Melrose Township in Walloon Lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Hemingway on Walloon

Photographed by Joel Seewald, April 13, 2026

1. Hemingway on Walloon Marker

Inscription.
Clarence (Ed) and Grace Hemingway of Oak Park, Illinois, first made their way to Walloon Lake (then known as Talcott) in 1898 and instantly fell in love with the area. They went in search of lakefront property and eventually spent $400 to have a single-story 20' x 40' frame house built. The simple cottage was completed the following September and they named it Windemere.

The growing Hemingway family (which eventually included six children: Marcelline (1898), Ernest (1898), Ursula (1902), Madelaine "Sunny" (1904), Carol (born at Windemere in 1911) and Leicester (1915) made the summer pilgrimage to Walloon Lake for decades where they swam, boated, fished and enjoyed time together. In 1905, the 40-acre Longfield Farm was purchased across the lake for the family to grow their summer fruits and vegetables. Grace eventually had her own cottage constructed here so that she could read, play the piano and find respite from children.

Gowing up, Ernest would explore the woods and waters around Walloon Lake and Horton Bay. It was here that he discovered his love of the outdoors, where he first began to write and where he developed

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

passions that would stay with him for life. His last extended stay here was in September 1921 after his marriage in nearby Horton Bay to Hadley Richardson. The couple honeymooned at Windemere before eventually making their way to Paris (where "The Nick Adams Stories" were ultimately written, although not published until after his death). Ernest would go on to become one of the most significant writers of the twentieth century, being awarded both the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes (in 1953 and 1954, respectively).

Windemere was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1968 and it is still owned by descendants of the family. Grace Cottage still stands and has been recently restored as a private home.

Erected 2021.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1898.

Location. 45° 15.803′ N, 84° 56.002′ W. Marker is in Walloon Lake, Michigan, in Charlevoix County. It is in Melrose Township. It is on State Highway 75 half a mile west of U.S. 131, on the right when traveling south.

Photographed by Joel Seewald, April 13, 2026

2. Hemingway on Walloon Marker

View of Village Green Park. The marker is to the right of the Hemingway statue.

Marker is in Village Green Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4127 North M-75, Boyne City MI 49712, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern Michigan Lower Peninsula,

in the Grand Traverse Bay Region,

and 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 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Walloon Lake (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Walloon Lake (here, next to this marker); Walloon By Boat (within shouting distance of this marker); Walloon Depot (within shouting distance of this marker); Walloon Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); Walloon Village (within shouting distance of this marker); Hemingway at Walloon Lake (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); La Chapelle Sisters (approx. 5.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map

Hemingway Statue image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Joel Seewald, April 13, 2026

3. Hemingway Statue

of all markers in Walloon Lake.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2026, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 28, 2026, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.