On Top of Ward Hills

This was to be the foundation for a warming station atop the Ward Hills Lodge. Yet the Lodge ceased operation of their Facebook page in May of 2010 which leads me to believe their venture, although well intended, fell to the same fate as when owned by Howard Reese.  Reese wanted an affordable skiing option to the area but probably made it “to affordable” and when broke in so doing. 

In 1960, he sold his land to Camp Martin Johnson which owned a summer camp on nearby Big Bass Lake.  Apparently the camp desired  a winter haven to add to its program format.  Ward Hills would not only allow skiing and sledding but hiking opportunities as well. 

When the camp folded in 1976, the land stood fallow until a group of investors purchased it with the intent to have some sort of social club complete with a bar.  Renovations were made to the area at the Lodge itself accommodating itself for partes and the like while additional work was done on the hills.  The plan was more in the line for sledding hills over that of skiing due to the prohibitive cost of insurance.

I wonder what will become of this area now?  Time will tell.

The Paul Bunyan Michigan Museum

This is how the Paul Bunyan Museum appeared in the 1950′s as one was approaching Baldwin, Michigan, from the south on M-37. There was either a sign or a large picture of Paul just outside the museum.  The one to your right could well have been it.  Now that sign is in front of an antiques mall but in its day the museum was flooded with tourists.

Even though most associate Minnesota with being the home state of the lumberman, Michigan also lays claim to that honor.  Maybe we could get Babe the Blue Ox to settle the issue. 

Going north on M-37, the museum was just off the road to your left.  Maybe some of our readers know when it officially opened and then again when it shut down operation for good.  Also who owned it initially?  I would think something like that museum would only add to the Baldwin area’s other tourist attractions such as The Shrine of the Pines. 

The museum no longer existed when I began taking Boys Clubs of America trips up to our property in the 1970′s.  It sure would have been on of our stops on our journey to the Big Bass Lake area.  If anyone has any other information on this museum, please leave us a comment with your thoughts.