Pentwater, Michigan
The village was founded by E.R. Cobb and Andrew Rector
about 1853.Pentwater is believed to be named by the Indians - meaning
“penned up water.” Early reports say as many as eight hundred to a
thousand Indians could be seen camping around Penterwater lake near Long
Bridge at one time. Tons of maple syrup and wild huckleberries were
shipped from the port.
Wild pigeons nested in the sand dunes and provided food for the tables.
Cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, and chickens roamed at will throughout the
village and took a toll on laundry and gardens. In April 1856 a need for
organization was felt and supervisors were elected and money voted for
expenses at a town meeting held in E. R. Cobb’s home. . The first
“Oceana Times” was published in 1861.
The brief era of lumbering destroyed what Father Marquette may have seen
as he rode in a canoe paddled by Indians along the lake Michigan shore
three centuries ago. He passed a tall forest, mainly of white pines that
had been there for thousands of years. In thirty years the terrain was
exposed by timber cutting. Burgeoning population and wealth in the United
States brought a building boom and a demand for all manner of lumber. The
Michigan pines stood ready for the axe. Lumberi9ng crews fell upon the
trees near Lake Michigan, working inland from the ports. Soon Pentwater
was truly on the map. In the beginning it relied on water rather than land
transportation and was the chief port, the doorway, of Oceana County.
In these early days families made their living in the sawmills, lumber
mills, furniture factory, cooper shop (barrels), shingle mill, carpenter
shop, brick yard, and grist mill. Shipping and railroads began to link
Pentwater with the outside world.
Pentwater is still the only port of refuge from White Lake at Montague to
Ludington. The economic impact of charter fishing on Pentwater has been
very positive. If the fishing remains good, Pentwater will flourish. The
village is also the center of a resort area that stretches four miles
along the north shore of Lake Michigan, around Pentwater Lake, and on down
the south shore of the big Lake for about five or six miles. The historic
Nickerson Inn was destroyed by fire on May 21, 2007. It was renowned for
its Victorian charm and elegance which drew visitors from St. Louis,
Chicago, and Kansas City.
|
