Father Frederic Baraga (1797-1868) first landed on Beaver Island as a missionary in 1832. This church was built in 1860 and consecrated by Baraga, then Bishop of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. This church originally stood inland alongside the . . . — — Map (db m288707) HM
This historic hotel was built in 1901 by Captain Manus Bonner
at a cost of $10,000. The architect was Father Zugelder, the Island priest. The lumber was boomed from Hog Island and cut at the Stebbins and Tilly mill. A second planned wing was . . . — — Map (db m288710) HM
This building was erected in 1850 by
James Strang and his followers. Here
during the 1850s, these Mormon dissenters published religious works and
two newspapers, the Northern Islander
and the Daily Northern Islander.
Strang's group had . . . — — Map (db m288709) HM
In 1899 the Hemingways of Oak Park,
Illinois, built a summer cottage
called Windemere some six miles
northwest of here on Walloon Lake.
Young Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
spent his days at the lake reading,
fishing, hunting, and . . . — — Map (db m233985) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m298480) HM
Once visitors arrived at Bear Lake (later Talcott and eventually Walloon Lake) after long steamer rides on the Great Lakes, followed by several legs via the railroad, they needed to be transported to their summer cottages or one of the hotels, . . . — — Map (db m298502) HM
In 1873 the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railway completed its line of tracks that ran between Grand Rapids and Petoskey. This first served those working in the logging industry harvesting the pine forest which covered the area.
Around 1880, a . . . — — Map (db m298486) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m298509) HM
Since the last ice age, Northern Lower Michigan was a rich land of lakes and streams. For thousands of years, its forests and wildlife were much different than today. Elk was the dominant game animal and the gray wolf and panther were its . . . — — Map (db m298517) HM
Throughout Ernest Hemingway's life, Walloon Lake remained a passionate memory. Six weeks old when first brought to the lake in 1899, Hemingway spent twenty-three summers visiting the family's Windemere cottage. His experiences hunting, fishing, . . . — — Map (db m298100) HM
By the turn of the 20th century, Walloon Lake which was first called Bear Lake, and later Talcott (or Tolcott) was transitioning from a lumbering community to a thriving summer resort destination.
Fresh air, home cooking, fishing, and . . . — — Map (db m298511) HM
Before refrigerators, people used ice-boxes and ice was a valuable commodity. Every winter from 1890 thru 1920, the Kalamazoo Ice and Fuel Company operated an ice plant on the shores of Fife Lake. The ice was cut from the lake and hoisted by way . . . — — Map (db m285375) HM
Throughout the history of File Lake, various bandstands have graced the village green,
including the two shown above. In the larger photograph from 1880, the bandstand is
shown with Foster’s Market in the background. The smaller photograph (from . . . — — Map (db m257714) HM
The great fire of 1893 destroyed the Frame City Hotel, owned by John Mar. It was
replaced by this brick building constructed by James Lyle in 1894. Along with his partner
Moses Wagner, they operated the City Hotel until the 1920’s. After that, the . . . — — Map (db m257717) HM
This building originally housed a shoe, leather, and dry goods business owned
by David Bosse. David and his sons, Harry and Otto, were prominent merchants
in the village well into the 1950’s, supplying local residents with much-needed . . . — — Map (db m257761) HM
Before the automobile, people traveled by train to destinations near and far. To
catch a train out of Fide Lake, you had to go to the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
Depot, which was located at this site. As you can see from the photograph . . . — — Map (db m257762) HM
This was the grand residence of the family of Jim Hodges, a pillar of the
community in the early 1900’s. Along with the house of his associate, Hiram
LaBar (across the street), these were a few of Fife Lake’s finest homes. In
front are James and . . . — — Map (db m257712) HM
Located in an exclusive part of town, this was the first brick house to be
built in Fife Lake. It was the home of Jerusha (Carothers) and Hiram LaBar
and their eleven children. Hiram was the village pharmacist and, later, a banker.
