Monroe Piers

Monroe Piers. "Resort along the Lake". , Monroe Piers - Southeast Michigan's Resort , One of the most colorful periods of Monroe history is that of the Monroe Piers. With the completion of the canal, piers and lighthouse, the people of Monroe had access to the lakeshore of Lake Erie. By 1890, the piers had become a major tourist attraction. People came down from Monroe by boat to hunt ducks, gather lotus blossoms and enjoy the sandy beach along the piers. The Lotus Hotel, built in 1895, was an immediate hit. In 1901, electric streetcars transported more than 700 people a day to the piers for a nickel a ride. A bathhouse, casino, saloon and refreshment stands soon were built. , , To meet demand, the bathhouse was enlarged to two stories and had 300 changing rooms. For 25 cents, one could use a changing room, which included a bathing suit, towel and a locker. , , In 1905, electricity came to the piers. A spectacular 75-foot roller coaster, crowned by a circle of 1,000 incandescent lights, became a major attraction. Picnics during the day, and parties and nighttime swimming were popular. , , Lotus Hotel and sailors competed in weekend regattas. It was a special time in America's history when leisure time first became a reality. Travel options were limited, and the lakeshore piers provided a convenient getaway for thousands of families in southeast Michigan. , , Monroe Yacht Club , In 1886, the Monroe Yacht Club was formed with local lumber baron W.C. Sterling named its first commodore. Memberships were sold and in 1902 a 30-foot by 60-foot clubhouse was built on the south pier. Its 12-foot veranda on all sides provided pleasant breezes and excellent views of the harbor. The main room had a hardwood floor and was the scene of summer dances on Tuesday and Friday nights. , , The club soon became part of the Lake Erie sailing scene. Regattas were an event for the ladies to wear their finest summer dresses and for the men to proudly display their "yachting uniform." Competition between the Monroe and Toledo clubs was keen. , , In 1905, a large entertainment building was built on the north pier. Called "The Casino," it offered refreshments on the first floor and a dance hall on the second. The Yacht Club purchased the financially struggling enterprise in 1916 and, after making several improvements that included the addition of double porches on all sides, moved into its new clubhouse. , , Muskrat Dinners , One of the most prominent social events of the year was the annual Monroe Yacht Club dinner held each December. On December 28, 1905, Commodore W.C. Sterling welcomed more than 1,000 guests. The unique entree of muskrat received national media attention. Over 1,800 "rats" were served. Social dignitaries from as far as Seattle and New York came to dine at the annual affair. One year, Commodore Sterling created a large replica of a muskrat house in the center of the ballroom, complete with stuffed "rats" and glass to simulate ice. Sterling wanted each guest to understand what a marsh rat was. , , Monroe Marsh Club , The Monroe Marsh Club was a bird hunting club organized in 1880 by a handful of wealthy eastern businessmen and a few locals including W.C. Sterling. An elegant two-story building was built on Guyor's Island with private quarters and boathouses for its exclusive members. , , Sterling began buying marshland from the state, often for as little as 30 cents per acre. Eventually, the Monroe Marsh Club owned 5,000 acres and five-and-a-half miles of shoreline. Hunters would shoot from "punt boats" poled through the marsh by skilled boatmen called "punters," usually of French descent. , , Club members set their own laws and rules regarding when and how to hunt. With no state or federal laws, there were no limits. Competition was fierce. Sterling often would challenge his eastern guests by shooting 125 ducks per day. Hunters were served their own ducks at evening meals in the clubhouse. An over-heated oven was to blame for the clubhouse burning to the ground in 1920. , , Lightning on the Water , The Sho-wae-cae-merres Boat Club was formed in the 1870s. Meaning "lightning on the water," this mighty rowing crew competed in numerous exhibitions and races throughout the area. Rowing was America's most popular spectator sport, and the club first gained national status competing at the Watkin's Regatta in New York. Winning national titles in 1877 and 1878, the club competed against the London Boat Club in England. Monroe rower Joe Nadeau became violently ill on race day, and the club narrowly lost to the favored London club. Nevertheless, the crew returned to Monroe with a hero's welcome. , , End of the Piers , The 1920s saw the end of the piers era. The development of highways and changes in recreation demands caused a loss of interest and revenue. In 1927, faced with substantial losses, the Yacht Club decided to move its monstrous clubhouse over the ice to the site of a conceived lakeshore development. The development failed and the clubhouse was given to the state as part of the new state park. That same year, the Lotus Hotel was demolished to make way for a steel plant. The original Yacht Club building was sold and an attempt was made to again move it across the ice to another location. This time, however, it fell apart and sank into the lake.