Omena History

Gordon Solle, Elsie, and Geneva (Putnam) Smith at the counter in Anderson’s Ice Cream Parlor in 1935. Geneva Smith became the Postmaster there in 1965. – Courtesy Omena Historical Society Ernestine Freeland Johnson once remarked about the lengths the local postman went to look after his neighbors on his mail route. She said, “Ed Egeler was the rural carrier from 1927 to 1954. He was a very conscientious man. One winter it had been snowing a lot. Ed told her some man along the route had told him, ‘You know I’ve had impressions made for dentures,’ and the dentist said… Read More »

The Legg Cottage, perched on a hill overlooking Omena Bay. – Courtesy Omena Historical Society For years when I’d ride my bike down Ingall’s Bay Road I’d see a little cabin with a sign by the door that said “HOUSE BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD”, which seemed obvious, since it was by the side of the road, not by the bay, not in the woods, just by the side of the road. I wondered about it. In 1910 Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Lay came from Marshalltown, Iowa to visit Leonard Wheeler, who was a relative, and to vacation at… Read More »

This is a typical 1920’s dance band. It is uncertain which band it is, but it is probably playing at the Elks Hall, not Sunset Lodge. The University of Illinois dance band that the Wheelers brought up to play for their guests would have been composed of the same instruments. – Courtesy Tom Carter’s collection A rock sitting out in Omena Bay would have heard so many kinds of music floating over the water over the years. All through its history, music from dance bands, pump reed organs, pianos, gramophone’s, a famous “Cremona” violin, and John Van Holt’s beloved Viola,… Read More »

This is an early photo of the Chicago Club, but must have been taken after 1885 when bicycles were invented. Courtesy Omena Historical Society Avoiding the heat and dust and congestion of Chicago’s summers was a primary concern for three Chicago businessmen: Chase, Jameson, and Waldron. They wanted a place for their families to stay safely during the summer. So as early as 1868, they built a duplex, the first little “resort” of its kind in Omena. They named it “The Shabwahsung Club” after the Indian Chief who once lived on Omena Point with his band. It soon became known… Read More »

Identified as the “Queenie Smith cottage” by Vin Moore in 1996, this cottage still exists but is much changed. Its current owners would rather its previous history not be made known. Courtesy Omena Historical Society Once there were two Omena businesses that came, tried hard to succeed, and failed after a short time, disappearing without a trace, no photos, no one remembering them, only mentioned in passing in history books, fading into the mists of yesterday. Except for their short duration, they are about as different as could possibly be from each other. The first, Bidlemans’ gas station, all but… Read More »

The VanPelt family Emily’s daughter her husband, and Emily’s grandchildren are on the left in this photo Emily and Thearl Smith on the right. What could a young farmer’s wife with a three year old daughter do in 1922 when more money is needed to supplement the cherry crop? Many, many things if you are Emily Nash Smith. She had been a teacher before she was married, so, hearing Bass Lake school needed a teacher, for starters she accepted the job teaching in the one room schoolhouse. She had to be at school an hour before the children to make… Read More »

The farm horse Maude with Ole’s parents. – Courtesy Katja Sage The family had no electricity or running water in Ole’s early years. During the colder months baths were once a week. His mother poured kettles of hot water from the wood stove into a big laundry tub in the kitchen. The trips to the outhouse were cold, especially at night in the snow! They used candles and Kerosine lanterns for light. These could have been the cause of the fire which completely burned down the family home destroying all the childhood photos of Ole in 1956 while Ole was… Read More »

Putnam’s Gas Station with several additions ca. 1950 Courtesy of Ed and Caroline Oberndorf and Omena Historical Society In 1938, John Putnam looked around and saw that Omena had three competing gas stations, two general stores, two churches, two schools, two cemeteries, a bookstore and an ice cream parlor. What it didn’t have, and never had was a bar. He added on to his little gas station to change that. Putnam’s was now a full featured service station and a bar with seating for about 30 people. It was a success and for the next twenty years Putnam’s was the… Read More »

There was a big mulberry tree in my back yard when I was little. My brother was too small to climb it. I loved climbing into that tree and tossing things down on my brother just to get him mad. My mom had several clothes lines in the back yard and on wash day, the sheets waved in the breeze all day. One day I climbed the mulberry tree and to my delight found big purple berries there, a bit tart for eating, but just right for throwing. Looking down I spotted my brother playing with his trucks under the… Read More »

Vintage Light Bulbs Up until the early 1900’s Omena was in the dark. Arriving at a lamp-lit cottage, with hand-pump well and heat producing wood-stoves. With ice boxes for cooling food, and a thin walled out-house was a shock to early Omena visitors from the city. But improvement in basic utilities came at different times to the various homes and cottages. A Detroit firm constructed a dam in Leland sometime between 1906 and 1908, according to A History of Leelanau County. The dam provided electricity for Leland, Northport, Omena and Sutton’s Bay twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week… Read More »