St. Joseph in Berrien County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Silver Beach Amusement Park
Photographed by Nathan Bierma, September 2, 2024
1. Silver Beach Amusement Park Marker
In 1891 Logan Drake and Louis D. Wallace founded the Silver Beach Amusement Co. on this beach. Local concessionaires sold novelties to draw tourists and in 1902 the company built a bathhouse, roller skating rink and dance pavilion. During the 1910's and 1920's Drake and Wallace installed a merry-go-round, roller coaster and Shadowland Ballroom. Other attractions included a fun house, bumper cars, ferris wheel and penny arcade. Large passenger ships made daily runs to Chicago and Milwaukee. It was possible to leave Chicago on the morning boat, spend a day at Silver Beach and return on the evening boat. After the demise of the amusement park, Berrien County purchased the property in 1990 for public park purposes.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.
Location. 42° 6.676′ N, 86° 29.223′ W. Marker is in St. Joseph, Michigan, in Berrien County. It is on Broad Street 0.1 miles west of Lake Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 Broad St, Saint Joseph MI 49085,
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Regionally, this marker is in Southwest 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, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Eleven Inch Dahlgren (approx. 0.2 miles away); United States Life Saving Service (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Silver Beach Amusement Park (approx. Ό mile away); La Salle Memorial (approx. Ό mile away); Lighthouses on the Bluff (approx. Ό mile away); Fort Miami (approx. Ό mile away); Lighthouses on the Pier (approx. Ό mile away); St. Joseph Maritime Heritage (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Joseph.
More about this marker. The marker is between the parking lot and the restroom buildings.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related
Photographed by Nathan Bierma, September 2, 2024
2. Silver Beach Amusement Park Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 7, 2024, by Nathan Bierma of Grand Rapids, Michigan. This page has been viewed 182 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 7, 2024, by Nathan Bierma of Grand Rapids, Michigan. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
