~ THE FOOT ~
OF
WALLOON LAKE MICHIGAN
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OF
WALLOON LAKE MICHIGAN
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Photo Below: Compare this 2018 winter perspectives of The Foot
with the (perhaps 1960-61) perspective in the header photo above.
with the (perhaps 1960-61) perspective in the header photo above.
5 April 2018 ~ Photography of "Alex Childress Photo" posted here with permission...
Photo Above: Alex Childress' additional work also may be viewed at Alex Childress Photo.
Posted only by Permission from Drone Photographer Charles Dawley (18 May 2015)
Compare the changes in this above photo of The Foot taken 18 May 2015
to the old undated (perhaps 1960-61) photo in the header above.
More of Charles Dawley's remarkable videos and photography can be viewed on his
Drone Photography from Charles Dawley facebook page.
to the old undated (perhaps 1960-61) photo in the header above.
More of Charles Dawley's remarkable videos and photography can be viewed on his
Drone Photography from Charles Dawley facebook page.
TRANSFORMATION OF THE FOOT
1979 > 2024
1979 > 2024
1979 Photo Below with 2024 Red Building Names:
Long-time Walloon Lake resident Lauren Macintyre added the red text to illustrate the massive "Transformation of The Foot" businesses over the years from 1979 to 2024.
Back L>R: Lofts Condos, Vintage Mercantile, Sweet Shop, Talcott, Redwood, Renwick
Front L>R: Hotel, Barrel Back, Circle Park, Shores Condos
Long-time Walloon Lake resident Lauren Macintyre added the red text to illustrate the massive "Transformation of The Foot" businesses over the years from 1979 to 2024.
Back L>R: Lofts Condos, Vintage Mercantile, Sweet Shop, Talcott, Redwood, Renwick
Front L>R: Hotel, Barrel Back, Circle Park, Shores Condos
1979 Photo of The Foot with red text placed by long-time Wallooner Lauren MacIntyre
Compare the 1949 photograph below to the 1979 photograph above
with the new red text labels to compare to 2024 buildings
with the new red text labels to compare to 2024 buildings
Submitted from the Collection of Ross Renwick (1949)
Please do not copy the photos on this site, many of which have been submitted by private individuals...
just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.
The design and compilation of the text and photos on this site are copyrighted 2014.
Most posted items will enlarge by "clicking" on them.
"Clicking" on some color highlighted words may access additional information.
just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.
The design and compilation of the text and photos on this site are copyrighted 2014.
Most posted items will enlarge by "clicking" on them.
"Clicking" on some color highlighted words may access additional information.
The Foot of Walloon Lake ~ EARLY YEARS
Wallooner Dan Craven, from his personal postcard collection, generously submitted this postcard scene for viewing on this Walloon Lake Wanderings website (Undated).
Submitted by Tom Sage, local historian AND
Wallooner Dan Craven, from his personal postcard collection, generously submitted this postcard scene for viewing on this Walloon Lake Wanderings website (Undated).
The Foot of Walloon Lake 1901 – 1903
1906
Wallooner Dan Craven, from his personal postcard collection, generously submitted this postcard scene for viewing on this Walloon Lake Wanderings website (4 September 1906)).
Little Traverse Historical Society Photo Collection (1907) ~ Map Section showing The Foot with the North Shore and the South Shore
Map Section shown above is part of the entire 1907 map of Walloon Lake which may be accessed by clicking HERE.
"The Foot" of Walloon Lake includes Walloon Lake Village and is located in Melrose Township.
Photo Below: View of The Foot from up on a hill...
Photo Below: View of The Foot from up on a hill...
Little Traverse Historical Society Photo Collection (Undated)
31 July 1969 ~ Petoskey News Review
Walloon Lake Chamber of Commerce Brochure, Photo and Text used as advertising by McCune & Co. Insurance and Real Estate in Petoskey, Mich. ~ Submitted by Tom Sage
This old postcard appears to show the quonset hut still standing at "The Foot".
