OVPA Blog

This is a customer reply card from Solle’s Bookstore from 1941. Solle named the local train “Maude” and credited her for delivering his books. Courtesy Leelanau Historical Society Rarely does death strike the same family twice within one week. But shortly after Carrie Solle was called to Chicago in March of 1949 to be with her sister whose husband had died, she got another call that her own husband had died as well. William H. Solle, “World Famous Omena Bookseller”, was home alone on that Sunday afternoon when he became ill. He called Dr Johnson of Northport, who found him… Read More »

William Craker with his egg basket. He brought eggs to the store and got groceries which he carried home every day. Photo courtesy Leelanau Historical Society It says a lot about a man’s character that he took care of an eagle for 14 years. William A. Craker, “Delly” to his many friends, captured the eagle while he and his family were living in Maple City in 1917. He named it “Megizzewas”, and kept it for 14 years until it escaped. What does it take to take care of an Eagle? First of all, an eagle isn’t a pet. The most… Read More »

  Below is a reprint of the article that appeared in the May/June 2022 issue of Northern Michigan Woman, by Marcia Biskupski. By Marcia Biskupski “In 1977, my husband and I visited Leelanau County for the first time. We were awed by the beauty of the rolling hills, crystal clear waters of Lake Michigan, beautiful orchards, and charming coastal towns. Impressed and curious, we played with the idea of purchasing land to build a small summer cottage on the water. On our sightseeing trip, we happened upon this idyllic little village, on the water, called Omena. There were just a… Read More »

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump – Omena Village Preservation Association Board Public Relations Chair, Roberta Cohen, stands on the porch of the Lavender Lane Cottage. On July 8, 2018, a local newspaper, the Traverse City Record-Eagle wrote an article about the Omena Village Preservation Association (OVPA) and the important and significant work that it does to maintain and preserve the charm and quality of life of the unincorporated Village of Omena. The article shared how our organization was created… “What we do is preserve and improve,” said Kathy Bosco, one of six original members who banded together in 2002 to make sure the… Read More »

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 »