South Haven in Van Buren County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

West Michigan Summer Resorts
⎯⎯⎯
Jewish Resorts

West Michigan Summer Resorts Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kathy Garman, August 4, 2021

1. West Michigan Summer Resorts Marker

Inscription. West Michigan Summer Resorts After the American Civil War (1861-1865) a new wealthy class arose with the time and means to escape the grime of industrialized cities for the summer “Season.” In the 1870s the Little Traverse Bay region became one of Michigan’s first popular resort areas. Early vacationers came by passenger steamer on the Great Lakes. Railroad companies later developed their own resorts. By 1922 improvements on the West Michigan Pike and state parks made the dunes of West Michigan much more accessible. Inexpensive automobile travel enabled the rising middle class to vacation in Michigan. Many were immigrants from Chicago and modest cottage resorts catering to a specific ethnic population soon dotted West Michigan’s shore.

Jewish Resorts During the 1880s, Jews fled persecution in Eastern Europe for the United States with a dream of owning their own land. Some received loans from the Chicago Jewish Agriculture Society to buy farms in the South Haven area. Around 1917 these farmers found themselves renting rooms to the growing surge of auto tourists vacationing in the area. At the time, Jews had

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difficulty finding places to stay because facilities excluded certain ethnic, racial, and religious groups. South Haven’s Jewish farmers converted their farms to resorts to meet the demand. Their success led others to open Jewish resorts, most along North Shore Drive. By the late 1920s more than sixty Jewish resorts were operating in South Haven, resulting in its nickname “The Catskills of the Midwest.”

Erected 2010 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number L2212C.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Immigration • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.

Location. 42° 24.578′ N, 86° 16.632′ W. Marker is in South Haven, Michigan, in Van Buren County. It is on North Shore Drive 0.1 miles north of Dyckman Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Located in Packard Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: North Shore Dr, South Haven MI 49090, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

Jewish Resorts Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kathy Garman, August 4, 2021

2. Jewish Resorts Marker

this marker is in Southwest Michigan

and specifically in one of the Lake Michigan Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: South Haven World War I Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Haven Peaches (approx. 0.2 miles away); A Home of Heroes (approx. ¼ mile away); Coastal Crossroads (approx. ¼ mile away); Time Capsule (approx. ¼ mile away); Catskills of the Midwest (approx. ¼ mile away); Local Pioneers (approx. ¼ mile away); Strike Up the Band! (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in South Haven.

Photographed by Kathy Garman, August 4, 2021

3. West Michigan Summer Resorts Marker

Located in Packard Park

Photographed by Kathy Garman, August 4, 2021

4. Jewish Resorts Marker

Looking towards the beach access to Lake Michigan in Packard Park.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 3, 2021, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. This page has been viewed 1,889 times since then and 119 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 3, 2021, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.

West Michigan Summer Resorts⎯⎯⎯Jewish Resorts

West Michigan Summer Resorts
⎯⎯⎯
Jewish Resorts