The Verbeck Tavern Chronicles

Pentwater Pride Past Present Promised! SUMMER NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2017 The Arbor Rest and later the Verbeck Tavern occupied the whole block along Hancock Street where the present day Post Office is. The Verbeck Tavern Chronicles entwater is not lack- as saying the Neilsen home was the Elizabeth Fisher who turned it into a ing in the different “town’s most beautiful show place”. hotel and named it the “Arbor Rest”. types of accommoda- Disaster struck Pentwater in 1900 The name was derived from the grape Ptions it has for its visitors. when the bank suddenly closed its arbor centered in the yard. It again There are condominiums overlooking doors never to reopen. This left many exchanged hands in 1907 for $5000 Pentwater Lake, campsites on Lake Pentwater residents without their and it was subsequently operated by Michigan, private homes Maria E. Sahl. for rent, and historic Bed The “Arbor Rest” stood on and Breakfasts. Each place the block where the cur- is unique and offers some- rent post office now stands. thing special for its guests. Maria ran a very success- The same was true in the ful business that she even- early 1900’s when the “Ar- tually sold to Frank and bor Rest” opened its doors. Elizabeth Verbeck, around This famed hotel actually 1915. The “Verbeck Tav- began as the private resi- ern” was a year-round hotel dence of the Neilsen family. when it first opened, but it It had long been known as was busiest in the summer the most beautiful home in when hundreds of vaca- the village. An article in the Ludington life savings and struggling to make tioners poured into Pentwater from Daily News quoted Pentwater native, ends meet. As a result, in 1904 the mid-western cities. Mrs. Florence Ryckman Schrumpf famed Neilsen home was sold to Mrs. (Continued next page) In the days before gasoline and rub- ing wild strawberries, raspberries, and Verbecks’ daughter ran it until 1939. ber tires were considered an essential blueberries that were all within walk- After the hotel building was sold, the for a summer vacation, people came ing distance of the hotel. During the family remained at the Canary (Imus) to the hotel and stayed for weeks at a evenings, there was dancing in the hotel Cottage every summer. Mrs. McKnight time. They relaxed in their favorite way dining room, walks on the beach, card had the small cottage next to the tavern and enjoyed the comradeship of fellow playing, and visiting in the easy chairs moved to the old Imus property. Mrs. guests, no longer strangers after a few on the hotel porch. Verbeck died in 1943. Mrs. McKnight hours together in the Tavern’s homey In addition to running the Verbeck sold the remaining property in 1955 atmosphere. The rambling wooden Tavern, Mrs. Verbeck was a director in when she moved to California. She structure took up an entire block with the West Michigan Tourist and Resort died in 1978. its well-kept lawns and attractive flow- Association for many years. She was David H. Cumming and his wife, Cora, er gardens. Guests were surrounded by one of the most active workers in build- purchased the hotel in 1944 and oper- ing up Western ated it until they sold it to Mr. and Mrs. Michigan as the Albert Herrick of Detroit in 1946. nation’s sum- Mrs. Herrick came to Pentwater and mer playground. operated the hotel for a few years for She participated seasonal tourists calling it the Pentwa- in the campaign ter Inn. Failing health forced Mrs. Her- for better and rick to discontinue her business and the broader highways building sat empty, haunting the town’s to provide easier business district. In 1964, the build- access to resorts ing was sold to a group of three busi- along the Lake nessmen. By 1966, what was once the Michigan shore. “town’s most beautiful showplace,” was Because of her no longer standing. The block that once An old postcard showing Pentwater’s famous summer getaway, work, she was in- provided rest, relaxation, music, dance, elegant beauty both inside and outside vited to ride in of the Tavern. The downstairs was fur- the first car that nished with antique furniture collected traveled US-31 from all around West Michigan. The when it was com- beautiful garden had a goldfish pond in pleted in the ‘20s. the corner. (A Dairy Queen was built After 1921, Mrs. over the pond in the 50’s or 60’s) Verbeck ran the Under the Verbeck’s ownership, the Tavern alone. “Verbeck Tavern” became famous Unfortunately, throughout Michigan. People would with the new travel by train or boat to stay in the paved roads This photo shows the once popular resort building