Nestled on the shores of the picturesque Sage Lake in Lupton, Michigan, Kenyon’s Lakeside Resort boasts a history as captivating as its scenic views. For over 130 years, this family-owned establishment has welcomed guests, but its past holds a secret link to one of Detroit’s most notorious criminal organizations: the Purple Gang.

During the Prohibition era of the 1920s and early 1930s, the Purple Gang, a ruthless bootlegging and hijacking syndicate, dominated Detroit’s underworld. Their operations stretched far beyond the city limits, and Kenyon’s Resort, with its secluded location and sprawling five-acre lakefront property, became a strategic hideout.

Rumors and local lore suggest that the Purple Gang utilized hidden tunnels beneath the resort to discreetly move their illicit goods and evade law enforcement. These clandestine passageways allowed them to conduct their “activities” undetected, taking advantage of the remote setting. It’s even said that the infamous Al Capone himself paid visits to Kenyon’s, further cementing its place in the annals of Michigan’s Prohibition history.

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Located beside the North Branch of the AuSable River, halfway between Grayling and Lewiston, lies the small town of Lovells. Just a fishing cast away from the riverbank stands a brown lodge accented with yellow trim, a historic landmark originally known as the Douglas House. Around 1898, Thomas E. Douglas, a key figure in the logging community, established a sawmill and general store in Lovells. Following a fire that destroyed his initial store, he built a new one in 1903. By 1916, he expanded his enterprise with the addition of a hotel, which he fittingly named the Douglas House. This impressive structure boasted twenty guest rooms and elegant common areas, all illuminated by electricity generated from Douglas’s own mill. From its inception, the Douglas House served as the headquarters for the prestigious North Branch Outing Club, a magnet for prominent sportsmen such as Henry and Edsel Ford, John and Horace Dodge, and Charles Nash. Douglas’s daughter, Margaret, capably managed the hotel until 1971 and continued to reside there until 1991.

In 1996, the historic property was revitalized as a bed and breakfast, maintaining its tradition of welcoming those drawn to the area’s hunting and fishing opportunities. The Douglas House achieved significant recognition in 2001 when the state of Michigan designated it a state historic site, followed by its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. Notably, the North Branch Outing Club remains active, offering the expertise of world-class fly fishing guides to this day.

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Built in 1853, the Brick Walker Tavern stands as a testament to the era of stagecoach travel. Located south of Brooklyn at the junction of US-12 and M-50, it once offered respite to those journeying between Detroit and Chicago. Today, this historic structure has been repurposed as a wedding venue, facing the original Walker Tavern, which is also a preserved as a historic site.

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A few blocks northeast of the Flint Truck and Bus assembly plant is a small park with a memorial to the Sit Down Strike. On December 30th, 1936 the workers at General Motor’s Fisher Body Plant stopped production and barricaded themselves inside the plant. They learned the company was going to move the dies that stamp out most of the body parts for GM’s cars. Rather than picketing outside, they occupied the plant so GM could not move the stamping dies or bring in scab workers to break the union strike. Without the body parts, most of General Motor’s production came to a halt.  Governor Murphy sent in the Michigan National Guard, not to help one side or the other, but to keep the peace. After 44 days the United Auto Workers of America and GM came to an agreement and production resumed.

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The Small town of Lovells sits along the North Branch of the AuSable River between Grayling and Lewiston. A stones throw away, or more like a fishing cast away, from the river is a brown lodge with yellow trim. The historic building was originally built by Thomas E. Douglas and named the Douglas House. He constructed a sawmill and general store in the logging community of Lovells around 1898. He erected a new store in 1903 after fire destroyed the first one, and in 1916 he built a hotel addition named the Douglas House. Electricity generated in his mill illuminated the twenty guest rooms and lavish common spaces. From the beginning, the hotel headquartered the North Branch Outing Club, a popular sportsmen’s club, which drew members like Henry and Edsel Ford, John and Horace Dodge, and Charles Nash. Douglas’s daughter, Margaret, ran the hotel until 1971. She continued to live in the Douglas House until 1991.

In 1996 the property reopened as a bed and breakfast, continuing to provide lodging to hunting and fishing enthusiasts. In 2001 the Douglas House was designated a state historic site by the state of Michigan, and In 2002 it was listed is on the national register of Historic Places. The North Branch Outing Club still offers world class fly fishing guides.

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