In May of 1891 David Merrill, president of the Charlevoix Summer Resort (our predecessor) signed an agreement with the Chicago and Northern Railroad, which eventually became the C&O, for an easement of 100 feet from the channel to the southern end of our property for the sole purpose of the construction and operation of a railroad.

The railroad began operating 2 years later in 1893.

It ran for many years. Some of your parents and grandparents arrived by train. Eventually, the passenger trains were discontinued as more and more people drove. By early 1970 the freight traffic was down to one or two cars.

The handwriting was on the wall.

In 1979 the C&O announced it was abandoning the Traverse City to Petosky line. Carlos Reese was President at that time and he solicited Bill Connett, as Head of the Legal Committee, to monitor the situation for the Club.

Of course, the City of Charlevoix worked hard to keep the railroad running. But a petition to abandon the line was granted in 1982 when Gordon Ware was President. He, Carl Schumacher, and Lee Moerland joined Bill in monitoring the subsequent activities as the Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard had declared that the bridge and trestle had to be torn down all the way to the bottom of the lake, which, of course, the C&O didn’t want to do as it would be very expensive.

There were months and months of back and forth with the City, the C&O, and the Corps. For a little while there was even a possibility of another railroad using the line from Charlevoix to Petoskey for shipments from the cement plant, but this eventually fell through.

In the spring of 1983 Bill Connett as a lawyer, and Gordon Ware, as President, instituted a quiet title suit on behalf of the Belvedere against the C&O Railroad in the Circuit Court of Charlevoix.

It took until August when Bill was President of the Club for the C&O to finally give in and sign an agreement quieting title to the Belvedere because the easement had been granted for the sole construction and operation of the railroad. The land reverted back to the Belvedere and everyone in the Club breathed more easily.

But no! All was not over!

Immediately the City of Charlevoix filed a suit against the C&O to try to keep them from tearing down the bridge and turntable. It was discovered that back in 1888 the Village of Charlevoix had issued $25,000 in bonds to build the bridge. This was news to Bill and the Belvedere, and another problem as the Belvedere wanted the bridge and trestle removed.

There were all kinds of crazy ideas running rampant. One was that the City wanted to build a restaurant on the bridge. One person stood on Bill Connett’s porch and talked about what a great place the old railroad land would be for condominiums. You can imagine all the chatter going on in the City and on the Belvedere.

To try to put an end to the whole thing, and after much consideration, the Board, under Bill’s leadership, decided to contact the Coast Guard Regional Office in Cleveland with the problem. They cooperated with the Belvedere by telling the city that they didn’t care who the owners were, and that with no railroad the bridge and trestle were navigational hazards and had to be removed.

One year after our quiet title lawsuit the C&O paid $180,000 to have the bridge and trestle removed.

Finally, all the dust had settled. The property between our cottages and the beach was safe and the trestle was gone.

Bill Connett worked against the railroad and for the Belvedere from 1980 – 1984.

This is a time in our history that is important to know and important to remember. As is Bill Connett’s name.

For that reason, the Board has authorized a plaque honoring Bill Connett that is located on the old railroad tracks where the sidewalk still remains and where some of your families got off the train for a summer in Charlevoix.

It reads…..In lasting appreciation for William C Connett IV (Bill) for his tireless legal work and perseverance in restoring ownership of the land used by the railroad to the Belvedere. As we move freely between our cottages and the beach let us stop to thank and honor him.

In memory of William C Connett IV

Club President 1983-1984, 1986-1987