standing empty. hotel for weeks on end. The cuisine and popular- was also sought after and many people ity of automobiles, visitors were pass- and wonderful food is now home to a came to the Tavern to have a Sunday ing through Pentwater on their way to post office, a bank, mini-golf, and an ice family dinner. The hotel also provided exploring new resorts resulting in Ver- cream shop between First and Lowell many jobs for local residents. Many beck’s having more occasional guests on Hancock Street. of the local Pentwater girls worked as and not the content long term vaca- waitresses each summer in the hotel. tioners it once had. Information for this article was found in Besides meals and lodging, the Ver- The “Verbeck Tavern” stayed in the the Ludington Daily News ( June 1942, becks organized beach parties, boat- Verbeck family until 1955, although July 1964) as well as an article written by ing parties, and even took their visitors the name changed in 1935 to “Arbu- Ann Lynn Bick ( July 1993) berry picking. The guests loved pick- tus Cottage” when Joan McKnight, the 2 STORY LINE: Pentwater News–Nov. 29, 1912 THREE FISHERMEN DROWN Another Sad Tragedy in over the terrible seas onto the beach them. Pentwater’s History. and across the mouth of the channel. ake Michigan Claims the It all happened so quickly that there Burrill & Hanson just off the pier, Lives of August Christiansen, is some difference in the version of their gasoline engine stopped, but for- Ole Elleheimer, and Toby the eye-witnesses who were unwilling tunately was started again almost im- Johnson. They Go Down spectators to what followed. All agree, mediately, and they made the harbor With the Wreck of “Two Brothers” however, Aug. Christiansen Jr., son of L safely. the drowned fisherman, who had gone While Attempting To Make Harbor. A few moments later the “Two Broth- Once more the News is called upon to across and was waiting on the north ers,” manned by Aug. Christiansen, the chronicle another sad event - one more beach for his father and grandfather to owner, Ole Elleheimer, Mrs. Chris- link in the chain of horrible tragedies come in, made a heroic effort to render tiansen’s Father, and Tony Johnson, which seem to be an inseparable part assistance after the crash. He was over- all able and experienced seamen, was of Pentwater history. And again Lake come from witnessing the sad spectacle sighted just off the piers. Whether the Michigan - demands and takes her toll of that he has not sufficiently recovered engine or steering gear went wrong at three human lives under the very eyes and to be interviewed. He is certainly en- this critical moment, or whether if it within a stone’s throw of dozens of wit- titled to great credit, however, for his did it was in any degree responsible for nesses, powerless to render assistance. heroism. The lifesaving crew, who had the awful calamity which followed, will just before started out in their boat to Saturday, notwithstanding the warn- probably never be known. render assistance to Hansen and Bur- ings of the barometers, mild and balmy However that may be, the spectators, rill if needed, were soon on the end of as a June morning, with only a moder- who had collected in considerable the south pier, but at that time no trace ate southerly breeze until nine or ten numbers along the north pier, all agree could be seen of the victims or their bod- o’clock, it seemed beyond belief that that the boat was behaving splendidly ies, nor have they yet been recovered. within three or four hours, the lake, and was well handled, standing a little now comparatively calm, would be The port half of the boat, together to the northward of the north pier to lashing the shore with all the fury of with the cabin and other wreckage allow for the cross current, and hold- a million demons, driven by a howling drifted ashore Sunday, the remainder ing her bearings nicely until just off the Nor’wester. A huge stone barge in tow of the hull being probably at the end of pier, when she was apparently picked of the powerful tug “Smith” of Green the pier where it sank, weighted down up on the crest of a tremendous wave Bay, warned by their rapidly falling ba- by the engine. and shot like a rocket across the 150 rometer, had turned about off “Little Fish tug “Sidonia,” which was follow- feet of channel and dashed against the Point”: and put into this harbor for ing the ill-fated boat, made the harbor south pier, raised by another swell and shelter at two o’clock in the morn- after striking the bottom on the bar crashed down with her bow well up ing.

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