other skills that I don’t get to use as much, like writing. Each week I’ve felt myself dive deeper into a writing voice I didn’t know I had, and it’s opened my eyes to the power one has when sinking into a steady rhythm of writing. I haven’t been able to write freely like this in a long time because my college academic writing requires that I absorb information, rework it on paper, and turn it in for a grade. That was not the case for these blogs. It’s been a blast creating a balance between relaying what I’ve learned, while also maintaining a casual persona as a blog writer.
Along with all the fascinating things I’ve learned, some of my favorite memories of this summer came from the most unexpected experiences. From meeting Dr. Harvey Bootsma to explore the operations and role of the Sleeping Bear Weather Buoy and touring North Manitou Island with Geoff Niesink, to climbing the Crib Lighthouse with Dave McWilliam and sailing Grand Traverse Bay on the schooner Inland Seas, I look back on the past three months and I find it difficult to believe that I was lucky enough to experience it all. Not just these experiences, but getting to meet so many passionate and hardworking people involved in the region, I’m leaving this experience with more than just the knowledge I’ve picked up along the way. The feeling of fulfillment and appreciation for the people who have taken time out of their days to discuss their passions and life experiences with me is something I’m grateful for, and that I know will have a lasting impact when I think back to the summer of ‘26.
It is my hope that by reading these blogs, others can learn from my experiences. It’s been a highlight of my summer, and I would have never been able to do everything I did without my internship at FPS, tying together all the critical parts of what makes Fishtown Fishtown. As a
tether connecting people, a place, and its history, FPS is the heartbeat of Fishtown, and before this summer, I never would’ve credited such a seemingly small nonprofit to the management of Fishtown. FPS is led by Amanda Holmes (Executive Director) and Summer Meyer (Assistant to the Executive Director), and I’m in no way exaggerating when I say that these two women do the work of 20 people. It’s amazing how much they juggle day to day, and there’s no greater testament to their efforts than the beautifully preserved place that is Fishtown. Though most of my time this summer was spent on adventures around the county and drafting these blogs, the brief glimpses I got of what it’s like to be a part of a nonprofit were eye opening. More meetings than I could keep track of, upkeep of the shanties, remaining connected with the businesses working in the shanties, and the fierce management of the commercial fishing operations, it’s clear to me that FPS has cast a wide net within the community, and in return they’ve connected hundreds of people through water and fish.
Another part of my summer with FPS were the Welcome Center shifts I worked on Wednesdays.
The Welcome Center is an important space, not just for visitors to stop by and ask the inevitable question of where the nearest public restroom is, but because it keeps the history of Fishtown alive, and honors many of the people who helped to shape Fishtown over the years. I haven’t had a job outside of the restaurant industry in a couple years, and I loved being able to talk with the visitors who came in. Not only was conversation lighthearted and fun, but many people that stopped by actually wanted to learn something, and take the time to better understand Fishtown. As someone who loves to “people watch”, it’s been fun to observe interactions in the Welcome Center, especially those who have visited before and bring a friend with them. It’s heartwarming to see them sharing what they already know with their guests, and seeing the excitement visitors have for the town reminds me of how lucky I am to live here.
As much as I was nervous about meeting so many people this summer, I’ve loved each and every experience where I got to meet and speak with someone. I’ve described my summer in a joking manner as a summer of networking, but it’s been far more than that. Hearing the term “networking” used to trigger a feeling of dread, boredom, and anxiousness in me. As someone who often feels awkward around new people and ESPECIALLY the traditional idea of networking in an academic or professional setting, this frightened me much more a few months ago. Now, networking has a whole new meaning to me. 
Meeting a wide variety of new people in the comfort of my hometown is much less stress inducing than I anticipated, and if anything, has allowed easy casual conversation to flow. By being more relaxed, I’ve found that I take away a lot more from each conversation. Questions come to mind without feeling forceful, and there’s an unspoken feeling hanging in the air of “I love this place and you love this space, let’s try and learn from each other and see what we can each take away.” Not to mention that many of my conversations with people involved an outing of some sort, whether I was out fishing, exploring historic islands, or just being out on the lake and discussing factors contributing to lake health, there was always something new to take away from each experience. I think that’s been one of the things I’m most grateful for. As someone who learns best through a hands-on approach, I find that while much of what I’ve picked up on this summer could be topics learned in a class I could take at school, I enjoyed and understood things much better because I was outdoors and engaging with whoever I was learning from.
