Just Exploring – Petoskey, Bay View and Harbor Springs Michigan

…continuing with our late summer road trip to Michigan and beyond.

Since it was still a bit rainy, we decided to drive around Petoskey and the nearby town of Harbor Springs to see what interesting buildings or places that we could find. 

Penn Plaza, which is located at 9 Pennsylvania Plaza, is the site of the first railway depot in Petoskey.  The original depot burned down in 1899 and was rebuilt in brick.  The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad operated here until 1920, when that railroad was purchased by the Pennsylvania Central Railroad.  Unfortunately, the other side of the building has had an addition that does nothing positive for this historic landmark.  Current occupants of the old depot include 2 architectural firms, another company specializing in interior design, a CPA’s office and an environmental tech firm.

As we drove north from Petoskey, we ‘discovered’ an amazing assortment of Victorian era homes in the town of Bay View.  “The Lilacs”, as this one is named, really caught our eye.  I was unable to find anything directly related to its history except that it is referred to as a “Folk Victorian Cottage”.

In actuality, Bay View is almost all part of the Bay View Association of the United Methodist Church.  It’s an example of two “only in America” community formats: the Methodist camp meeting and the independent Chautauqua.  The Association was founded in 1876 as the country’s only ‘romantically-planned campground.  It was adapted for the Chautauqua format from 1885 to 1915.  This ‘ideal’ Victorian summer community has remained in continuous operation ever since it was founded.

I don’t know how much more ornate or Victorian in style than this huge ‘cottage’ could be!  The color scheme makes it pop too… 

The Bay View Association’s grounds cover about 340 wooded acres and it includes roughly 440 ‘cottages’ as well as 30 community-owned structures.  The Association even has its own post office despite the fact that the ‘camp’ is closed and all the cottages are vacated from November through April.  Owners of the cottages lease the land under their seasonal homes from the Association.  In turn, the owners are charged annual Chautauqua fees and taxes.

The center of the Bay View Association Community is referred to as The Campus…originally Tabernacle Park.  Many of the larger communal structures are located here, including the original 1877 preaching stand and an 1880 book store.  Also, in season, both accommodations and dining opportunities are open to the public.  The ‘Terrace Inn’ and ‘1911 Restaurant’ were first opened in the summer of 1911.

To learn more about the Bay View Association and the opportunities it offers, go to https://www.bayviewassociation.org/.  

Here is yet another spectacular example of one of the larger Bay View Association cottages.  Nearly all of the structures in Bay View were built between 1875 and 1900.  Most were built in the Eastlake or Stick style but there are some cottages that were constructed in the Queen Anne and Shingle style architecture.  Cottages are set on 50-foot lots along gently curving streets that follow the natural terraces of the land.

Interestingly, under an 1889 Michigan state law, the Bay View Association can appoint a board of assessors, deputize its own marshal and maintain streets and buildings on collectively owned land.  Bay View Association has always been open to all people as regards events, visits, etc.  The association requires cottage owners to have ‘good moral character’ and that owners be practicing Christians, ideally members of the United Methodist Church.  In 1959 the association did away with the requirement that owners be Caucasian, but other restrictions, including one that set a quota on the percentage of Catholic cottage owners, remained in place.

Needless to say, legal actions have been initiated to change the rules.  A lawsuit on behalf of Bay View Chautauqua Inclusiveness Group against the Bay View Association of the United Methodist Church was filed in 2017.  It alleged religious discrimination under the First Amendment as well as violations of the Federal Fair Housing Act, as well as Michigan’s Constitution and related civil rights laws.  Much of the problem stems from owners not being able to leave their cottages to a surviving spouse or children because of their religion.  Specifically, one individual who would have inherited her parents’ fourth generation cottage, was denied membership and the right to be a co-owner because she had converted to Judaism.  Cottagers cannot sell on the open market and they are left with only a ‘small segment of willing buyers”.  While there apparently have been further modifications to the restrictions imposed by the Bay View Association, it appears that legal actions have continued with some agreements reached and a judge is supervising the required progress.