Wallooner Dan Craven, from his personal postcard collection, generously submitted this postcard scene for viewing on this Walloon Lake Wanderings website (Undated)
Wallooner Dan Craven, from his personal postcard collection, generously submitted this postcard scene for viewing on this Walloon Lake Wanderings website (Undated) created by Beebe.
About 2000 ~ "The Foot" of Walloon Lake by Karla Howard Buckmaster
6 July 2003 ~ "The Foot" of Walloon Lake by Karla Howard Buckmaster
Wallooner Dan Craven, from his personal postcard collection, generously submitted this postcard scene for viewing on this Walloon Lake Wanderings website (Undated).
Submitted from the Collection of Ross Renwick
The photo below was taken from the vantage of Moira Hill, the Cawthra Property...
showing "The Foot" of Walloon Lake looking at the North Shore.
showing "The Foot" of Walloon Lake looking at the North Shore.
Submitted from the Collection of Ross Renwick
Submitted from the Collection of Ross Renwick
Petoskey District Library with Library of Michigan Digital Repository (Early 1900s)
Photo Below: Accompanying text stated: "Someone said, in viewing this picture of Walloon Lake about the turn of the century, that it hasn't changed much. This view shows some of the then downtown area in the wintertime after all of the tourists and resorters had long gone home to the big cities. The main street must have been a dirt road back then, just look at the wagon tracks in the snow." (Compare this below top photo, with the 2014 directly below it, for a similar photo perspective.)
From the cover of a Walloon Community Church program
Photo Below: Heading into the Village of Walloon Lake in the Winter
(very similar perspective as the photo above which probably was taken BEFORE cars)
(very similar perspective as the photo above which probably was taken BEFORE cars)
8 February 2014
Photo Below: Heading into the Village of Walloon Lake with the new streetscape
and curbing outlining the main street by the new Hotel Walloon
and curbing outlining the main street by the new Hotel Walloon
23 August 2016
2018
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2018
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1904
"Michigan in Summer" Issued by the General Passenger Department Grand Rapids & Indiana Railway
"Michigan in Summer" Issued by the General Passenger Department Grand Rapids & Indiana Railway
"Michigan in Summer" Issued by the General Passenger Department Grand Rapids & Indiana Railway (1904)
1907 ~ FIERCE FIRE AT WALLOON LAKE
"1907 marked disaster for the village. Fire swept through the main street and wiped-out the Grund store, the railroad station, Ransom’s store (on which the insurance had lapsed only the day before), Shepard’s Delicatessen, and the post office. Mr. Ransom then bought the Koneta from Mr. Hass and moved it to its present site. The Renwick store." ~ Mildred Burns, longtime Walloon Lake resident
The Citizen
Boyne City Semi-Weekly Newspaper of Tuesday, 6 August 1907
FIERCE FIRE AT WALLOON LAKE
The Resort Town Suffers Damage to Over $25,000 by the Fiery Demon
_____
Most of the Business District
In Ruins, But Hotels
Saved
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Boyne City Semi-Weekly Newspaper of Tuesday, 6 August 1907
FIERCE FIRE AT WALLOON LAKE
The Resort Town Suffers Damage to Over $25,000 by the Fiery Demon
_____
Most of the Business District
In Ruins, But Hotels
Saved
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"Monday morning at two o'clock fire started in the rear of William H. Ransom's place of business at Walloon Lake, which proved to be the most disastrous catastrophe of its kind ever known in the history of that beautiful resort. Starting in the rear of the post office building it consumed and absolutely destroyed everything in its fiery grasp. Soon after the post office had start upon its flaming career, Grund's large department store caught, and like a cinder box, it rose in a mass of flames and sank to a lump of ashes. From Grund's the demon fire leaped to the depot, then the grist mill, which lies in the rear of Grund's. Simultaneous with the terrible disaster of the postoffice, the confectionery store belonging to Fred Shepard became a victim of the ever-consuming flames, it burning to the very ground. Not satisfied with the destruction of that splendid edifice the flames swept across the dock, scorching it as they went, to the several buildings owned and occupied by T.L. Belding, among which were a restaurant, a boat house and a temporal home. Thus in but a few brief hours the red brand of fire claimed as its victims the entire business district of Walloon Lake, leaving nothing but smoking ashes.
