None of Leelanau County's villages and communities are incorporated, but there was one that almost became a home rule village called Elmwood. The story of how this village almost came into being begins back in the early 1960's.

After the 1960 census was taken, it was determined that the population of Greilickville was about 900. Later that year, people in Greilickville began to talk about becoming an incorporated home rule village in order to have the advantages of their own police and fire protection, water and drainage, etc. In September 1961, a petition was presented to the Leelanau County Supervisors to call a special election to let the voters in Sections 28 and 33 of Elmwood Township (which include Greilickville) decide the question. The supervisors approved the petition, and set the date for the special election for November 28 of the same year. The ballot proposal also called for electing a village charter commission, which would have 70 days to draw up a village charter and submit it to the voters of the Village of Elmwood, should that proposal be approved. Seven candidates ran for five places on the commission. There were about 450 registered voters in Sections 28 and 33.

On November 28, 1961, the proposal to create the Village of Elmwood was defeated by a vote of 238 to 88, and the five charter commissioners who were elected had only the personal satisfaction of knowing they were elected.

The unincorporated community of Greilickville remains today, with a township park, boat marina, and a loading dock for Great Lakes ships. It also contained the West Bay Shopping Center until the land it sits on (a portion of Section 33) was annexed to the City of Traverse City in the 1980's, after a fight by Elmwood Township beginning in the late 1970's to keep it in the township. Probably because of this experience, Elmwood Township became a Charter Township in the 1980's.

As for the remainder of Greilickville, it remains under Elmwood Township government. But at one time it almost became the Village of Elmwood.

Authored by Thomas Baird