This is a ‘fly-by’ photo of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Harbor Springs Depot.  It is included on the National Register of Historic Places.  When the railroad built a line to Petoskey in 1874, a major influx of new residents followed.  The Village of Harbor Springs was incorporated in 1880, a branch line was built to service Harbor Springs in 1882 and the depot was built to serve the railway in 1889.  The depot was at the end of an 8 mile short line which was used for summer season trains that were timed to meet up in Petoskey with the Pennsylvania Railroad’s “Northern Arrow”.

The Northern Arrow was one of the named Pennsylvania Railroad passenger trains serving St. Louis Missouri, Cincinnati Ohio, Chicago Illinois and Mackinaw City Michigan.  It was popular with northbound travelers headed for popular Northern Michigan tourist destinations such as Charlevoix, Petoskey, Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island.  The last passenger train stopped here in 1961.  The old depot has served several purposes since then.

Interestingly enough, the Bay View Association chose its ‘camp site’ based on the availability of rail service.  The group considered a number of locations but in the end they made a deal with the citizens of Petoskey and the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad.  The citizens of Petoskey paid to extend the railroad to Bay View, the railroad would purchase the site/property, and the Association would improve the property and hold camp meetings there for at least 15 years.

The Shay Hexagon House is located at 396 East Main Street in Harbor Springs Michigan.  It used to be part of a 3-structure complex which included a machine shop and waterworks that had been built by Ephraim Shay.  Sadly, the machine shop and waterworks have been demolishes. 

Shay was born in Ohio in 1939, moving to Michigan in 1864 and to Harbor Springs in 1888.  He was well known as the inventor of the Shay Locomotive, which were typically used in the logging industry.  Upon his arrival in Harbor Springs, he built his octagonal house as his residence as well as a nearby machine shop where he actually constructed some of his locomotives as well as various tools.  Subsequently Shay built a waterworks, which supplied Harbor Springs and Harbor Point with up to 100,000 gallons of water a day.  A reservoir was constructed in 1894.  Shay lived in his house until he died in 1916.  After housing a number of commercial shops, it was purchased by a private owner and it has been carefully restored.

Ephraim Shay invented and patented a geared steam locomotive that was primarily used in North America.  As they could operate successfully on steep or poor quality trackage, Shay locomotives were especially suited for logging, mining and industrial operations.  Roughly 2,770 Shay locomotives were built and today 115 of them survive in various conditions and settings.  Built in 1905, the Shay locomotive shown above operates on the same tracks that it did originally.  It is on the Cass Scenic Railway in West Virginia.  For more information, go to https://wvstateparks.com/park/cass-scenic-railroad-state-park/.

The ‘Aha’ is an all-steel yacht that was built in 1904 by inventor Ephraim Shay.  He built it as his personal yacht, staring construction in 1891 and, after a number of design changes he finally launched it.  It was built in Shay’s machine shop.  In the 1890s the all-steel ‘Aha’ was a rarity as most boats were built with wood. 

The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society worked in partnership with the Industrial Arts Institute in Onaway Michigan.  Work started in 2019 to repair the dilapidated vessel and this finished project or exhibit is on display in Harbor Springs’ Shay Park.

This modest building is known as the Chief Andrew J. Blackbird House or as the Andrew J. Blackbird Museum.  It is located at 368 East Main Street in Harbor Springs Michigan.  Chief Andrew Blackbird, also known as ‘Makade-binesi’ or ‘Black Hawk’, was an Odawa (Ottawa) tribe leader, an historian and a proponent of Native American civil rights.  Blackbird was born ca. 1815 and he served in a number of government posts, including US Interpreter for the Mackinac Agency and as the appointed postmaster of Little Traverse (Harbor Springs) in 1869.

Chief Blackbird purchased this house for his family ca. 1858.  When he became postmaster, the home doubled at the post office.  As postal volume grew, new residents complained and tried to have Blackbird removed.  As a counter to the complaints, he built an addition to the house to serve as the post office.  He continued to serve as postmaster until 1877.  In 1887, Blackbird published a book entitled “History of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan. 

