Summary
USGS GNIS identifies Kilty Point as a cape and records the name’s association with Pat Kilty, who worked with the crew that first surveyed Beaver Island in 1845. The 2023 Beaver Island Master Plan labels the feature “Kilty’s Pt.” on its map. The spelling variants in GNIS and the map label should be retained as part of the place’s toponymic record; broader history remains unresearched.
Open questions
- Can land records, survey notebooks, or local histories document Pat Kilty’s role and the name’s later use?
- Which of the GNIS variants, if any, appears in dated local sources?
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System, Domestic Names (Michigan), retrieved 2026-07-28.GNIS feature 1623179; feature class 'Cape'.federal · gnis · gnis_names
- USGS GNIS, Feature Descriptions (T121), retrieved 2026-07-28.Feature 1623179 description names Pat Kilty, who worked with the crew that first surveyed the island in 1845.federal · gnis · gnis_feature_descriptions
- USGS GNIS, All Names (national), retrieved 2026-07-28.Variant names: Kelty Point; Keltys Point; Kitty Point.federal · gnis · gnis_variant_names
- Beaver Island Master Plan (Beaver Island, Mich., 2023), Map 2.7, p. 54.Map label “Kilty's Pt.”