In 1848 Michigan suffered from a smallpox epidemic that affected the entire community of people.

Chief Peter Waukazoo and Reverend George Smith moved the community as well as the Holland-area [4] Ottawa Mission up to the Leelanau Peninsula on boats or canoes.

Deacon Joseph Dame arrived at Waukazooville in 1854 and decided to change the name to Northport at this time.

Several general stores were built in the town in 1859 which sold items such as cloth, thread, needles, foods, axes, and more.

There was no doctor in town at this time so Reverend Smith was called on to deliver babies and help the ill.[5] Many people that ended up living in Northport came from New York or Canada.

The fishermen, farmers, and other community members would gather on the bay and cut chunks of ice for fisheries, hotels, or even private homes.

[5] The cherry industry that is prevalent in Northport today had just begun in 1853 on Reverend Smith's farm.

The cherry industry in Northport and Leelanau County remains one of the largest in the world.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.65 square miles (4.27 km2), all land.