This . . . — — Map (db m257494) HM
Logging and lumber are a big part of Fife Lake’s history. The vast forests of massive virgin timber were logged by hardworking men and their teams of horses (as shown in the two smaller photographs). The sawmills were built on the edge of the lake . . . — — Map (db m257716) HM
Originally called The Sugar Bowl, this quaint little restaurant has survived many
harsh Michigan winters (as pictured in the lower left corner). Although the name has
changed a few times, it has been serving hungry patrons since the 1940’s. — — Map (db m257721) HM
In 1919, Joseph Voice opened an auto repair shop. In 1920, his brother, Maurice, joined him
in forming Voice Bros. Auto Sales, which became a General Motors dealership and a Standard Oil
franchise. Maurice is shown above, along with Wilbur Downey . . . — — Map (db m257715) HM
Ottawa Indians once lived in the pine forest between Lakes Wahbekaness and Wahbekanetta. In the late 1800s white men came and cut the pines, leaving only a small forest between the lakes. This virgin pine was purchased in 1917 by the state and . . . — — Map (db m263669) HM
Dougherty Mission House
Peter Dougherty arrived on Mackinac Island in 1838, planning to establish a Presbyterian mission to the Ojibwe and Odawa tribes in northern Michigan. He selected the Grand Traverse Bay area and settled in Elk Rapids. . . . — — Map (db m168185) HM
This building is a replica of the original mission church which was erected in 1839 by the Reverend Peter Dougherty, a Presbyterian missionary, who came here from Mackinaw to establish the first mission in this part of the country. Originally the . . . — — Map (db m98195) HM
Here Rev. Peter Dougherty and his wife, Maria Higgins, conducted their Indian mission.
Built in 1842, the first frame house in the Grand Traverse region. — — Map (db m168186) HM
By the mid 1850's, shipping on Grand Traverse Bay had grown substantially. A Lighthouse on the northern tip of Old Mission Peninsula, to warn of the rocky point, was necessary. In 1859 Congress appropriated the funds, however the Light was not . . . — — Map (db m98186) HM
The Hesler house is a rare surviving log house dating from the early settlement of the Old Mission Peninsula. From 1854 to 1856, Joseph and Mary Hesler built the house of hand hewn pine and hemlock logs fourteen miles south of here on the eastern . . . — — Map (db m98182) HM
Just as lighthouse keepers once kept watch over these waters, Jim Olson began watching over the Great Lakes in the early 1970s. As an attorney, advocate, and author, Jim pioneered the use of the Michigan Environmental Protection Act and the Public . . . — — Map (db m247433) HM
When lighthouses first operated, sperm whale oil used to fuel the lamps was kept in the basement. However, in the late 1800s, when kerosene was introduced as fuel for the lights, it was much too flammable and dangerous to store in the Lighthouse, . . . — — Map (db m98185) HM
It is unknown whether a side entry door was part of the original Mission Point Lighthouse structure. Photographic evidence shows the west wall going through three structural changes.
In a 1905 photo, a storm shelter entry is visible. A 1960 . . . — — Map (db m248759) HM
The bathroom of earlier days was not much like the bathrooms of today. With no indoor plumbing, most privies or outhouses were holes in the ground with sheds and seats over them and were located several feet from the main home. When the hole . . . — — Map (db m98184) HM
In 1854-1856 this log home was built in the southern part of the Old Mission Peninsula by early settlers, Mary & Joseph Hessler. The huge logs cut from pine trees were hand hewn and stacked on top of each other to form the walls, while modified . . . — — Map (db m98193) HM
This plaque is issued by the
Historical Society of Michigan
in recognition of
Central United Methodist Church
Founded in 1858
For more than 150 years of
continuous operation in service
to the people of Michigan
and for contributing . . . — — Map (db m98227) HM
In 1891 three brothers-in-law Anthony Bartak, Charles Wilhelm and Frank Votruba built this 1,200-seat Victorian opera house. Designed by E. R. Prall of Pontiac, the opera house was the first facility in Traverse City to use electric lights. It has a . . . — — Map (db m168175) HM
The Civil War Soldier statue was purchased by public donations from the Chicago Bronze Company and dedicated at a public ceremony on Decoration Day, May 30, 1890. Over 300 Civil War Veterans were joined by 4,000 citizens at the unveiling at the . . . — — Map (db m98272) HM WM
This simple white frame structure featuring gable roof ends with spindle work is the oldest synagogue building in continuous use in Michigan. It was constructed in 1885 on land donated by Perry Hannah, Traverse City lumber magnate who contributed to . . . — — Map (db m168177) HM