Blackbird continued to live in the house until 1908 and his wife and sons lived here for many years, the last of them dying in 1947.  Then it was sold to the Michigan Indian Foundation and it was opened as a museum.  The City of Harbor Springs purchased it in 1964 with the stipulation that if continued to operate as a museum of American Indian artifacts.  To learn more, go to https://petoskeyarea.com/places/andrew-blackbird-museum/.

That’s about all for now… Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Concord Michigan…Jackson County

My mother lived in Concord Michigan for a number of years before she had to relocate to live near us in Mount Prospect Illinois due to her health.  My mother’s sister, who was married to the President of Coca Cola, built a large new home in Concord for my mom to live in…about a block from the post office...You have to go to the Post Office to pick up your mail...and 2 blocks from the center of this historic and classic small Midwestern town.  My mother died in 1995, her commemorative service was held here in Concord at the First Presbyterian Church (built in 1911) and she is buried here in the Maple Grove Cemetery (ca. 1851).

Concord is just about 15 miles outside of Jackson Michigan just off of Hwy MI 60, and it is in Jackson County.  The town, or at least its extensive historical district, represents a typical late 19^th and early 20^th century agricultural and mill settlement in south central Michigan.  The Concord Village Historic District includes the entire historic commercial district of the village as well as the surrounding early residential area.  The entire District includes 120 structures, of which 106 of them are contributing buildings.

Starting in the commercial section of the Historic District, this is Brigham’s Hardware Store at 119 North Main Street.  Three generations of the Brigham’s family have owned and operated this iconic community commercial anchor.  With the exception of a modern expansion at the left of this photo, the remainder of the business occupies buildings that were built ca. 1880.

During my research I discovered that the current owner/operator of Brigham’s Hardware Store has decided to turn the business over to someone else and he’s looking for someone to take over this profitable hardware store.  Interested?  Check it out at https://concordtownshipmi.org/2022/01/19/multi-generational-landmark-family-business-for-sale/.

This 2-story Italianate brick commercial building with metal cornice, square-head windows and a pressed metal cornice was built during the 1890s.  When my mother lived in Concord, this was Shannon’s Grocery Store.  Like Brigham’s Hardware Store is currently, this too was a key element in Concord’s livability.  After 50 years in the grocery business, the Shannon’s gave it up in 2012.  Now the closest full line grocery store is about 5.5 miles away in Spring Arbor Michigan.

This is the former Farmer’s State Bank at 101 South Main Street in Concord.  It was built in 1900, replacing the original bank which burned down.  This is a relatively rare building style…a single story flat iron shaped glazed brick structure with a tower, on a dressed stone foundation.  Why only one story?  It was because the bank had observed that the fire department couldn’t sustain a proper stream of water to attack the fire on the second floor.  Another bank was operating here when my mother lived in Concord…and my mother just loved to go to the bank.  It was like a social activity.

Notes:

Back in the early days of the automobile, one wing of this bank building served as a Chevrolet dealership.  I’m not sure what “The Vault” is that now occupies the old bank building but the name is appropriate.

The bank…and Concord itself…briefly made national news in 1917 when a gang of robbers took over the town.  They cut the telegraph lines and sectioned off the city.  They threatened to shoot anyone they met in the streets and to dynamite any house where the lights were on!  Then they blew up the bank vault and drove away with $18,200…that is over $420,000 in today’s dollars!  They were never caught!

The Woodmen Lodge Hall which lodged the Modern Woodmen of America – Concord Camp, was built in 1900.  It replaced the Wetmore Opera House which had burned down along with the bank in 1899.  This 2-story false front brick Italianate structure with its 3 oculus windows and massive fieldstone foundation opened in January of 1901.  The opening was celebrated with “a high class vaudeville and minstrel show”.

After the local high school burned down in 1943, the old opera house served as a classroom, provided a basketball court and it housed the school library.  After the new school was built in 1953, the building served at St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church until 1996.  The old opera house is now owned by the village.

As regards the “Modern Woodmen of America”, the organization and its history is too lengthy to explain here.  Suffice it to say, since its founding in 1890, it has evolved into WoodmenLife, a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society based in Omaha Nebraska.  It operates a large privately held insurance company for its members.

