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Cabins, Camps, Trailer Parks
Page 2: Motels Hotels
Page 3: Bed & Breakfasts
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Dunbar/Sun Ray Cabins |
Dunbars Cabins |
Sun Ray Cabins – 1950ca |
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In February 1940, Dale Dunbar purchased a 160-acre stretch of
property, south of Whitehall, intersected by US 31, that once belonged to
the Covell Estate. His plans for the property were to build overnight
tourist cabins there.
His plans included construction of a scenic drive leading to the cabin
development on his property. He offered to donate the cut timbers from that
roadway to the American Legion for their building on White Lake, if they
were willing to cut the trees.
In 1947, Dunbar sold his cabin property to Joseph Nast of Chicago and the
wooded part of the property on the other side of US 31 to Walter Hunt. Mr.
Joseph Nast and his wife Madelyne changed the name of Dunbars Cabins to
Sun-Ray Cabins and operated them for many years. Mrs. Nast died in 1968 and
he died in 1971.
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Tourist Camp or
Tourist Park
| Tourist Camps or Tourist Parks were popular from 1930
to the 1960s. The first mention of the Tourist Camp in our area was in
a September 1926 newspaper article reporting on the successful resort
season. The article implied that the camp was greatly improved, and
the tourists had much praise for the local camp, both as to location,
equipment and cleanliness. Some said it was the most scenic and
orderly maintained camp in West Michigan. The fact that it was
“greatly improved” sounds like it may have been around for a year or
so prior. |
Trailer Park in Whitehall, 1930 postmark - Exact location unknown |
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Goodrich Park
1940ca
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1940ca
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1940ca
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1940ca
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1940ca |
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In 1938, the WPA worked to grub-out old stumps and prepare the site for a
community
building which included showers & toilets, a laundry room, and a concession
stand.
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| This is the City Dock Launch Basin (above) - When the
Steamships were operating, this area was used by the launches to pick up
and drop off passengers. It was also used to bring resort guests back &
forth to town. In the 1940s, a boat livery was setup here and tourist
campers could make use of 10 row boats that were available there.
1940 saw 246 trailers use the park during the season.
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.jpg)
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This ca1965 postcard
shows the general area where the Tourist Camp/Trailer Park would have
been located - at the end of Colby Street – now known as Goodrich Park.
You can still see the slip where the launches came to pick up the
passengers arriving by Steamer. It’s unknown at this time exactly when
the Tourist Park ceased operating.
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Roadside Park
1965ca
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In 1936, a roadside
park was established between Whitehall and Montague just south of the
bridge. You can see 4 picnic tables along the road on White Lake side of
the causeway.
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Tourist Cabins – Camp
Joy
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According to limited
information, Jerry Krieger and his son Sheldon built and operated Camp
Joy from 1930 until 1947. It was located south of Whitehall on US 31
between Bell Road and Michillinda. They sold the camp to Arthur Peterson
in August 1948. It is also not known how long Mr. Peterson operated the
tourist cabins, some of which can still be seen in the area. |
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