Newsletter

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Petoskey -

In 1851, Rev. P. Dougherty, a Presbyterian clergyman who was assigned to the area, requested that a school be established for the children.  The place selected for the mission school was an 80 acre plot located on the high ground west of the Bear River half a mile from the shore.  Much more is integrated in this lovely 114-page, coffee table size book dedicated to our county, including the developent of Bay Harbor.   

Important dates concerning certain topics range from the French exploration to the present.  The premier for book sales, coupled with signing by the team: Candace Fitzsimons, editor, Kate Belfy, graphic designer and Betty Reddig, editor assistant, is scheduled to be held on Monday, July 30th at 10am at the Bay Harbor Museum.  Limited editions are available.  Cost is $29.95.

A Look Around Little Traverse Bay

A Note About This Book -

A Look Around Little Traverse Bay is designed to provide the reader with a snapshot of the broad, diverse, and fascinating history of the past events that define the character of the Little Traverse Bay Region.  To learn more about the region's history, we invite you to visit the Little Traverse Regional Historical Archives at the Main Museum located at the Petoskey waterfront.  All the research material for this book was taken from the Archives and Library of the Little Traverse Regional Historical Society.  A reference list of books is provided for the reader, although more extensive materials can be found in the Society's library.

This book was originally funded by the Petoskey-Harbors Springs Area Community Foundation in 1994.  After two re-prints, this revised and expanded edition was funded by the Bay Harbor Foundation.  We are deeply appreciative to our contributing sponsors, without whom this book could not have been completed. 

Book Honored as Top Museum Project - 'A Look Around Little Traverse Bay'

The book of Emmet County's history 'A Look Around Little Traverse Bay', assembled by the Little Traverse Historical Society, recently won recognition as one of Michigan's outstanding museum projects for 2007.  The historical society received a Quest for Excellence Award from the Michigan Museums Association, one of five presented this year in the institutional achievement category.  The honors were handed out Sept. 25 during the MMA's joint conference with the Association of Midwest Museums on Mackinac Island.

Teresa Goforth, executive director of the MMA, said the Little Traverse Historical Society submitted the book for a Graphic Design Award.  But given the book project's quality, she said a review committee moved it into the institutional achievement category.  Institutional achievement awards recognize museum projects in areas such as education, collections, exhibitions, public relations, development and administration.  In bestowing these awards, "what we're really looking for are projects that take an organization to the next step, where they really stretch themselves," Goforth said.  "Our committee really thought they did that with this project."

Other institutional achievement honorees this year include the Flat River Historical Museum in Greenville, the Macomb Cultural Center in Clinton Township, The Holland Historical Trust/Holland Museum in Holland and the Public Museum of Grand Rapids.MMA counts 175 museums around Michigan - ranging from small volunteer staffed to major operations like the Detroit Institution.

"A Look Around Little Traverse Bay" features articles on topics ranging from local Native Americans to resort life to the economic importance of the former Petoskey/Portland Cement Co., as well as hundreds of photographs.  Visits to the area by historical figures such as Mark Twain are also covered in the 100-page book.  The first edition of the book was published in 1994 with the financial support from the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation.  A grant from the Bay Harbor Foundation helped cover production costs for the expanded edition.  Candace Fitzsimons, executive director of the historical society, served as editor of the book project.  "It was a real honor to have this bestowed upon the historical society," she said of MMA's award. 

Everett Kircher

Everett Kircher - Boyne USA, 1907-2002

"Wouldn't it be great if Michigan had a real ski mountain?" was the lament made by Michigan skiers who in the 1940's had to travel to either Stowe, Vermont or Sun Valley, Idaho to experience challenging skiing. Back then, Aspen was just beginning and Vail had yet to be thought of. However, by 1947, Michigan skiers' prayers were answered by Everett J. Kircher, along with two of his ski buddies.  The three men, after much research found a site in Boyne Falls, whose vertical elevation was over 1,500 ft. and whose vertical slope was slightly more than 500 ft. After agreeing on this site, the men approached the then-owner of the property, Mr. William Pierson, in hopes of buying the land.

The three men, Kircher, Norton amd Christianse, told Mr. Pierson why they wanted to purchase the land.  Mr. Pierson's response was, "Anybody that is fool enough to want to build a ski hill, well....I'll give you the property." So, in the spring of 1947, after paying a token $1.00 for Mr. Pierson's 40 acres, the men formed Boyne Ski Lodge, Inc. and started to build the first Michigan premier ski resort. 

Everett was years ahead of everyone when it came to developing and operating a ski resort.  Thus began Kircher's uncanny ingenuity about what the skiing public needed, wanted, and what the ski business required. It was Everett Kircher who brought the first chairlift to Michigan.  In 1947, Kircher purcahsed a used single chairlift from Sun Valley and converted the single to a double in his Detroit Studebaker auto dealership. Besides tackling the uphill transportation problem (the chairlift), he also pioneered artificial snowmaking and offered a ski school, then headed by an Olympic gold medalist, Stein Erikson, to teach "the reverse shoulder" method to young skiers.  

By the mid-50's (thanks to Kircher), the ski industry was humming along, not just in Michigan but across North America. It was at this time, Kircher turned his mind to bringing to Northern Michigan summer revenue. This he did by first builiding a modest 9 hole golf course at Boyne Mountain, then in 1969 hiring the famed golf course architect, Robert Trent Jones to plan and construct Northern Michigan's first 'Designer' course (The Heather) at Boyne Mountain.