Sunset Lodge, which was separated only seven feet from the center of the conflagration did not catch also an exceedingly fortunate thing that the large gasoline tank belonging to R.T. Merrill remained untouched had the flames reached that, an explosion so terrific and death-dealing would have invariably ensued that Walloon Lake would have been a thing of the past.
Fred Shepard and B.H. Grund carried considerable insurance, probably $12,000, but the total loss was about $25,0000. Wm. Ransom places his loss at about $6,000, with no insurance.
The editor of The Citizen with a party of business men visited the scene of the conflagration before the fire was even out. Had the gasoline ? igniting ? been in working condition then something might possibly have been saved, but as it was nothing remained once touched by the seething flames.
All northern Michigan extend to the unfortunate resort their right hand in sympathy."
Sunset Lodge, which was separated only seven feet from the center of the conflagration did not catch also an exceedingly fortunate thing that the large gasoline tank belonging to R.T. Merrill remained untouched had the flames reached that, an explosion so terrific and death-dealing would have invariably ensued that Walloon Lake would have been a thing of the past.
Fred Shepard and B.H. Grund carried considerable insurance, probably $12,000, but the total loss was about $25,0000. Wm. Ransom places his loss at about $6,000, with no insurance.
The editor of The Citizen with a party of business men visited the scene of the conflagration before the fire was even out. Had the gasoline ? igniting ? been in working condition then something might possibly have been saved, but as it was nothing remained once touched by the seething flames.
All northern Michigan extend to the unfortunate resort their right hand in sympathy."
The postcard photo below was dated Aug. 5.07,
the actual date of the horrific Walloon Lake Village Fire written about in the news articles above.
the actual date of the horrific Walloon Lake Village Fire written about in the news articles above.
Submitted by Dean and Marna Wheaton to be posted only on this "Walloon Lake Wanderings" website (5 August 1907).
7 August 1907 ~ The Petoskey Record
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8 August 1907 ~ The Pellston Journal
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9 August 1907 ~ Otsego County Herald Times
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This 5 August 1907 postcard was submitted from the postcard collection of longtime Walloon Lake resident Dan Craven
1) Regarding orientation of the above postcard photo: The photographer had his back to the lake
based on the layout of the sidewalks shown in the PRE-1907 photo below.
based on the layout of the sidewalks shown in the PRE-1907 photo below.
2) Next, compare the rooflines in the Craven postcard photo as being the same as that of the Sunset Lodge, marked with a red star, in the 1908 photo (three renditions) below.
1908
Below are three renditions of the same photo which was taken
the summer following the dreadful 1907 Walloon Lake Village fire.
Below are three renditions of the same photo which was taken
the summer following the dreadful 1907 Walloon Lake Village fire.
1908 ~ THE FOOT ONE YEAR AFTER THE FIRE OF 1907
Photo Below: Same photo as used in the above clipping.
Little Traverse Historical Society Photo Collection
3) Notice nothing existed in the location next to the Sunset Lodge in the photo above. That vacant location probably had been the PRE-FIRE 2007 Ransom General Store which had burned. Later, Mr. Ransom bought the Hass' Koneta building which had been near the pointy roof building and moved the Koneta across the tracks from where it was shown in the photo below left... AND like in the photo below right, the Koneta became the vintage General Store which still is in the memory of many Wallooners today. Eventually, the pointy-roof building, which housed various businesses over the years, was moved across the tracks too, over next to the Ransom (Koneta) General Store.
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Picturesque Walloon published 1911 described on page 12, THE VILLAGE:
"A quiet little hamlet surrounding the G.R. & I. station and steamboat landing, consists of three stores, a bowling alley, bath house, boat livery, boat factory, four hotels, two churches and post office. A beautiful spring of pure, cold water, one hundred feet above the village, has recently been tapped and piped to the business portion.
