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2. BUILDING A DREAM
3. WAR TIME
4. PEACE TIME
5. ARBORETUM
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The History of Lake Bluff
By Margaret (Gray) Vickery and Bob Gray
Following is a reprint of the article announcing the gift of Lake Bluff to the Michigan Audubon Society as it appeared in the MANISTEE NEWS ADVOCATE, Friday, January 22, 1988.
PART 2
THE BUILDING OF A DREAM
It was in 1936 that Trudy and Eddie Gray purchased Lake Bluff Orchards from J. M. Peterson of Manistee. “JM” had developed the orchards starting just after the turn of the century. Although it was large enough to pay its way, Lake Bluff was primarily a diversion from the railroad business for “JM.”
The orchard was a combination of many things—sweet cherries (Schmidts, Bings, Napoleons), sour cherries (Montmorency), apples (McIntosh, Stark’s Delicious, Golden Delicious), quince, pears (Bartletts), plums, currents and gooseberries; a real fruit basket to say the least. The majority of the fruit was packed “Fancy” and marketed through “Stop-And-Shop” in Chicago through the time of WWII.
Early construction @1937
Construction of the house (architect—Ringe of Grand Rapids) commenced in the spring of 1936 with three teams of draft horses excavating the basement and foundations with “slips,” the precursor to the modern backhoe. Moving day was in the summer of 1938.
Few changes to the house have been made over the years. There was originally a sundeck over the dining room, and the utility room off the kitchen was an addition in recent years. The driveway, patio off the living room, walks, etc. are still as they were originally designed.
The orchard was gradually converted to yard and plantings starting in 1940 and continuing on into the late 1970s.
Completed home @1939
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EARLY EXPANSION
The original Lake Bluff Orchard purchase involved the acreage where the house is on the west side of the road, the “Gooseberry Patch” (presently owned by Dr. and Mrs. Stone) and the “Old Barn” on the east side of the road, (converted in the early 80s by Chuck Hedstrum of Manistee to the beautiful home you see today).
Label used for crates of cherries and gooseberries @1920
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In the early 40s the Gardner farm was added to Lake Bluff. This additional parcel consisted of a large barn (now gone) and house (currently the Dale and Laura Shoemaker property) at the top of the hill, a small apple orchard to the north where the stables now stands, an area north of the stables to Capper Road (now called Birch Road) where a “riding ring” was once located, and the current woodlot that extends to the east along Capper Road for about 1/4 of a mile.
The Gardner orchard was operated for only 2-3 years and then the trees were removed.
The woodlot is a first re-growth stand of hardwoods with scattered fir and hemlock in the lower, wetter areas. Horseback riding trails were fenced and pastured. Many of the trees now growing around the house are from this woodlot.
NEXT> 3. WWII — A TIME FOR TOIL
Lake Bluff History
3. WAR TIME
4. PEACE TIME
5. ARBORETUM