History of the first LaMona Beach Structure
THE LAMONA LODGE
The first structure erected in LaMona Beach was the Lamona Lodge.
The historic lodge still exists today at the end of Tomahawk.
HISTORIC LAMONA BEACH
LaMona Lodge photo donated by the grandson of the man who built the original LaMona Lodge
and is dedicated to his fond memories of his childhood at the LaMona Lodge
where he spent time with his grandfather as a child. If you look closely you can see his
grandmother standing in the window on the
far right of the photo.
In the beginning there were a total of 5 structures,
Including the lodge pictured here
2 structures on Cheyenne and the 1on Cherokee
Originally there WERE NO structures along the beach.
The beachfront structures were not erected until a few decades after the dedication.
History of the
HOUGHTON LAKE SYNDICATE
Capital
Stock certificate donated by Jessica from Escanaba whose family was one
of the original Houghton Lake Syndicate founding families.
The HOUGHTON LAKE SYNDICATE were friends primarly from the Detroit and Flint or areas who came together to create a resort on Houghton Lake to vacation to.
The Syndicate was founded February 23, 1928 and dissolved in 1931, maybe for an oil and gas merger, with corporate offices at the Flint P Smith Building in Flint.
President: Mr. EG Smith from Swartz Creek.
VP: Mr. I.N. Latchaw of Lansing.
Sec/Treasurer: Mr. William Arbuckle from Flint.
The
owner of this certificate was Miss Permelia Miner, believe to be single
and childless all her life along with her sister Cornelia Minor. These
ladies are Jessica's great aunts and were from the Flint and Detroit
areas. One of these original ladies is still alive today. Jessica's
uncle Charlie Minor who owned a pharmacy in Detroit is believed to have
gifted capital stock certificates to the ladies.
THE INTENT OF THE FOUNDERS
The
accounts coincide of the party who donated the original stock
certificate and the party who donated the photograph of the original
lodge, for safe keeping with theLaMona Beach Historical Club.
The original intent of the founders for LaMona Beach was that it was
formed to be a RESORT formed by a group of friends out of the Genessee
County and Detroit areas to vacation at and play. People could buy into
the resort by purchasing property and visitors were welcome at the
Lodge. LaMona
Lodge was where everyone who visited the resort gathered. The Lodge
originally had a long bar with a toasty fireplace made of beautiful
fieldstone (still intact). There were two long porch areas for
lounging. It was a lively place on the weekends.
Originally
there were no houses along the beach and the area bordering the beach
was all wooded with beautiful tall pines. The beach was originally
intended for everyone who owned or visited the LaMona Beach resort
and those people had to walk through some little trails through that
patch of beautiful woods (where the beachfront houses now stand) with
their towels in tow to get to the beach. On the other side of the woods
was a long and deep stretch of beautiful sandy golden beach framing
Houghton Lake's grand waters. The beach itself has ALWAYS been sandy
and beautiful - never swampy.
There
was an small sandy island across from the end of Cherokee Drive. There
was a short wooden walk bridge from the shore to the island. This was a
favorite picnicing and sunning area for visitors.
The
original plat owners WERE ALL BACKLOTTERS and they WERE ALL
DOWNSTATERS and everyone that owned in or visited LaMona Beach as a
resort used and shared the beach in an equal and respectful friendly
way. LaMona Beach was intended by the founders to be exactly and as
generally as what the Syndicate dedicated it to be back in 1928:
LaMona Beach
"Dedicated to the Use of the Public"
1928; Houghton Lake Syndicate