Lost In Michigan
  • HOME
  • Books
  • the Images
  • The Artist
  • The Journey
  • Shop
  • Cart

Orchard Beach

Posted on October 17, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in State Parks .
If you like this post click on the buttons to share with your friends

In the late 1880s, George Hart cleared the land north of Manistee where Orchard Beach State Park now stands and planted an apple orchard, which gave the park its name. The orchard sat on a high bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. By 1892 Hart had built a boardwalk and theater to attract more tourists. With its growing popularity, A trolley line ran from Manistee for people to visit enjoying the view and sunsets over Lake Michigan.

As Michiganders fell in love with the automobile few people were using the trolly and passenger trains. Trolley service to the park eventually stopped and the site was purchased by the Manistee Board of Commerce which deeded it to the state to become part of the Michigan state park system in 1921. The state built a campground among the apple trees and purchased the dairy farm across the street which is now a natural area and used for hiking trails.

The limestone buildings in the park were designed by architect Ernest F. Hartwick and built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal”. The apple trees are gone and large oak and maple trees have taken their place. The park was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2009, cited as “one of the most intact examples of a Michigan state park developed in the 1930s and 1940s


Because of the erosion of the Lake Michigan shoreline, the historic pavilion will be moved back 200 feet in order to save it for future generations.

Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this weekend on Amazon HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did. 

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

Related

« The Stone Wooden Schoolhouse
The Grand Ledge in Autumn »

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment

Subscribe to Blog

Enter your Email to receive new posts notifications

Categories

  • autumn
  • Barns and Farms
  • Bars and Restaurants
  • Benchmarks
  • Bridges
  • calendars
  • castles
  • Cemetery
  • Churches
  • cities
  • courthouses
  • Dam
  • Detroit
  • Fire Houses
  • Forgotten Places
  • General Store
  • Ghost Murals
  • Ghost towns
  • Giveaways
  • Grain Elevators
  • Haunted Places
  • Historic Places
  • Houses
  • Iconic Buildings
  • island
  • Landscapes
  • Library
  • Lighthouses
  • Michigan Historical Markers
  • Michigan State Parks
  • Mills
  • Murders
  • Nature
  • Parks
  • people
  • Photography Tips
  • presentations
  • Restaurants
  • Schools
  • Ships and Boats
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes
  • small towns
  • SP March Madness
  • State Parks
  • Thumb
  • Train Depots
  • Uncategorized
  • upper peninsula
  • Water Tower
  • Waterfalls
  • Winter Wonderland

Archives

Pages

  • Books
  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • My Account
  • Shop
  • Shopping Cart
  • Store
  • the Images
  • The Journey
  • The Artist

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013

Categories

  • autumn (55)
  • Barns and Farms (72)
  • Bars and Restaurants (5)
  • Benchmarks (1)
  • Bridges (14)
  • calendars (9)
  • castles (8)
  • Cemetery (41)
  • Churches (87)
  • cities (8)
  • courthouses (20)
  • Dam (15)
  • Detroit (19)
  • Fire Houses (21)
  • Forgotten Places (167)
  • General Store (13)
  • Ghost Murals (3)
  • Ghost towns (47)
  • Giveaways (21)
  • Grain Elevators (20)
  • Haunted Places (59)
  • Historic Places (107)
  • Houses (186)
  • Iconic Buildings (22)
  • island (1)
  • Landscapes (7)
  • Library (22)
  • Lighthouses (89)
  • Michigan Historical Markers (96)
  • Michigan State Parks (17)
  • Mills (3)
  • Murders (15)
  • Nature (17)
  • Parks (6)
  • people (18)
  • Photography Tips (4)
  • presentations (9)
  • Restaurants (13)
  • Schools (69)
  • Ships and Boats (11)
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes (2)
  • small towns (62)
  • SP March Madness (5)
  • State Parks (6)
  • Thumb (44)
  • Train Depots (50)
  • Uncategorized (147)
  • upper peninsula (111)
  • Water Tower (8)
  • Waterfalls (25)
  • Winter Wonderland (19)

WordPress

  • Log in
  • WordPress

CyberChimps WordPress Themes

© Lost In Michigan