Surrounded by Paradise Township, in lower Grand Traverse County, the village of Kingsley, Michigan is in the northwest Lower Peninsula.
The chief route through the village is M-113 (Main Street), which passes east-west through the center of town, forming a portion of its southern border to the east. Summit City Road forms most of the village's eastern border. Other routes to and from Kingsley include Garfield Road (Brownson Avenue), Kingsley Road, and Fenton Road (Fenton Street).
Cities and villages within twenty-five miles of Kingsley include Fife Lake, Buckley, Traverse City, Manton, Mesick, Thompsonville, Kalkaska, Copemish, and Lake Ann.
With the demise of the lumber industry in the early 1900s, Kingsley's population declined in 1920 and 1930, but has risen each census year since, including an increase of nearly a hundred percent in 2000. Its current population is just above 1,600.
The surrounding township is a mixture of farmland, woodlots, single-family homes, and state land. The village serves as a commercial center for the surrounding rural area, including its grocery store, auto parts store, auto repair shop, and gas station.
Grand Traverse County maintains a forty-acre recreation center within the village limits. Known as Civic Center South, the park includes a couple of tennis courts, a couple of basketball courts, two baseball/softball courts, two sand volleyball courts, three practice soccer fields, a regulation-sized soccer field, a paved walking track, a disc golf course, an archery range, ice skating rinkw, and a playground area. The park also hosts the annual Kingsley Heritage Days.
Other parks in Kingsley include Grove Park, a seven-acre wooded area just outside the downtown area, and Brownson Park, the oldest recreational area in Kingsley. Just under two and a half acres, the park includes two tennis courts, a picnic area, and a playground, as well as a splash pad that is used during the summer months.
Kingsley Area Schools has a community play area at its middle school complex. Used by students during school hours, it is used by citizens when school is not in session. The one-acre area includes three basketball courts, a softball/baseball field, and a playground area. The school also maintains a fifteen-acre complex with a practice football field, a football field, an asphalt track, and three baseball diamonds. The baseball diamonds are used almost exclusively by the Little League in the evenings during the summer, but are available for public uses at other times. However, while the practice football field is available to the public, the football field is restricted to high school use.
Kingsley Area Schools provides a K-12th-grade public school curriculum through Kingsley Elementary School, Kingsley Middle School, and Kingsley High School.
The Judson Kingsley and John Wall families were among the first settlers in the area that was to become Kingsley. They came in 1861, just before the start of the American Civil War. At that time, the area was accessed by trails through the woods, as there were no roads or highways yet. When the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad came through in 1871, it was built through Judson Kingsley's property, and Mr. Kingsley built the train station and opened the first post office there on February 14, 1873. It was originally known as Kingsley Station.
In 1874, Dr. Myron S. Brownson purchased a thousand acres adjacent to Mr. Wall's property. In 1876, Judson Kingsley platted the land west of the old Hotel DeFrance, in the southern part of the current village, naming it the Village of Kingsley. In 1882, Dr. Brownson platted the area around what is now Main Street as the Village of Paradise. However, in 1893, both plats were incorporated together as the Village of Kingsley.
Like many Michigan communities, the lumber industry and the railroads were driving factors in the village's early economy. By 1894, Kingsley had three hotels, three lumber mills, a livery barn, a flour mill, a blacksmith shop, several churches, a school, several stores, and the Brownson Sanitarium.
On July 4th of that year, most of the town burned while its residents were in Manton or Fife Lake attending Independence Day festivities. The town was largely rebuilt, but another fire destroyed a full block of its downtown district in 1900. With the collapse of the lumber industry, agriculture became a significant industry in and around Kingsley, although the railroad is still in operation today, although it has declined in importance.
Kingsley quickly rebounded as a commercial center and, as agriculture diminished, improvements in the conditions of the roads leading to and through the village improved, making it easier for people to live in Kingsley and work in Traverse City.
Recommended Resources
Founded by Ed Walker and Art Preston, the golf course in Kingsley, Michigan was designed by Michael Devries. Situated on four hundred acres of varied terrain, the first nine holes of the course are mostly treeless in the center, but bordered by a hardwood forest, while the back nine includes maple, oak, beech, and pine trees. Photographic and video tours of the course are presented, and links to media articles about the course are included. Membership information is set forth.
https://www.kingsleyclub.com/
Located on South Brownson Avenue, the Kingsley, Michigan florist offers same-day delivery to Kingsley and the surrounding region. Its location, a map, store hours, and contacts are set forth, and an overview of its flower subscription service is included. A catalog of its products is featured, including special offers, with photographs, prices, payment options, and online shopping for local delivery. A form is available for requesting a consultation on wedding and event flower orders.
https://kingsleyfloral.com/
Situated near the Grand Traverse Snowmobile Trail, Center ICE hockey rink, and other recreational opportunities, the Kingsley, Michigan hotel features rooms with two double beds and a kitchenette, one queen bed, or two double beds. Its location, descriptions of the rooms, a list of amenities, a gallery of photographs depicting the common areas and rooms, as well as guest reviews. Included is a map, telephone number, office hours, and email address. Rooms may be booked online.
http://www.thekingsleymotel.com/
The Class B K-12 public school system offers more than twenty activities, including music and athletics programs. Its elementary, middle, and high school are highlighted, with locations, staff contacts, extracurricular programs, daily announcements, and reports. Its band and choir programs are discussed, a staff directory is included, and employment opportunities are posted on the site. Other resources include an informational blog, transparency reports, and community forms.
https://www.kingsleyschools.org/
The civil township in Grand Traverse County is headquartered in Kingsley, the only incorporated village within the township. The official township website posts the township board schedule, minutes, and budget, along with enrollment opportunities, bid opportunities, and tax information. Board members and departments are featured, and a directory of township staff is included, along with local historical and genealogical resources, and a guide to local schools, parks, and services.
https://www.paradisetwp.org/
Locally owned and operated, Paul's Auto can provide services for brakes, oil changes, tires, alignments, custom exhaust, engine repairs, transmission repairs, fleet repairs, and other auto and recreational vehicle services, including de-winterizing and repairs of recreational vehicles. Its services are outlined on the site, including photographs showing some of its past work. A map showing its location is set forth, and its hours of operation, contacts, and a contact form are featured.
http://www.paulsautoandrv.com/
Kingsley is a small village in Paradise Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan. The official municipal website includes a profile and history of the village, along with a village calendar of events, meeting schedules, agendas, and minutes, and the boards, commissions, councils, and departments of the village. Other resources include demographics, planning and zoning data, and a guide to local businesses, schools, economic development programs, programs, events, and facilities.
http://www.villageofkingsley.com/
