Whitehall in Muskegon County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
White Lake Yacht CLub
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 28, 2017
1. White Lake Yacht CLub Marker (side 1)
side 1
By 1897 most of White Lakes bustling sawmills had given way to cottages and small hotels. Promoters advertised the areas cool temperatures as relief from the summer heat of cities and drew thousands of people to the area, many from Chicago. During the winter of 1902-3 the White Lake Yacht Club formed. The club hired Chicago architect Robert Rae, Jr. to design the clubhouse, which opened in 1906 with a large ballroom and bays for boats.
side 2
By 1922 summer tourists were traveling more by car than by boat, and golf surpassed sailing in popularity. The White Lake Yacht Club fell into disrepair. In 1925 Henry Sturtevant saved the building, mostly with his own funds, and Clarence Pitkin brought national power boat races to White Lake. Interest revived and the club reopened, offering a sailing school, boat races, swimming lessons, and social events to members and their families.
Erected 2006 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number L2184.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.
Location. 43° 21.782′ N, 86° 24.453′ W. Marker is in Whitehall, Michigan, in Muskegon County. It is on South Shore Drive 0.3 miles east of North Scenic Drive, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located beside the White Lake Yacht Club main entrance gate. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6748 South Shore Drive, Whitehall MI 49461, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West Michigan and specifically in one of the Lake Michigan Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America,
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Lumbering on White Lake / Staples and Covell Mill (approx. 4½ miles away); Jean Baptiste Recollect Trading Post (approx. 9.9 miles away); Muskegon Fishing Reef (approx. 10.2 miles away); Bluffton Actors' Colony / Buster Keaton (approx. 10.7 miles away); Muskegon Log Booming Company (approx. 11.6 miles away); Restoration on the South Branch (approx. 11.6 miles away); Old Indian Cemetery (approx. 11.7 miles away); Union Depot (approx. 11.7 miles away).
Also see . . . White Lake Yacht CLub. Website homepage (Submitted on July 3, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 28, 2017
2. White Lake Yacht CLub Marker (side 2)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 28, 2017
3. White Lake Yacht CLub Marker (tall view)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 28, 2017
4. White Lake Yacht CLub Marker (wide view)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 28, 2017
5. White Lake Yacht CLub (view from near marker)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 3, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 410 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 3, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
