By: Anne Kemp

Anne Kemp — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:03:56 +0000

Loon lake resort is a different memory for me. I grew up on Loon Lake in a trailor park called Plesant Acres. This is the property of the Loon Lake Resort today. The Resort was known to me growing up as “The Big House”. Here the members of the park would hold a coffee hour Sat. mornings. This was a time for visiting and business meetings about the parks finances, picinics, etc. On Sat nights the house hosted a bingo for young and old alike, with prizes such as fiddle faddle, bath mats, dish towels, a can of nuts, etc.. It also hosted picnics on rainy days. These events were held in what I would say was to be the kitchen / living room or common area of the house. Off this area toward the lake was a door leading to the hall way that led to the up stairs. But the door stayed locked because the owner of the park did alot of wood work and kept all his materials in the upstairs area. His name was Roy and the co- owner was Paul Engval. When you walked through the slamming screen door at the back of the house the smell of history over came you. I loved that smell. As I recall there was a fireplace in the common room also, but I don’t ever remember it being used. There was a screened pourch that was built off the other side of the house at sometime that is not pictured. Also the times I recall there was never a front pourch.The basement was a dark, wet, gloomy place that scared me, but that is were we kept the worms in there bins for the park fisherman / women. So on quite a few occasions I visited this scary place. The park I speak of was a summer place for folks coming from Grand Rapids, Jackson, Holland, and other places. When Labor Day rolled around everyone blew out their lines and locked up for the winter. Few still came up for Hunting and snowmobiling. We had to carry water from the pump house in 5 gal. containers or buckets to wash, do dishes, and even brush our teeth. Boy that was fun. Especially when we ha 2 ft of snow to shovel to get to the pump house. Another fixture of the property was the barn, mainly housing wood materials of the owners and some farm equipment that was used for the garden that we had there. I was in this park from 1972 – 1990 with my family. I moved out of state for 14 yrs only to find out the park changed hands, the house was torn down, the barn was totally renivated to the new club house with a kitchen and a game room loft, only a small portion is as it once was. Also the old skating rink area is now a area with a few small cottages, and the fun spot is long gone. Also closed up is the old Bass lake store which was always a treat to go to by bike or walking to get candy or air up our floats. Mr. Bender passed away quite a few years ago and Larry now has a new store and gas station next to the Na Ta Kah Bar, good food and alot of memories were there for my family and I. The days I write about are long gone but the memories of a wonderful childhood shall be with me and others I’m sure for along time.

By: Darren Crane

Darren Crane — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:19:15 +0000

I am also glad that you did not drown or else how would I have these marvelous posts of yours to read?

Comments on: Loon Lake Resort

By: Anne Kemp

By: Darren Crane