Portage Point is an unincorporated summer resort area of Onekama Township, Manistee County in the U.S. state of Michigan.

Not wanting to walk to the nearest town in winter, Grand Rapids or Muskegon, they built a log cabin in the dunes and waited for spring.

The pier was widely known and used not only for loading sailing ships with lumber cut at the mill, but also by sidewheel and propeller steam-powered vessels that stopped to refuel with wood or to pick up or deliver passengers and freight for the surrounding area.

The court order required that it be served personally on the proprietors of Porter & Company, but this proved to be difficult as they were located in Chicago.

On the night of 13 May 1871, the ditch was ready with only a log barricade holding back the waters of Portage Lake and those who had been involved reportedly held a dance celebration for fifty people at the site.

The following morning, Sunday 14 May 1871, a single ox pulled the barricade down and the waters rushed through the cut, digging an even deeper and wider passage.

In recognition of this fact, the local people named the Portage Lake side of the cut Williamsport, Michigan in honor of the tug boat.

The first decade for the Portage Point Inn was a difficult time, but a few cottages were built and paid annual dues to the resort.

They platted the subdivision of 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land to the north of the Assembly's property that included the sire of the old village of Portage and began to sell the lots.

A widowed school teacher, she and her young son first arrived in 1914 and purchased two lots, first living in a tent and then constructing a house on the same site in 1916.

They purchased adjoining lots and were soon joined by other mutual friends from Western Springs, including Leonard and Anita Vaughan, Hugh and Nell Rollin, and the Arthur Boyers.

Many others from the same town joined them over the years as following generations continued to make Portage Point their summer residence and brought their friends and extended families.