George Fox founded the Religious Society of Friends in England during the seventeenth century. In the U.S. the society, commonly called Quakers, opposed slavery during the nineteenth century, and it opposed war and violence throughout its existence. . . . — — Map (db m168188) HM
French traders named this bay when they made “the long crossing” — la grande traverse — across its mouth. Chippewa and Ottawa tribes dwelt in this region. Peter Dougherty’s Indian Mission, established in 1839 at Old Mission, paved the way . . . — — Map (db m168174) HM
Grand Traverse County was officially organized in 1851. Its first courthouse and jail were built in 1854 for $600 on land donated by the lumbering firm Hannah, Lay and Company. The courthouse, a wooden structure, burned in 1862. The county used . . . — — Map (db m98213) HM
In 1851, Perry Hannah, Albert Lay and James Morgan founded Hannah Lay & Co. in Chicago. The next year, they purchased a lumber camp at the mouth of the Boardman River. The company supplied timber to Chicago and goods to the lumber camp. It built . . . — — Map (db m205367) HM
This monument is dedicated to all the men and women who served in the Korean War, to whom we owe our deepest respect and gratitude. They went not for conquest, not for personal gain, but to preserve freedom.
On June 25th 1950, Communist North . . . — — Map (db m98229) WM
Ladies Library Association. Eight women met to organize the Traverse City Ladies Library Association on July 23, 1869. Their constitution, adopted on July 28, allowed any lady to join the library for a dollar. It cost 25 cents each quarter to . . . — — Map (db m168180) HM
On July 28, 1869, eight Traverse City women organized the Ladies Library Association. In 1878 the association purchased its first building, at 205 East Front Street. In 1909 the association sold that building and retained Fred E. Moore as architect . . . — — Map (db m98228) HM
This blood red planet was named Mars after the Roman god of war. The symbol for Mars portrays his shield and spear. Mars has two very small lopsided moons named after the two horses that pull his chariot — Deimos (Terror) and Phobos (Fear). The . . . — — Map (db m213240) HM
It’s really hot, really rocky and it’s blasted full of craters! Ya’ gotta love this spunky little planet!! It’s named for the winged messenger of the gods because it moves so quickly across the night sky. Compared to our year of 365 days, Mercury . . . — — Map (db m213236) HM
Playing with a globe did you ever notice how perfectly South America seems like it would fit right into the side of Africa? 250 million years ago the land masses did exist as a single super continent called Pangea. Thanks to plate tectonics or . . . — — Map (db m213238) HM
In 1886, Antoine Novotny, one of the Bohemian founders of this community, built a bar on this site. Novotny's Saloon was the social center of the city's south side and headquarters of the Traverse City Hustlers semi-pro baseball team. In 1939 the . . . — — Map (db m168179) HM
Why is it so hot in the first place? Within the Sun's core the pressure is so great and the hydrogen atoms are moving so fast that when they collide they fuse (stick together) to form helium. The cool part is that the helium (and the stray . . . — — Map (db m213235) HM
In 1942, the local Chamber of Commerce persuaded the Parsons Corporation to move its Pureaire Unit Kitchen Division into the vacant 60-year-old Greilick plant. About the same time the Sheffer Collet Company also started operations in a . . . — — Map (db m98231) HM
This tablet was erected
and dedicated by the people of
Grand Traverse region
May 30, 1924
in honor of
all her boys who served
in the Spanish-American War
and in ever grateful memory of
those who died while in service.
Grenville . . . — — Map (db m98221) WM
From any perspective this location marks the most historic industrial site in the Grand Traverse region. Here the Greilick family produced the woodwork, both interior and exterior, that finished the majority of the Victorian homes in the area . . . — — Map (db m98230) HM
This 6.4 inch 100 Pounder Parrot[t] Rifled Naval Cannon served on the U.S.S. Sabine during the Civil War. It is the only one from that ship that survives today. The cannon was cast in 1862 at the West Point Foundry (Registration #15 Foundry #210) . . . — — Map (db m98250) HM WM
Early Romans named the dazzling white planet Venus, after their goddess of love and beauty. Venus is sometimes called Earth's sister planet because both are about the same size, composition and age. But conditions on the two planets are very . . . — — Map (db m213237) HM
The Traverse City Auto Dealers
are proud to honor the
Veterans of Vietnam
at this park site
marking the entrance to the
Central Business District.