This 2-story Italianate brick commercial structure was built ca. 1880 and it is located at 104 South Main Street.  That corner retail space has been home to a plethora of local businesses, with the most recent being an apparently failed Italian Bistro.  That Mail Pouch Tobacco sign has been on the building for as long as I can remember.

A bit of Concord History…

The town was first settled in 1832 and initially it was known as Van Fossenville.  A couple of years later it was changed to Concord to symbolize the harmony and agreement shared by early settlers.  Most of the early residents of Concord came from New England and New York…with an influx of German’s in the mid-1850s.  The town’s burgeoning early economy was based on local wheat production and its flour mills.

Yet another 2-story Italianate brick commercial building.  This one was built in 1886 and it’s at 102 North Main Street.  I wonder when those glass blocks were added… Apparently, it is home for the publisher of an advertising guide.  I love the photos of the local 2022 High School graduates.

More about the History of Concord…

The arrival of the Air Line Railroad division of the Michigan Central Railroad in 1871 spurred the growth of business in town.  There was a buggy works, a depot, a grain elevator, a livestock yard and ‘The Concord Independent’, one of two local newspapers.  In addition, there was a hotel, a livery, 5 flour mills, 3 doctors, 3 general stores, 2 wagon makers, 3 insurance agents, 2 lumber stores, 2 hardware stores, a meat market and a jeweler.  In 1906, Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show put on one of his spectacular shows in Concord.

The Behling Brothers Garage is one of the ‘new’ buildings in the Historic Commercial District.  Located at 124 North Main Street, this structure served as the home of an early Ford dealership.

A Little More Concord History…

Concord was officially incorporated as a village in 1871.  By 1880 the village was home to 540 residents.  In 1940, that number has risen to 618.  When my mother lived there, over 900 people called Concord home.  There is hope of some revival as regards the historic business structures in the center of town.  This is one small town that keeps growing.  In the 2020 census, 1,085 residents were recorded.

Now let’s move on to a few of the homes in the residential portion of the Concord Historic District… The residential district is comprised of wood frame vernacular Greek revival, Gothic revival, Italianate and Craftsmen style homes.  The number of old homes (1920 or much earlier) within about 4 blocks of the village center is quite remarkable.  Many of them are stunning but not pictured here…but I could find some details on the following homes.

This house with the big pillars is the Spratt House at 303 South Main Street.  This 2-story Italianate home with a cupola was built in 1876.  In 1920, the owner removed the Italianate entry and added those columns.  The property is still home to the original barn and ‘summer house’.

FYI, a summer house traditionally refers to a building or shelter that is used for relaxation in warm weather.  They are designed to provide cool shady places to relax or retreat from the summer heat.  Back in the 1800s, with no air conditioning, they provided a comfortable retreat from the more closed in homes of the time.

This is the best known home in Concord.  The Mann House at 205 Hanover Street is a 2 and a half story cross-gabled Eastlake structure that was built in 1884.  It has been designated as a Michigan State Historic Site and it has a separate listing on the National Register of Historic Places.  It has been operated as a museum since 1970.

This late Victorian style home is covered with clapboard siding.  A carriage house is located behind the house.  The home has 3 entrances to the house with 3 porches of varying size.

FYI, clapboard is also called bevel siding, lap siding and weatherboard.  Basically, it is wooden siding of a building in the form of horizontal boards, often overlapping. 

My mother donated several items to the Mann House including a doll house with antique dolls we’d purchased for her along with other period pieces appropriate to the time period when the sisters lived in the home.

Jessie Ellen Mann was a teacher who stayed in her family home.  Her sister Mary Ida had gone to the Philippine Islands as a teacher.  When Mary Ida’s husband died in 1942, she moved back to her childhood home to live with her sister.  They continued to live there until their deaths.  Jessie Ellen died in 1969 and the sister’s wills bequeathed the house to the people of Michigan.  All of their belongings…from furniture to clothing and their extensive library, now tell the story of the independent, self-sufficient and forward-thinking women who lived here for 86 years. To learn more and to see related photos, go to https://www.michigan.gov/mhc/museums/mann.

