Early Recreation in Lewiston

Early Recreation in Lewiston. . , The life of a lumberman or early settler in Lewiston was hard and they worked long hours 6 days a week. Sundays were a day of rest however and after attending church and sharing a mid-day meal with family or friends, attention would invariably turn to baseball. Although the game was only "invented" in 1876, by the late 1800's baseball was firmly embedded in the fabric of every town in America. Lewiston fielded a traveling team that won the Northern Michigan championship 3 years running in the early 1900's. The first team manager was Swan Peterson proprietor of the Lewiston House Hotel. He was known by the broom he carried on team trips to "sweep" the opposing teams. The team traveled by train to games in the surrounding communities of West Branch, Grayling, Frederick and Cheboygan. , , Other forms or [sic] recreation took place on the lakes and in forests from the earliest days. Fishing, hunting, skiing, and skating have always been both popular sports as well as means of subsistence and getting about in the winter. The Ausable [sic] River attracted lumber and railroad barons in the early 1900's and they would ride in private rail cars to towns like Lovells for fishing and hunting expeditions. Deer hunting was so popular the Michigan Central RR scheduled a special "Deer Train" to carry hunters to Lewiston and their harvest back home. , , Tourists from southern Michigan and northern Ohio started coming to the area in the 1920's and 30's to escape the heat of the summer and the Polio epidemics that occurred in the cities during the warmer months. As a result, a proliferation of small family resorts began to cater to the new summer visitors and the summer vacation "Up North" started to become a staple of Michigan family life. , , The years shortly after world war two saw a huge growth in recreational facilities in and around Lewiston. There was a spectacular water skiing show on East Twin Lake every summer, a winter carnival and the same years saw the founding of Garland Resort, Sheridan Valley Ski Club, the bowling alley, the roller rink, and the Lewiston Curling Club. , , In 1940 with the backing of the WPA, the toboggan run down Comstock Hill was erected and opened in January of that year. The cost of the ride down was free but they charged 10 cents to take you back up the hill to the warming hut. The track was lined with ice blocks cut from the lake and was so fast it could shoot you well out into East Twin Lake. , , Today Lewiston is still an outdoor recreational paradise with crystal clear lakes, trout filled streams, abundant forests, and world class golfing opportunities near by. Seasonal populations quadruple as people from all over the Midwest are drawn to our vast natural resources in the peak seasons of summer and winter. It is truly a "Water Winter Wonderland". , , The Lewiston Heritage Trail is a DDA project funded by private donors with period photos and historical text provided by the Lewiston Area Historical Society. , , Donated by Chris, Kari, Evan, and Kyler McKenzie.