Welcome to Traverse City.
[Auto Dealers not transcribed]
"Armed Forces Day" - May 21, . . . — — Map (db m98198) WM
This tablet was erected
and dedicated by the people of
Grand Traverse region
May 30, 1924
in honor of
all her boys and girls
who served in the World War
and in loving memory of
those who died while in service.
Clyde B. Allen • . . . — — Map (db m98222) WM
This plaque marks the site of the City-owned Con Foster Museum, named
in honor of movie theater manager and civic leader Conrad H. Foster
(1875-1940), now operated by the Traverse City Film Festival as the
Bijou by the Bay. Con Foster was . . . — — Map (db m297613) HM
This memorial erected by Cherry Center Grange No. 1850 in honor of the boys and girls of Peninsula Town, who served in World Wars One and Two.
World War One – Frank Edgecomb
World War Two – Carl Brimmer
World War One, April 3 . . . — — Map (db m234756) WM
The "Empire Methodist Church" - built in 1895. The Empire Area Methodists gathered here for services, Sunday school, weddings and funerals till their new church was built in 1963. It is now the Masonic Temple. — — Map (db m98318) HM
Do you see her? The Sleeping Bear is the large dune about a mile away, perched along the edge of the bluff. She hardly looks like a bear now, but in August 1721, French historian Pierre Charlevoix canoed past the dunes and described "a kind of bush" . . . — — Map (db m208027) HM
…scarcely had we gotten out into Lake Michigan than we were beset by a horrible tempest and in an instant out rudder was broken to pieces…Not being able to control our course, we were during the night the toy of gigantic waves which . . . — — Map (db m208025) HM
Once, long ago, in the land called Wisconsin across the great lake, there was terrible hunger and many people died. A bear and two little cubs were trying to leave that place and come around the lake where there would be more food.
They . . . — — Map (db m208029) HM
The Empire Lumber Company operated
from 1887 to 1917, dominating this once
booming lumber town. Empire, incorporated in 1895, derived its name
from the schooner “Empire” which was
icebound here during a storm in 1865.
George Aylsworth operated . . . — — Map (db m257317) HM
The little village where natural quiet and beauty surround us was
not always like this. On the peaceful shore where the schooner
“Empire” foundered grew a bustling mill and village. While the
Sleeping Bear overlooked the scene, millions of feet . . . — — Map (db m257326) HM
Empire is the Trail Head of the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail.
This 234 mile shore to shore trail from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron was dedicated by Governor
George Romney in May of 1964. It represents the combined efforts of the Michigan . . . — — Map (db m257323) HM
More than fifty ships have wrecked along this stretch of Lake Michigan. These buildings housed the men of the United States Life Saving Service who guarded this hazardous shore. Equipped with line throwing cannons and rowing life boats, they . . . — — Map (db m100648) HM
This picturesque view differs dramatically from what you would have seen were it not for the Great Depression.
As lumbering declined in the 1900s, tourism began to boom. Travel writers called Glen Lake the "Switzerland of America." Not one to miss . . . — — Map (db m282497) HM
By the end of World War I,
the rapid growth of the recreation
industry in Michigan, a need for a
state-wide parks system had arisen.
