Melrose Township in Walloon Lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Walloon Hotel
Photographed by Joel Seewald, April 13, 2026
1. Walloon Hotel Marker
Nearly a dozen resorts, hotels, and boarding houses operated on Walloon Lake in its early history.
One notable property was the Fern Cottage (above), which opened in 1891 on the north side of the village. It served as a docking point for passenger steamers which transported visitors to their final destination around the lake. Guests paid $2 per day for a private room, as well as access to indoor bathrooms and the dining room. The property operated for a time as the Silver Birch Inn and is known today as the Walloon Lake Inn - a year round fine dining restaurant just a short walk from here. It is the only such historic property on the lake still open to the public.
By the late 1920's most of the lodging establishments had closed as tourists began building their own homes on the lake. Only a handful of the historic lodges still exist as private homes.
Top left image caption: Fera Cottage Hotel, Walloon Lake, Mich.
Top right image caption: New Walloon Hotel
Bottom right image caption: Miser Hotel, Walloon Lake, Mich.
Erected 2021.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.
Location. 45° 15.804′ N,
this page online
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 Village (a few steps from this marker); Walloon By Boat (a few steps from this marker); Walloon Depot (a few steps from this marker); Walloon Lake (within shouting distance of this marker); Hemingway on Walloon (within shouting
Photographed by Joel Seewald, April 13, 2026
2. Walloon Hotel Marker
This marker is the one on the right.
Photographed by Joel Seewald, April 13, 2026
3. Walloon Hotel Marker
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 17 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 28, 2026, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
