Stunning photos showing a nearly century-old shipwreck in a Michigan lake give us a rare peek into the Prohibition Era.
Keuka Shipwreck in Lake Charlevoix
Underwater photographer Chris Roxburgh, along with diver Lee Rosenberg, took a swim in Lake Charlevoix to explore the Keuka Shipwreck earlier this week, and the photos are something to see.
The 200-foot barge is still mostly intact. Roxburgh said the water was really cold for the deep dive — about 34 degrees.
Roxburgh added that pretty much anyone can snorkel across the shipwreck in the summer months because it’s considered a shallow shipwreck.
Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com.
The goal of the Belvedere Club Community Relations Committee is to “foster goodwill with local Charlevoix area residents”.
Because we are blessed to be here in this special area, our committee wants to increase individual Belvedere Club member awareness of and financial support of worthy non-profit organizations that benefit the community at large.
We plan to feature one of these non-profits weekly in upcoming Belve-News editions through a brief description of each organization plus provide a link to its website for more information, including how it can benefit from our financial support.
We also are hopeful that there will be increased awareness of this Belvedere Club outreach initiative in the community by our members who contact any of these organizations.
Belvedere Club Community Relations Committee members (July 2023) John Keyser, Geoffrey McClelland, Chris Payne, Chip Leakas
Belvedere Club Community Relations Committee
Our first featured non-profit is Challenge Mountain which provides year-round adaptive recreation programs and opportunities for individuals with disabilities in northern Michigan. Founded in 1982, Challenge Mountain believes that having access to and participating in recreational and social activities is integral to the well-being and fulfilling life of every person. CM has grown from offering only winter programs to providing over 1,900 individual experiences to new and returning participants and their families through programs and outings all year long. We encourage Belvedere Club members to seek more information on how Challenge Mountain benefits the Charlevoix Community and/or ways CM can benefit from your financial support. Click on its website: https://challengemtn.org/donate/
The second featured Charlevoix area non-profit isLittle Traverse Conservatory. Its mission is to protect the natural diversity and beauty of northern Michigan by preserving significant land & scenic areas as well as fostering appreciation and understanding of the environment. As of June 2023, more than 330 private properties have received conservation easements, 400 nature preserves, and 38 working forest reserves are open to the public. LTC also provides a wide variety of environmental education programs at no cost to children and adults. The land is a living resource that is particularly critical in the North where natural beauty is our principal attraction for Belvedere Club members as well as the community at large. For more information about Little Traverse Conservatory and how you can support it, click on its website http://landtrust.org/membership/
The third Charlevoix area non-profit to be featured is theWomen’s Resource Center of NorthernMichigan. For more than 40 years, WRCNM has provided a multitude of specialized, quality services for adults, children, and families to improve their lives in response to unmet needs in the community. WRCNM is recognized as a strong voice in promoting respectful, healthy, and nonviolent relationships, obtaining safe housing, and providing economic resources for women and families experiencing domestic abuse. Over the years, thousands of women and their family members seeking refuge have been provided shelter, meals, and all their daily needs at no cost. These social welfare challenges should be of interest to many Belvedere Club members who can get more information on what WRCNM does and ways to provide financial support by clicking on the link at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/wrconm/
The fourth Charlevoix area non-profit to be featured is The Charlevoix Area Humane Society. Dedicated to the protection and care of all animals, The Charlevoix Area Humane Society has been serving pets and their humans since 1974. Last year, The humane society had a 96% adoption rate. It also offers services in the area of Fostering Animals, Animal Control, Educational Programs, Pet Licensing, and Financial Assistance. We encourage Belvedere Club members to click on the organization’s website—https//www.charlevoixhumane.org/— for more information and ways to provide support.
Future Charlevoix Area Non-Profits to Feature in Upcoming Belve-News Editions
This is a ZOOM recording “interview style” with Robert Goodenough on April 18, 2023, as a result of a series of posts and comments in a Facebook Group (which you can ask to join) called Charlevoix Area Vintage News.
A photo of the Blue Belle Cottage was posted in the group – and the members of the group began discussing their memories of the Blue Belle Cottage.
The interview below is “closed captioned” which helps to follow the dialogue. NOTE: CC is not perfect – but a good aid for understanding the conversation – approximately 30 minutes in length.
Robert Goodenough on April 18, 2023, via ZOOM about The Blue Belle Cottage and the Hollingsworth family.
On April 16, 2023, I (Chip Leakas) joined a Facebook Group – Charlevoix Area Vintage News by invitation to see if I could find additional photos or videos, or stories about the Belvedere Club to add to the new website.
I posted a few photos of the Blue Belle Cottage which began the discussion – over 22 comments and that’s when Bob Goodenough mentioned the “skeleton in the closet”! I reached out to Bob to see if he had other memories and stories of the Blue Belle Cottage he would be willing to share with me. The Hollingsworth family also owned the “Golly Hoo” boat shown in the photo gallery below. The Blue Belle Cottage was built in 1876 by Oscar M. Allen from Kalamazoo Michigan.
