Omena, Michigan

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"Omena" redirects here; for the African fish, see Rastrineobola argentea.

Omena, Michigan, is a small unincorporated community in Leelanau Township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. There is a rocky bay in Omena called Omena Bay, on the western side of the Grand Traverse Bay. It is home to wineries and farms; including a thriving organic farming movement. There is a small general store and a social hall called "The Omena Traverse Yacht Club". This area boasts several wineries featuring the best of the regions cherry and grape crop, which the Grand Traverse and Leelanau areas are especially known for. It is a very remote town. The nearest "big" city is Traverse City, a 45 minute drive away. Some of the controversial issues in Omena include the econonomic impact of a recent Native American casino about five miles away in Peshawbestown. There has also been controversy over the development of a large condominium building by the road between Omena and its slightly larger northern neighbor, Northport.

In 1852, the Rev. Peter Daugherty relocated an Indian mission from Old Mission on the Old Mission Peninsula across the western arm of the Grand Traverse Bay to what was at first called "New Mission". He build a small Presbyterian church there as the nucleus of the community. Reportedly, worship services have been held in the church every Sunday since its dedication in 1858. Local tradition says the word "omena" was an Ojibwe Indian expression meaning "Is that so ?", or, "Is that really true?" and was reportedly Rev. Daugherty's characteristic response to statements made by Indians. An alternative possibility relates to the plentiful presence of apples and other fruit trees in the area. In Finnish, the word "omena" means "apple", though it is unclear whether Finns were among the early settlers there. In any case, a Post Office with that name was established in February 1858.

It was a stop on the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad and was regarded as a summer resort area. Among others, Benjamin Grierson, a U.S. Civil War general had a summer home in Omena, as did General George Custer.

The Harbor Bar (aka "Keith's") was originally a gas station and garage owned by Keith Brown. Leelanau Wine Cellars purchased the property and converted a portion of the property to a state-of-the-art tasting room. The remaining upstairs is now a restaurant, "Knot Just A Bar". Across the street is the Tamarack Gallery, US Post Office and the Omena Bay Country Store.