We do not boast of electric cars, paved streets and patrol wagons; we have nature's highways and byways leading through the quiet woods, or by the lake---a perfect body of water on which public or private boats may be run whither they will. No dust, no smoke, no noise---just nature's paradise."
"A quiet little hamlet surrounding the G.R. & I. station and steamboat landing, consists of three stores, a bowling alley, bath house, boat livery, boat factory, four hotels, two churches and post office. A beautiful spring of pure, cold water, one hundred feet above the village, has recently been tapped and piped to the business portion.
We do not boast of electric cars, paved streets and patrol wagons; we have nature's highways and byways leading through the quiet woods, or by the lake---a perfect body of water on which public or private boats may be run whither they will. No dust, no smoke, no noise---just nature's paradise."
Submitted by Louisa Taylor
Photo Above: The Walloon Lake Public Beach was behind, and next to the trees on the right.
The big letter "M" on the side of the building is the last letter in the owner's name ~ RANSOM.
The big letter "M" on the side of the building is the last letter in the owner's name ~ RANSOM.
Below: 30 August 1912
30 August 1912 ~ Daily Resorter and Petoskey Evening News
Wallooner Dan Craven, from his personal postcard collection, generously submitted this postcard scene for viewing on this Walloon Lake Wanderings website (Undated).
Wallooner Dan Craven, from his personal postcard collection, generously submitted this postcard scene for viewing on this Walloon Lake Wanderings website (1938)
Wallooner Dan Craven, from his personal postcard collection, generously submitted this postcard scene for viewing on this Walloon Lake Wanderings website (Undated).
Photo Below: 1950's of Walloon Lake taken from near the dam at "The Foot"
Submitted from the Photo Album of Arthur Stevens
Photo Below: Remember when roadsides were saturated with billboards? This 1952 article/photo shows specifically US-31 entering Petoskey from the North. About where the car is shown is where M119 branches off toward Harbor Springs. The text does say that "Charles Hayner of the Hayner Service station said that he has ordered removal of a sign on US-131 near the Walloon Lake junction and is taking down two other signs at his station on Spring Street near Charlevoix Road.
21 April 1952 ~ Petoskey Evening News
Walloon Village Blaze Threatened Shopping District
1956
27 February 1956 ~ Petoskey News Review
2 June 1966 ~ Petoskey News Review
3 September 1992 ~ Emmet County Graphic
5 July 1996 ~ Petoskey News Review
~ The Foot ~
Photo Below: 1949
Submitted from the Collection of Ross Renwick
Submitted by Julie Whittaker Stratton; posted with Stratton's permission...
Beachside L>R:
Sail Inn Grill (Starr’s) Later The Keyhole (Now The Shores condominiums); McCutcheon’s Quonset Hut where 17s were built; Brower’s General Store (Mudd’s Day Camp); Master’s Boat Works (Now Circle Park); Si’s Marina > Triton Marina (Now Barrel Back); vacant mucky property became condos or apartments which were razed to now become Hotel Walloon.
To Date the Photo Above:
* Ted McCutcheon’s quonset hut was built in 1946 so after 1946.
* The Starr's Sail Inn Grill building very close to the beach… later the Keyhole is still in the above photo. The present day condos The Shores were going up in 2006, so before 2006.
Brower’s general store, between McCutcheon’s and Master’s boat works, was still standing in the photo.
* A 2 August 1990 newspaper photo/text clipping with both the quonset and Brower’s in the photo… so at least taken after 1990.
* Another photo taken 6 July 2003 shows Brower’s still standing, not sure about the quonset hut still standing then.
* Another 20 April 2007 photo shows Masters and Brower’s were both GONE. so the photo above was taken before 2007… so, close to 2003, probably before 2003.
* The little pointy-roof building that had housed MANY businesses, and even the post office is not visible. It was moved farther up around the corner in 1996, so sometime after 1996.