Robert Goodenough – (Hollingsworth Family) Merchant Marine Yacht Captain
I asked if he would be available to do a ZOOM interview and recording – and he was gracious enough to do the 30-minute recording which is preserved here for the members.
The BLUE BELL! The first sight of our cottage thrilled us with pride and joy. Painted gleaming white, blue trim with a red roof, it was visible to sailors ten miles or more at sea before the trees grew so tall, and leafy branches obscured the old landmark. Grandfather, Oscar M. Allen, one of the ten who established the resort, was a devout Mason: He built his cottage in the form of a Maltese Cross. The first floor four rooms opened into a central room with outside porches filling up the corners, making the floor plan a “square”. The second floor four bedrooms opened into a balcony that looked down on the first floor, and, at the very top, a cupola (to us alway a “cupalow”), one room with windows from which could be viewed Pine Lake, the bayou, and, way off across the town, Lake Michigan.
Book 1 | Memoirs of Members 1878-1968
The Hollingsworth family at the turn of the century in living room of the “Blue Belle”
Charlevoix Historical Society Curator David L. Miles discusses interesting facts he has come across while researching and writing 590 “Looking Back” columns for the Charlevoix Courier.
This is the original typed manuscript and memoir – 37 typed pages from G.E. Hollingsworth of Jackson Michigan. The Blue Bell Cottage was purchased by William T. and Ann Leakas (Denison) in 1969. I (William “Chip” Leakas) believe this document was given to my father soon after the purchase of the Blue Bell cottage for his records and as an important background and history for The Blue Bell Cottage, Charlevoix, and The Belvedere Club.
CHARLEVOIX — It’s the time of year when students start to think about potential summer employment opportunities.
Charlevoix’s Belvedere Club and the Belvedere Golf Club offer student employees — as well as the children of full-time staff members — college scholarships.
“While the fund itself has existed for 25 years, there are many in the community that are not aware of the Belvedere Club’s scholarship opportunity,” said general manager David Gray.
Including the recipients who were awarded scholarships for the 2022-23 school year, the Belvedere Club scholarship fund has awarded over $1,000,000 to more than 120 students since its inception in 1997, according to Gray. Over the last several years, the number of recipients that are provided scholarships for a four-year span ranges from 20-28 individuals, with $50,000-$70,000 awarded each year. For 2023, the goal is to provide a minimum of $3,500 annually to the individuals of the 2023-24 recipient class.
Some of the basic criteria required to be eligible for the Belvedere scholarship award includes: a minimum of three years of employment and meeting an “hours worked requirement” at either Belvedere facility; a minimum GPA of 2.5 and maintain “full-time” status at an accredited college, university or trade school each year after receiving the initial award.
The Belvedere Scholarship Fund was established in 1997 by a small group of members whose goal was to provide 4-year renewable scholarships for secondary education to the individuals who provided such great service to the members, as employees of the Belvedere Golf Club.
An endowment fund was established to allow for future growth and a grant-making fund that allows for the direct distribution of awards to the recipients. Both funds are administered by the Charlevoix County Community Foundation. A Scholarship Review Committee, consisting of Gray, plus two local individuals, reviews and processes the application submissions annually. In 1998, the committee expanded the pool of eligible students to include employees of both the Belvedere Club and the Belvedere Golf Club, as well as children of the full-time staff members at both clubs. In 2014, the committee established a Named Endowment Contribution program, which allows members to make a $25,000 contribution to the Endowment Fund in honor of a family or in memory of beloved Belvedere family members.
This additional funding opportunity accelerated the growth of the Endowment Fund substantially.
“What really makes this program mutually beneficial to the Charlevoix Community and the Belvedere Club is that the students who receive the scholarship have been driven to succeed both scholastically and in their future careers,” said Gray. “Whether that be in this area or around the world, these young adults strengthen their abilities to be responsible and put in the effort to succeed. Many of the types of jobs offered at the Belvedere Club and the Golf Club are perfect for students who may be entering the workforce for the first time. Knowing this, our members have proven to be very supportive in making it a good experience and are engaged as part of the community and not just an ‘island’ of summer visitors.”
Additionally, a professional network of Belvedere members was recently developed who volunteer to be accessible to the scholarship fund beneficiaries. This group of individuals represents all types of different industries and makes themselves available to offer guidance, advice, mentoring, make connections and explain their industry.
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231) 675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com
One day a large barge appeared in Lake Charlevoix and anchored out from Belvedere pier. It had been a dance boat. So Johnnie Knight decided to give a party on it. All the young crowd on the Belvedere were invited and we went to town where cruisers were engaged to transport everyone out to the boat. It was a very elaborate party with a fine orchestra, and was a great success. Every one returned safely in the early hours of the morning after the thrilling and unique party. The next morning the dance boat sank and is still there at the bottom of the lake.
