Bound for Chicago out of Buffalo, New York, Wessel Whittaker and his crew encountered a savage November storm in 1834. While the storm broke their vessel, they came upon a harbor that Whittaker was certain could rival the port of Chicago. Here, Whittaker founded New Buffalo.

The captain and crew weren't the first visitors to New Buffalo. The Miami, Iroquois and Potawatomi Indians all wanted control of the area. The Indians, and the game and fish they cherished, also attracted French traders and missionaries. Under the Indian Removal Act of 1830, many Potawatomi bands were removed west. However, Chief Leopold Pokagon was able to negotiate to keep his Potawatomi band of 280 people in southwestern Michigan, leaving them to be the only Potawatomi band to remain in their original home.

Land travelers between Detroit and Chicago meandered through New Buffalo and spent their tourist dollars here. In 1934 the state recognized New Buffalo as “The Gateway to Michigan.” The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians officially gained recognition in 1994. As of 2006, tribal membership has grown to approximately 3,150 members.