Many of the people I met this summer will be the voices I think of when making the decision of what to do next after graduation. In speaking to people who grew up in Michigan, I found that many of them had explored other states and areas of Michigan, but at the end of the day still chose to settle down and continue their lives here. I’m at a point in life where there’s so much pressure to “get out” of the town you grew up in, and explore the world I feel this weighing on me as an in-state student who’s been bound to Michigan my whole life, and as much as I adore Leelanau County, there’s a part of me that feels like I will miss out on something if I don’t go out and explore after I graduate. I know it’s big out there, and while I do want to experience what my life could be like in another state, it’s encouraging to hear of people who have decided to stay or come back. Not only have these folks stayed here, but they love that they’ve stayed, and have made a beautiful and successful life for themselves. Matt Heiman’s passion for fishing helped bring him back home to Michigan after being out west for a few years, captain of the Manitou Geoff Niessink gets to be somewhere he loves all the time – out on Lake Michigan – helping people get to and from the Manitou Islands, and Joel Petersen gets to continue his family commercial fishing tradition and fish right out of Fishtown! After meeting these brilliant people, I feel lucky to know that opportunities in northern Michigan are endless.
My internship with the Fishtown Preservation Society has given me a sneak peak into the possibilities that await for me if I do make the choice to come back. As a launching point and connection of so many things, I have FPS to thank for all the incredible opportunities I’ve had. I know that whether I find myself continuing with non-profit work, or going down the conservancy or state park route, I feel confident that I will be able to lean on the skills I’ve acquired throughout my time with FPS. Looking at Fishtown today after spending the last few months writing about it, I see each part of the town more clearly, and how it interacts with the larger picture of keeping traditions alive. The heritage of a maritime commercial fishing industry that’s woven into the livelihood of the town is essential in seeing this bigger picture, because it’s the past that has defined Fishtown’s future.
At the beginning of my internship, Amanda told me that this experience will be whatever I make of it. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but as I wrap up my last week with FPS, I can confidently say that just about every week I was doing something new, exploring a new area of the county whether it be in Fishtown, Lake Michigan, or Suttons Bay. I only wish I had another three months to keep exploring. The value that came from these experiences, at least in my opinion, has been the real life accounts from family members that have helped to shape Fishtown throughout the years. It’s the stories you hear from others that one remembers, and if I’ve learned anything it’s that the families in Fishtown are more connected than I realized, and their histories all intertwine to connect the things I’d read about in books. The Morris Shanty on the south side of the river Joel uses for commercial fishing? We have Diggie Morris to thank for making sure that shanty was kept for commercial fishing. The Carlson Fishery where the town’s renowned whitefish gets processed? We have the Carlson family to thank for their dedication to keeping the business alive generation after generation. SO many key parts of Fishtown are only here because of the resilience of these and other local families, past and present.
The opportunities I’ve had this summer have taught me so much about Fishtown. From Fishtown’s origins as a home base for commercial fishing with a booming iron and timber industry to the summer residents who started coming to Leland more than a hundred years ago from all over the world and even the Manitou Islands, the history has been one of my favorite things to learn about. It’s been a pleasure to share my experiences with you all over the course of these last few busy months. Thanks for taking the time to read, whether it’s been part of one or all of them, it means a lot to me that there are people out there who care about the things I’ve been writing. I’m a Michigander through and through, and I’m lucky to call a place as lovely as Leelanau County my home. What a blessing it is to have grown up somewhere that I never want to leave. This internship has allowed me to dive even further into what makes the county interesting and beautiful, and for that, I couldn’t ask for more. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer and find time to get outside and soak up everything this amazing place has to offer because, as they say – if you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.
Emma Nelson 