Memoirs of Members 1878-1968 | THE BELVEDERE CLUB CHARLEVOIX MICHIGAN – Copyright 1969
ELEANOR SIMPSON ORR – Belvedere Book #1
This was the Johnnie Knight era—As he said, “Nothing Beats Fun!” and that was about the way it was. Up north about every other night in his speed boat—never worrying about those dear little children at home. We would just “catch another dawn.” Finally his birthday party on that boat, the Keuka, in Pine Lake. He knew it was about to sink but no one was allowed off until five a.m. It did sink the next day.
MEMOIRS OF MEMBERS 1878-1968 | THE BELVEDERE CLUB CHARLEVOIX MICHIGAN – COPYRIGHT 1969
To satisfy their thirst, some Americans made gin in their bathtubs. Others obtained prescriptions that allowed them to legally acquire liquor. And, in the backwaters of Michigan’s Lake Charlevoix, Captain James Gallagher, president of the Wolverine Steamship Company, turned a leaky old lumber barge, the Keuka, into a floating speakeasy.
“The Keuka represented the drinking and gambling habits of the residents of the area: shopkeepers, laborers, merchants and the common people, as opposed to the upscale casinos” frequented by wealthy out-of-towners who spent their summers at the region’s resorts, says Wiles. “The Keuka was unique, a one and only.”
Chris Roxburgh, an underwater photographer and author based south of Lake Charlevoix in Traverse City, began 2023 with a visit to the wreck of the Keuka. He got his first taste of boating within two weeks of being born and started freediving at age 5. The second day of January presented the perfect opportunity for him to explore the vessel, which sank in 1932 and is now a popular destination for divers.
“Usually you have to worry in winter dives about big floating ice,” says Roxburgh, “… the same ice that caused many of the 6,000 wrecks in the Great Lakes. But it’s been a very warm winter, like most of the world, so Lake Charlevoix was not iced over.” Under more typical winter conditions, divers would’ve had to cut a hole through 16 inches of ice to reach the Keuka.
Partying under the radar
The speakeasy’s ruse involved picking up passengers at the Mason Street dock in Charlevoix and ferrying them out to the middle of the lake. There, the Keuka opened up its gaming tables and brought out the booze, safely removed from authorities’ watchful gaze (though many law enforcement officials both in the region and further afield took bribes to look the other way).
Charlevoix Area Chamber of Commerce 109 Mason St., Charlevoix, MI 49720 (231) 547-2101 | Fax: (231) 547-6633 info@charlevoix.org
How fortunate we are in Charlevoix to have a Chamber of Commerce so dedicated to supporting our business owners and helping our community flourish!
In essence, the goal of our Chamber is to further the interests of our businesses……to improve the economic, civic, and cultural well-being of our Charlevoix community, and we can help by being members and being active.
Those who are our Chamber want to do all they can to support our business owners and their team members by providing leadership and support, e.g.,:
· networking opportunities · promotional opportunities · advocacy opportunities · relationship building · educational and professional development opportunities
We have a challenging business environment as a resort community in the summer and many retirees heading to warmer climates during winter months.
Our Chamber works tirelessly to help in a variety of ways, aside from the above, just a few examples being the beautification of our town, our parks, and our recreation facilities……and numerous special events which draw residents and visitors alike to “downtown” Charlevoix.
Let’s all do our part to assure that Charlevoix is a great place to make a good living and to live.
Sarah Van Horn President of The Charlevoix Area Chamber of Commerce
Sarah graduated from our high school, then went on the Grand Valley State University, and immediately came back to work at Castle Farms, where she had worked during summers while in school. She has great admiration for Castle Farms, as the Muellers treat their team members so well, e.g., they provide pathways for learning, help their people grow, attend conferences and they definitely have a genuine interest in the well-being of their team members. What a lesson for all business owners.
It was the mission of our Chamber that prompted Sarah to apply to become President when the opportunity arose. Simply, she loves our town and our people and believed this was her “calling”.
Sarah is a leader – she embodies humility, is a lifelong learner, and is committed to do all she can to make life easier and better for our business owners, including and certainly not limited to helping people find careers here, having a strong school system, ideas to help develop and maintain fully engaged workforces, housing for our team members, and for increasing prospects for customers – and also with a goal to help us hold steady during the winter.
We are fortunate to enjoy a solid membership base, and those who are members and are active are enthusiastic about the benefits received by being dedicated, and not just to their own business, also by being helpful and kind to our Charlevoix businesses, nonprofits and churches. A good many active members encourage others and share advice.
Thank you, Sarah, and your talented team. Your humility and dedication to our businesses and community are greatly appreciated!