Sail Inn Grill (Starr’s) Later The Keyhole (Now The Shores condominiums); McCutcheon’s Quonset Hut where 17s were built; Brower’s General Store (Mudd’s Day Camp); Master’s Boat Works (Now Circle Park); Si’s Marina > Triton Marina (Now Barrel Back); vacant mucky property became condos or apartments which were razed to now become Hotel Walloon.
To Date the Photo Above:
* Ted McCutcheon’s quonset hut was built in 1946 so after 1946.
* The Starr's Sail Inn Grill building very close to the beach… later the Keyhole is still in the above photo. The present day condos The Shores were going up in 2006, so before 2006.
Brower’s general store, between McCutcheon’s and Master’s boat works, was still standing in the photo.
* A 2 August 1990 newspaper photo/text clipping with both the quonset and Brower’s in the photo… so at least taken after 1990.
* Another photo taken 6 July 2003 shows Brower’s still standing, not sure about the quonset hut still standing then.
* Another 20 April 2007 photo shows Masters and Brower’s were both GONE. so the photo above was taken before 2007… so, close to 2003, probably before 2003.
* The little pointy-roof building that had housed MANY businesses, and even the post office is not visible. It was moved farther up around the corner in 1996, so sometime after 1996.
Photo Below:
The Village of Walloon actually has several buildings and businesses with sidewalks to walk...
thanks to Jonathan and Matt Borisch who have been working to rejuvenate
"The Foot" section of the Village of Walloon Lake.
The Village of Walloon actually has several buildings and businesses with sidewalks to walk...
thanks to Jonathan and Matt Borisch who have been working to rejuvenate
"The Foot" section of the Village of Walloon Lake.
20 November 2013
Photo Below:
The streetscape includes parking spaces with bump-outs on the main street
(compare to the 2013 photo above).
The streetscape includes parking spaces with bump-outs on the main street
(compare to the 2013 photo above).
23 August 2016
Panorama photo below presents a unique surrounding view... standing in front of the Barrel Back Restaurant,
from one end of the main street to the other toward the general store, around, and back to the Barrel Back...
16 February 2014 ~ Submitted by Scott Buckmaster
1 March 2014 ~ The Foot at Walloon Lake
Photo Below: The Foot
The Foot from the panoramic perspective of a bobbing putt putt
The Foot from the panoramic perspective of a bobbing putt putt
Submitted by Pinky McCutcheon taken 1 September 2017
Photo Below:
The 17 Square Meter Sailboat (named for the amount of coverage area in the sail) offers a special WELCOME to THE FOOT...
One of the founders, Bill Loughlin, of the Walloon Yacht Club designed the unique sailboat in 1933.
Recently, it was noted that forty-two 17s were stilll on Walloon Lake;
counting both old wood versions and newer fiberglass versions.
The 17 Square Meter Sailboat (named for the amount of coverage area in the sail) offers a special WELCOME to THE FOOT...
One of the founders, Bill Loughlin, of the Walloon Yacht Club designed the unique sailboat in 1933.
Recently, it was noted that forty-two 17s were stilll on Walloon Lake;
counting both old wood versions and newer fiberglass versions.
1 June 2017
Photo Below: The Foot at a distance...
13 May 2017 ~
Posted only by Permission from Drone Photographer Charles Dawley, Up North Imaging
Photos Above and Below:
More of Charles Dawley's remarkable videos and photography can be viewed on his
Drone Photography from Charles Dawley facebook page.
More of Charles Dawley's remarkable videos and photography can be viewed on his
Drone Photography from Charles Dawley facebook page.
18 July 2019 ~ Posted only by Permission from Drone Photographer Charles Dawley, Up North Imaging
So many beautiful views exist of The Foot of Walloon Lake...
this view is from the hillside up behind North Shore Drive (with some ice still on the lake)
this view is from the hillside up behind North Shore Drive (with some ice still on the lake)
30 April 2018
Submitted by Photographer and Pilot Charlie MacInnis (Late October 2025)
Memories of the Foot ~ by Lauren Macintyre
Written and submitted by long time Walloon Lake resident Lauren Macintyre
