The following information on the history of Resort Township is taken from the "Historical Notes About Resort Township" and the book Resort Township Remembers, prepared by the Resort Township History Committee.

The area now known as Resort Township was originally inhabited by native Americans of the Ottawa Tribe (today known as Odawa). Most of these native Americans spent the winter months farther south, but returned year after year to their settlements along the Bay and Walloon Lake. Access to Walloon Lake was not easy; it required a one mile land portage from Little Traverse Bay to the head of the Lake. The native Americans, however, liked to camp near Walloon Lake because of the good fishing and hunting opportunities. After the arrival of the white settlers, the native Americans stayed throughout the winter months and helped in the lumber camps. For many years white settlers and native Americans were friendly neighbors.

The boundaries of the area now known as Resort Township changed several times between 1853 and 1897. In 1853, this area was included in the newly organized Emmet County. In 1869, this area became part of Charlevoix County. The Charlevoix County Board of Supervisors organized Resort Township in 1880. In 1896, however, Resort Township was attached again to Emmet County by an act of the legislature. In 1897 the Emmet County Board of Supervisors altered the boundaries once again which created Resort Township as it is known today.

The major activities carried out by the first Township officials and settlers included building new roads and maintaining the schools. Included among the list of Township founders are the names Bacon, Botsford, Couch, Conn, Cole, Davis, Depew, Ernot, Eppler, Genshaw, Grimes, Henderson, Light, March, Morford, Miller, McConnell, Nadolsky, Nickles, Piehl, Ranall, Ramsby, Rehkopf, Reise, Rebery, Kalbfleisch, Shepard, Stark, Storck, Tubbs, Williams, Wright, Woode and Zirk. Several descendants of these early settlers live in Resort Township today.

The early Township settlers were primarily involved in lumbering, farming and the lime and cement production industries. Much of the lumbering was done during the winter by farmers with their teams of horses. In the early days, Resort was primarily forested, and the early settlers cleared the land in order to farm and produce the food needed to support their families. Agriculture expanded early to play a significant role in the history of Resort Township. Early farmers in the Township raised a variety of crops, including corn, beans, potatoes, sugar beets, radishes, strawberries and certified seed potatoes. Dairy cows were also raised in the Township. Much of the Township still remains in agricultural use today, with a few centennial farms located in Resort Township.

Lime and cement also played an important role in the industrial history of Resort Township. The first lime was shipped from the kilns in Resort in 1885. The lime industry employed many residents directly or indirectly, as coopers, blacksmiths, or in the sawmills. In 1920, the lime kilns were abandoned due to a lack of demand. The Petoskey Portland Cement Company began production of cement in 1921. The operation grew to employ 375 people in 1952 and was sold to Penn Dixie Corporation in 1955. The corporation filed bankruptcy in 1979 and closed the 1,100 acre operation in 1980. The closing of the cement company had a severe impact on the lives of many Township residents, leaving many people unemployed. The recent conversion of the Penn Dixie (former Dundee) property to a luxury residential and recreational use is a contributing factor to the community growth and the changing character of the Lake Michigan shoreline in the Township.

For an additional in-depth reference concerning the history of Resort Township including discussions about its formation, early settlers, industries, cottage and hotel development, see Resort Township Remembers, published in 1992 by a committee headed by Mildred Eppler Rehkopf.