In 1919 the State Park Commission
was established. D. H. Day State Park,
honoring the commission's . . . — — Map (db m257310) HM
More than 10,000 years ago, enormous rivers of ice covered the land in front of you. They gouged the earth like plows and left piles of sand and gravel called moraines in their wake. In fact, you're standing on one of those piles now! . . . — — Map (db m282494) HM
Henry Campbell's successful wheat and dairy farm was begun here in about 1860. The site includes buildings dating from 1860 to 1960 from impressive barns to modest migrant quarters. Some original buildings have been removed, some re-purposed, and . . . — — Map (db m213302) HM
The DeYoung family cherishes this land. In 2006, the family worked with the Leelanau Conservancy and Elmwood Township to permanently protect the farm and shoreline by establishing the DeYoung Natural Area. Cedar Lake was an important part of . . . — — Map (db m213301) HM
This commercial fishing district has provided a livelihood for residents of the town for over a century. Fishermen reached the fishing grounds of Lake Michigan by way of the Leland River (Carp River) using small sailboats until the introduction of . . . — — Map (db m76057) HM
The first white settlement in Cleveland Township was established on this site Nov. 1, 1855, and was called North Unity. The Shaldas, Krubners, and Svobodas, were among the early settlers. Agnes Krubner Svoboda, in whose memory this plaque is . . . — — Map (db m98295) HM
Residents of the logging community
of Burdickville held a picnic on
August 3, 1893, to honor two elderly
pioneers, Kasson Freeman and John
Fisher. High attendance at this
first picnic inspired the organizers
to hold one annually. In 1905 . . . — — Map (db m257309) HM
1858: Erected by U.S. Lighthouse Service
1899: Fog Signal Building constructed
1900: Converted to a two family dwelling
1916: Kitchen added
1952: Modernized and electrified porch wings added
1972: Building closed. Automatic Light Tower . . . — — Map (db m162126) HM
Great Lakes sport trolling was pioneered off Northport in the early 1920s. Traverse City native George Raff was the first to discover that lake trout could be caught by trolling in Grand Traverse Bay’s protected waters. Prior to this, trout . . . — — Map (db m204941) HM
Woolsey Family Farm
Around 1858, Chauncey and Caroline Woolsey moved with their children from Buffalo, New York, to Northport. Chauncey’s father, Adolphus Woolsey, a War of 1812 veteran, arrived with his wife Harriet soon after. Chauncey . . . — — Map (db m204999) HM
In 1839 the Reverend Peter Dougherty founded Old Mission, the first Protestant mission in the Grand Traverse area. The church, comprising Indians and whites, was organized in 1843. After 1850 the Indians were allowed to buy land; they and the . . . — — Map (db m204938) HM
Pierce Stocking, a native of northern Lower Michigan, worked as a lumberman and spent much of his leisure time in the woods. He wanted to share his love of nature with others and conceived the idea of constructing a scenic drive onto the Sleeping . . . — — Map (db m98312) HM
Without departed glaciers the dunes would not be here. Melting continental ice left this ridge of sand and gravel. Steady winds off Lake Michigan have plucked at the sand grains, propelling them inland, depositing a veneer of dunes on top of the . . . — — Map (db m98311) HM
In 1985, this wooden beam was placed here at the edge of the sand dune to measure dune movement. The numbers on the beam show how many feet the dune has advanced. Try to figure out the average rate pf movement per year.
The dune here rises to a . . . — — Map (db m98308) HM
This plaque is issued by the
Historical Society of Michigan
in recognition of
Bahle's
Founded in 1876
For more than 100 years of
continuous operation in service
to the people of Michigan
and for contribution to the
economic . . . — — Map (db m98273) HM
St. Wenceslaus Church and Cemetery
In the 1860s and 1870s settlers from Bohemia (now part of Czechoslovakia) came to this area and worked at the Leland Lake Superior Iron Foundry and the Gill sawmill. Catholics attended mass at the Holy Trinity . . . — — Map (db m205322) HM
This Veterans Memorial is dedicated to all who honorably served in the defense of our great nation, living or deceased, in peace or war, resident or nonresident. We pay special tribute to those who made the supreme sacrifice for America.
History . . . — — Map (db m98293) WM
This school was erected in 1877 to replace a log structure built in 1870. The school has two rooms that housed grades one through eight. Older children attended school in Suttons Bay or Traverse City. Sunday school classes met here until 1888 when . . . — — Map (db m204878) HM
This village was first known as Norristown, in honor of Seth and Albert Norris who opened a gristmill here about 1853. In the mid-1850s Godfrey Greilick and sons, natives of Bohemia, built a small, water-powered sawmill. The steam powered Greilick . . . — — Map (db m204877) HM
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