I couldn’t find out too much information about this home at 205 South Main Street.  It may not look like it, but this one-and-one-half story coursed cobblestone house with its mansard roof is 175 years old this year!  It is named the Hamlin Tyler House and it was built in 1847.  This is the only cobblestone house in Concord and it is one of only about fifty such houses in the entire state of Michigan.

I’m not crazy about the color but this house at 436 Hanover Street was built in 1890 in the same style as the Mann House.  I do like the gable front and the overall appearance of this home.  It has been well maintained.  Love those big trees!

This one-story Greek revival home with a second story ‘monitor’ was built in 1846.  In 1897 Truman and Cora Hubbard rented this house from the Paddock family, purchasing it in 1902.  The original carriage house is also on the property.  Truman Hubbard’s farm just east of the village was the site of the first producing oil well in Jackson County.  The couple’s daughter set up a foundation to ensure that the home would be preserved as a museum after her death in 1991.  The Paddock-Hubbard home has been designated as a Michigan Historical Site.

If this home at 214 Homer Street looks familiar, it should.  This Greek revival structure, the Goodwin House was built in the 1850s by the same builder who built the Paddock-Hubbard House.  Laurie and I have always loved the look of this house which is almost across the street from my mother’s former residence.  The original owner had it set well back from the street on the south bluff of the north branch of the Kalamazoo River. (I zoomed in for this photo) The location allowed Goodwin a good view of his extensive holdings as well as his 2 flour mills.  The home has been lovingly maintained over these many years… 

I thought that I’d end this post with a photo of the First Universalist Church at 200 Hanover Street.  This New England style church has 2 aisles and box pews.  It was built in 1866 by a Universalist Society that was formed by 13 families back in 1854.  They first met in the Paddock-Hubbard House.

Concord is a throwback to times past and the photos I’ve shown in this post provide just a sampling of the historic structures and homes that make the village a place to explore.  In addition, one could spend a whole day just wandering through the historic Maple Grove Cemetery with its huge old trees and old gravesites.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to help me reminisce about some of my younger days in the Jackson area.

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A Late Summer Road Trip to the ‘North Country’

Finally…a substantial road trip to an area we haven’t visited in many years.  We headed north to Michigan, my home state.  Plans included a lot of sightseeing, a number of museums and a couple of visits with family.  I tracked the mileage and from beginning to end we drove 2,316 miles.  Post trip, looking back on our itinerary, I should have allowed 2 additional days for this adventure.  It has been quite a bit of time since I’ve planned a longer road trip…that’s my excuse for my planning faux pas.  

As we progressed north through Kentucky…along US Hwy I-75…I didn’t need gas yet but then I saw something we’d never seen before and we had to check it out.  It was a BUC-EE’S! 

This is a relatively new location for a chain of gas stations and ‘convenience’ stores based in Texas.  BUC-EE’S had just recently opened their 50^th location over in Crossville Tennessee but we hadn’t visited it yet.  At this point, the company has locations in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee.

As you can see, even from a distance, these stores are very large and the gas pumps go on ‘forever’!  Interestingly, commercial trucks and truckers aren’t welcome at BUC-EE’S.  Reportedly, other locations are under development in Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee.

I talked Laurie into posing with BUC-EE, a 5’ tall sculpture of the company’s mascot, in front of the store.  The company was founded by Arch “Beaver” Aplin back in 1982.  Where did the name BUC-EE come from?  “Beaver” Alpin formed the name by combining his childhood nickname with the name of his Labrador retriever “Buck” plus the appeal of the old Ipana Toothpaste’s animated mascot, Bucky the beaver.

BUC-EE’S is not your typical travel center!  These ‘convenience stores’ are huge…basically the size of many discount stores across the country.  At 68,000 square feet, the company’s location in New Braunfels is the largest convenience store in the world.  It features 120 fueling locations, 1,000 parking spots, 64 ice freezers, 83 toilets, 31 cash registers, 4 “Icee” machines and 80 fountain dispensers. 

FYI, the restrooms at BUC-EE’S are exceptional.  Not only are there lots of them but the stalls are truly private from floor to ceiling and there is a crew on duty that continuously cleans and patrols them looking for issues or needs.

Laurie and I do like beef jerky… Well, BUC-EE’S has a jerky bar that offers about 37 varieties of this popular snack food!  Did you know that the dried meat/snack business in the USA realizes $2.8 billion a year in sales?  We did buy a package of nice peppered beef jerky.

Not in the mood for jerky?  How about a plethora of baked goods?!  Sweet and savory abound in these display cases.  Haven’t had a kolache in a long time?  You can get them at BUC-EE’S…

Then there is the Texas Round Up counter with brisket, pulled pork, turkey and much more!  Sausage on a stick, fish tacos, pastrami Ruben, Texas cheesesteak burrito, Texas hot dog/smothered with a Frito Pie, club sandwiches, a mammoth chicken fajita Taco…the options go on and on.  BUC-EE’S also offers breakfast tacos, spicy saltines (great with cheese), a variety of sausages and, of course cheese.  I won’t even try to list the sweets one can pick up at BUC-EE’S, but the fudge is highly rated by visitors and the ‘Beaver Nuggets’ are allegedly addictive.  Looking for something healthier?  They even offer dried fruits and vegetables…

Customers shouldn’t have to wait too long to fuel up at any BUC-EE’S location.  The number of fueling positions ranges from 80 to 120.  We filled up but I didn't count the number of fueling stations.  Some locations offer Ethanol Free and DEF fuels.  FYI, DEF stands for Diesel Exhaust Fluid… Yes, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, even super-charging stations are installed or being installed at many BUC-EE’S locations.

FYI…the World’s Largest Car Wash is located at BUC-EE’S in Katy Texas.  It is 225 feet long! 

The Richmond Kentucky BUC-EE’S Store along Interstate 75 opened in April of 2022.  To learn more about BUC-EE’S, you can just go to https://buc-ees.com/.  The Internet is loaded with food reviews and commentaries all related to the growing chain of huge travel service centers.  One other item of interest, you can order some of BUC-EE'S most popular snacks and other goodies on-line! 

Now on to Michigan!

We headed toward my hometown of Jackson Michigan via MI Hwy 50.  Along the way, we passed through Tecumseh.  I last reported on this old depot back in 2010 and I was glad to see that it has been well taken care of over the past 12 years.  The depot was originally located at ‘Tecumseh Junction’, just south of downtown Tecumseh.  It was the crossing of the north-south Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Jackson branch and the west-east Detroit, Toledo and Milwaukee Railroad.  The latter railroad’s trackage was also used by the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad. 

This pretty little depot was built in 1895 and it’s a reminder of Tecumseh’s railroad heyday.  Originally there were 2 depots in town… This depot was closed to passenger and freight traffic by 1930 and changed hands a few times before being moved to its current location on MI Hwy M-50 near the center of town. 

I couldn’t find any specific information on this handsome commercial building…other than the name of the ‘block’/building and the date it was built…this being the ‘Mills Block’ that was built in 1891.  A two block long commercial historic district, comprised primarily of Italianate style buildings, is listed the National Register of Historic Places but for some reason the detailed application isn’t available on-line via the National Register’s website.  A residential historic district has also been established in Tecumseh.

Today, Tecumseh has a population of about 8,680 residents and it is a pretty town...  The first settlement here was made in May of 1824.  The settlers, 15 men, 11 women and 6 children, all came from Jefferson County New York.  By 1824, Tecumseh had been designated as the Lenawee County Seat.  The city was named after the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh.

Tecumseh (ca. 1768 – 1813) was a chief and warrior who pressed for resistance to American expansion into Native American lands.  A gifted orator, he traveled among the various tribes and was able to form a Native American Confederacy…promoting intertribal unity.  Even though he sided with the British in the War of 1812 in order to stop the westward flow of pioneers, he became an iconic folk hero in Indigenous, Canadian and American popular history.  To learn more about this great leader, you can go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tecumseh.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave