Harper Lake History
by John Gochis
Our beloved Harper Lake is one of 156 lakes found within Lake County, Michigan. Harper Lake properties are located in sections 10 and 15 of Elk Township which is situated in the northwest corner of Lake County. Harper Lake is located within the Little Manistee Watershed. The Little Manistee River is 67 miles long with 13 miles of the river bisecting Elk Township. Harper Lake covers 76 acres and has a maximum depth of 60 feet.
Early History of Harper Lake
The area was formed when the last glaciers melted and withdrew from the region about 12,000 years ago. The glaciers left behind lakes, rivers, glacial moraines and outwash throughout Lake County. The lakes, trout streams and abundant natural resources first attracted Native Americans to the area thousands of years ago. Many of the local places still carry names from the area tribes known as the "The Council of the Three Fires" or individually as the Potawatomie, Ottawa, and Chippewa (also known as the Ojibwa). For example, a few miles south of Harper Lake on Big Bass Lake Drive is Big Bass Lake. Originally it was named Lake Nataka and translated as “Lake Beautiful” by the local Native Americans.
Lake County was formally organized in 1871 when lumber companies owned much of the area. The lumber companies had stripped giant white pines from the area and floated logs down the nearby Little Manistee River to the sawmills in Manistee. Railroads also were used by lumber camps to transport trees and supplies. In 1888 the first known Europeans to settle in the Harper Lake area were German immigrants Robert L. Fuchs and Bertha Staab Fuchs. The couple purchased 38 acres between Harper Lake and Elbow Lake for $378.95. Their property extended to both shorelines. The family had relocated from Manistee purchasing the property from the Stronach Lumber Company, who had cleared the land. The Fuchs’ son, a cook in the nearby lumber camp, later became known as Robert J. Fox. The Fox Bridge, which spans the Little Manistee River near Harper Lake, was named after him.
The town closest to Harper Lake was founded in 1909 by Wilford McIrons, an immigrant from Ireland. The town was named Irons from part of the family name. It was conveniently located next to the tracks for the Chicago and Western Railroad and later the Pere Marquette Railroad. In the 1940’s Irons had as many as four stops daily.
In 1914 the Elk County Township Hall was built near the Fox Bridge. The Elk Township Building Committee founded the property and helped purchase the land from John and Emily Bourke for $1. This committee consisted of C.P. List, a grocery and hardware store owner in Irons; Fred Riggs, a Justice of the Peace; and E.B. Griffes, a road overseer. Robert Fuchs was township chairman during the construction. The newly renovated Elk Township Hall recently celebrated its centennial in 2014.
An Oral History from Frank Riggs
Frank Riggs, lifetime resident of Irons and current resident near where the K & K store once stood, shared memories of Harper Lake. “I can tell you back when there were only two shacks on the lake.” The shacks stood on the shoreline of Harper Lake and were built in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. Each was about 16 feet by 20 feet and covered with tar paper. “One of the shacks was near the big island six to eight houses southeast of where the lake drains.” The other shack was located on Keating Point near the Randall’s house along Big Bass Lake Drive. Jack Keating, perhaps from the Detroit area, owned the northwest shoreline. He later built a sizeable three-bedroom house between Harper Lake and Elbow Lake. “You can still see the foundation of the Keating Ranch,” explains Riggs. To see the remains of the foundation one must cross Big Bass Lake Drive from the Harper Lake shoreline.
Frank Riggs had worked for Jack Keating during his youth. The Keating Ranch consisted of two buildings. “The house was a big two-story building with three bedrooms upstairs and a dining room, living room, and kitchen with a wood stove downstairs. There was also a large garage with shutters on the windows. The garage had two stories with tools upstairs and an ice house basement.” The ice was stored for refrigeration purposes during the summer months. Riggs describes the process of gathering and storing ice from the lake, “One had to shovel snow to Harper Lake and cut wide blocks of ice in front of Nancy Randall’s house. This was done when ice was 16 to 18 inches deep, weighting 90 pounds each and a pump near Harper Lake washed the ice.”The ice blocks were loaded on a truck and stacked into the ice house with two-to-three inches of sawdust between each ice chunk. They still weighed 85 pounds in August, and blocks sold for around 10-to-15 cents. There was a cutting machine made out of a Model T.” As years passed, Keating Point was an area used for lake camping.
In the early 1950’s Earl Granger sold what is now the Harper Lake Boat Launch to the DNR for $225. During this time period, a dollar-and-a-half per foot was the going price for shoreline property. Earl Granger became Frank Riggs’ uncle when he married Frank’s aunt Zita. Earl Granger built the first house on Harper Lake. “The first real house on Harper Lake, if you do not count the two shacks, was south of the boat launch. The first house is still there and it has been remodeled.”
An Oral History from Dorothy and Bill Royce
Bill Royce states that in 1968 there were 13 pontoon boats docked on the lake. “The trout fishing was still good in the late 1960’s and about 10 to 12 boats would fish about midnight. We would throw canned corn to attract the trout. They fished with night crawlers and most rainbow trout caught were around 13” long. The DNR would stock the lake with 5 to 10,000 trout each year. At some point someone, other than the DNR, introduced Pike into Harper Lake. Pike were eating up trout like no bodies business. In 2004, the DNR investigated the problem using large nets to sample the fish population. A thirty one inch Pike was netted. Found in its’ belly was an eleven and a half inch trout. At about the same time a 29 inch brown trout was caught.”
The Royce’s first bought their Harper lakeshore property in 1964, but were unable to build their A frame cottage until a property dispute between Jack Keating and Ellis Dixon was settled in 1968. The original tax bill showed their address was on Dixon Road. However, after the dispute was settled local government officials put up a sign calling it Nixon Road. The Royce’s feel Nixon Road was a mistake that was never corrected. That same year, President Nixon was elected to his first term.
Harper Lake Association Newsletters
The late Bobbie Landis was a long-time resident of Harper Lake, and both she and her husband, Joe, collected lake information for decades. The records show that by 1966 the Harper Lake Association (HLA) bylaws existed. In 1973, the Harper Lake Board of Directors consisted of Howard Funk, Fred Granger, Chet Rau and Jack Keating. In 1980 dues were $5. Miller Lane was named after longtime resident Robert Miller, who was reported as the chairman of the improvement committee. Some of the earliest lake association presidents were: Joseph Spedowski (1980), Joe Landis (1984), Ron Krutel (1986), Jan Magginni (1988), Steve Veneklase (1992) and Russ Hodder (1993).
Bobbi Landis’ collection of Harper Lake Association newsletters begins in the spring of 1984. The newsletter mentions the 1983 annual meeting which was held at St Bernard’s Church and had a total of 55 members present. The 1988 newsletter reports of trout plantings in the spring and beavers damming up the lake’s outlet affecting lake levels. The spring newsletter of 1990 describes a vote made by residents to name the large island in Harper Lake. The winning and official name of Harper Lake’s big island is “Harper Isle” with “Turtle Island” as the runner up. In 1991, Harper Lake aerial photos were ordered. In 1992, wells were tested and hats and t-shirts were ordered. In 1994, spraying to control gypsy moth was conducted on June 9, and the plan to continue lake treatment to control Eurasian milfoil was given on June 20. No evidence of zebra mussels were found, and 165 people had attended the 6th Annual Pig Roast. The fish survey reported that bluegills were most numerous, yellow perch were second most abundant and the population of largemouth bass was increasing. A letter from the DNR dated May 2000 stated that northern pike had been found in Harper Lake, and they may affect the annual planting of brown trout. The 2006 newsletter reported that the DNR and DEQ designated Harper Lake as a bass, pike and bluegills lake, and trout would never be planted again. The Cooperative Lake Monitoring Program surveying Michigan’s lakes reported the median Secchi readings, indicating water clarity for Harper Lake in 2000, was at 12.5 feet, in 2001 at 15 feet and 2002 at 16.7 feet. The HLA also stated that the lake water quality was good. The newsletter also reported that 12 volunteers helped with the annual road clean up.
The Harper Lake Association was designated by the U.S. Forest Service as the official caretaker of Harper Isle. Harper Isle is the large island in Harper Lake and is part of the Huron-Manistee National Forest. New signs displaying island regulations were also given by rangers and were posted on the island.
In 2004, at the age of 83, Frank Granger of Irons passed away. He was the son of Earl and Zita (Riggs) Granger and was one of the original founders of the Irons’ Area Tourist Association. He was survived by his wife, Mary, and three sons.
The gypsy moth treatment had depleted much of the HLA funds. In the fall of 2004, the general meeting reported no need for further gypsy moth spraying. In 2006, dues were increased to $55 reflecting the need to continue the lake’s milfoil treatment and to replenish the HLA funds. The annual picnic was held at the Harper Lake Resort, the lake’s only resort. The first boat parade was held July 15, and first place went to the VanderLaan’s “shower stall.” The white deer on Nixon Road were reported to be doing well, and the Harper Lake picnic was attended by 92 people. In 2008, the lake’s increasing light pollution was noted. The new HLA clothing logos were modified to a loon and fish design. Also that year a request was made for residents to provide information that would help with recording the history of our lake. In 2009, a loon nest was placed between the islands to increase the loon population. The first poker run was held on July 4, 2009, and Randy Heemstra won the high hand. The HLA hired the Professional Lake Management Company to administer the milfoil treatment for the entire lake community instead of having individual residents treat their own properties. Although treatment dates back to at least 1989, the complete eradication of Eurasian milfoil is likely impossible. It was reported that Lance Lamar, of the HLA Chairman of the Fish and Waterfowl Committee, was working with the DNR to begin stocking hybrid bluegills and minnows for food supply.
An Oral History from Marcia May Fairchild, Steve May's mother
Steve May and Randy Brooks are not just neighbors on W. Harper Drive, they share a great-grandmother, Lou Keller, who was the first of four generations of family to settle on Harper Lake. Together great-grandmother Lou Keller and her brother Walt Atkinson purchased property at 9587 Granger Road. There once was a one-room cabin with a hand pump and an outhouse at that location in the early 1950's. Lou, the great-grandmother, decided to purchase three lots on W. Harper Drive for her children. All three children and their families built cottages - Howard at 9806, Irene at 9792 and Audrey at 9778 W. Harper Drive. Marcia May explains, "There were a handful of houses already existing on W. Harper Drive. The earthen dam at the end of the road existed in the early 50's." All three structures were built on high ground, just before Harper Drive descends into lower lands near the islands. The swamp land was not filled in until the mid-1970's. Steve May's grandparents, Clarence and Irene Anderson, and Randy Brooks' grandparents, Ted and Audrey Bear, each dug basements in the early 1960's. Both neighboring families lived in their basements a couple of summers before second floors were completed.
Clarence and Irene Anderson operated the first speed boat on the lake in the mid-1960's. Since there were no wake rules, skiers could be pulled through the east channel and around the entire lake. Marcia explains, "Some of the lake fishermen became angry at the use of speed boats." This led to some of the early lake regulations for boating. Speed boat owner Clarence "Andy" Anderson was a member of the Harper Lake Association.
Note from the author:
This is my first attempt to record some of Harper Lake’s history for the Harper Lake website, and corrections or additions to make it more accurate and comprehensive would be greatly appreciated. I am also interested in collecting historical documents of all types, would accept phone calls and emails, or would be willing to visit for oral interviews. Please contact John Gochis through the Harper Lake Association directory.
Resources used and may be of interest are:
Lake County 1871-1960 by the Lake County Historical Society
Elk Township, A Short History of the Land, the People, and the Hall by the Elk Township Historical Society
A German Pioneer Family in Michigan by Bruce Curtis
Elk Township, A Picture History by Ann Chase
Harper Lake Association News Letters
Frank Riggs oral history
Dorothy and Bill Royce oral history
by John Gochis
Our beloved Harper Lake is one of 156 lakes found within Lake County, Michigan. Harper Lake properties are located in sections 10 and 15 of Elk Township which is situated in the northwest corner of Lake County. Harper Lake is located within the Little Manistee Watershed. The Little Manistee River is 67 miles long with 13 miles of the river bisecting Elk Township. Harper Lake covers 76 acres and has a maximum depth of 60 feet.
Early History of Harper Lake
The area was formed when the last glaciers melted and withdrew from the region about 12,000 years ago. The glaciers left behind lakes, rivers, glacial moraines and outwash throughout Lake County. The lakes, trout streams and abundant natural resources first attracted Native Americans to the area thousands of years ago. Many of the local places still carry names from the area tribes known as the "The Council of the Three Fires" or individually as the Potawatomie, Ottawa, and Chippewa (also known as the Ojibwa). For example, a few miles south of Harper Lake on Big Bass Lake Drive is Big Bass Lake. Originally it was named Lake Nataka and translated as “Lake Beautiful” by the local Native Americans.
Lake County was formally organized in 1871 when lumber companies owned much of the area. The lumber companies had stripped giant white pines from the area and floated logs down the nearby Little Manistee River to the sawmills in Manistee. Railroads also were used by lumber camps to transport trees and supplies. In 1888 the first known Europeans to settle in the Harper Lake area were German immigrants Robert L. Fuchs and Bertha Staab Fuchs. The couple purchased 38 acres between Harper Lake and Elbow Lake for $378.95. Their property extended to both shorelines. The family had relocated from Manistee purchasing the property from the Stronach Lumber Company, who had cleared the land. The Fuchs’ son, a cook in the nearby lumber camp, later became known as Robert J. Fox. The Fox Bridge, which spans the Little Manistee River near Harper Lake, was named after him.
The town closest to Harper Lake was founded in 1909 by Wilford McIrons, an immigrant from Ireland. The town was named Irons from part of the family name. It was conveniently located next to the tracks for the Chicago and Western Railroad and later the Pere Marquette Railroad. In the 1940’s Irons had as many as four stops daily.
In 1914 the Elk County Township Hall was built near the Fox Bridge. The Elk Township Building Committee founded the property and helped purchase the land from John and Emily Bourke for $1. This committee consisted of C.P. List, a grocery and hardware store owner in Irons; Fred Riggs, a Justice of the Peace; and E.B. Griffes, a road overseer. Robert Fuchs was township chairman during the construction. The newly renovated Elk Township Hall recently celebrated its centennial in 2014.
An Oral History from Frank Riggs
Frank Riggs, lifetime resident of Irons and current resident near where the K & K store once stood, shared memories of Harper Lake. “I can tell you back when there were only two shacks on the lake.” The shacks stood on the shoreline of Harper Lake and were built in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. Each was about 16 feet by 20 feet and covered with tar paper. “One of the shacks was near the big island six to eight houses southeast of where the lake drains.” The other shack was located on Keating Point near the Randall’s house along Big Bass Lake Drive. Jack Keating, perhaps from the Detroit area, owned the northwest shoreline. He later built a sizeable three-bedroom house between Harper Lake and Elbow Lake. “You can still see the foundation of the Keating Ranch,” explains Riggs. To see the remains of the foundation one must cross Big Bass Lake Drive from the Harper Lake shoreline.
Frank Riggs had worked for Jack Keating during his youth. The Keating Ranch consisted of two buildings. “The house was a big two-story building with three bedrooms upstairs and a dining room, living room, and kitchen with a wood stove downstairs. There was also a large garage with shutters on the windows. The garage had two stories with tools upstairs and an ice house basement.” The ice was stored for refrigeration purposes during the summer months. Riggs describes the process of gathering and storing ice from the lake, “One had to shovel snow to Harper Lake and cut wide blocks of ice in front of Nancy Randall’s house. This was done when ice was 16 to 18 inches deep, weighting 90 pounds each and a pump near Harper Lake washed the ice.”The ice blocks were loaded on a truck and stacked into the ice house with two-to-three inches of sawdust between each ice chunk. They still weighed 85 pounds in August, and blocks sold for around 10-to-15 cents. There was a cutting machine made out of a Model T.” As years passed, Keating Point was an area used for lake camping.
In the early 1950’s Earl Granger sold what is now the Harper Lake Boat Launch to the DNR for $225. During this time period, a dollar-and-a-half per foot was the going price for shoreline property. Earl Granger became Frank Riggs’ uncle when he married Frank’s aunt Zita. Earl Granger built the first house on Harper Lake. “The first real house on Harper Lake, if you do not count the two shacks, was south of the boat launch. The first house is still there and it has been remodeled.”
An Oral History from Dorothy and Bill Royce
Bill Royce states that in 1968 there were 13 pontoon boats docked on the lake. “The trout fishing was still good in the late 1960’s and about 10 to 12 boats would fish about midnight. We would throw canned corn to attract the trout. They fished with night crawlers and most rainbow trout caught were around 13” long. The DNR would stock the lake with 5 to 10,000 trout each year. At some point someone, other than the DNR, introduced Pike into Harper Lake. Pike were eating up trout like no bodies business. In 2004, the DNR investigated the problem using large nets to sample the fish population. A thirty one inch Pike was netted. Found in its’ belly was an eleven and a half inch trout. At about the same time a 29 inch brown trout was caught.”
The Royce’s first bought their Harper lakeshore property in 1964, but were unable to build their A frame cottage until a property dispute between Jack Keating and Ellis Dixon was settled in 1968. The original tax bill showed their address was on Dixon Road. However, after the dispute was settled local government officials put up a sign calling it Nixon Road. The Royce’s feel Nixon Road was a mistake that was never corrected. That same year, President Nixon was elected to his first term.
Harper Lake Association Newsletters
The late Bobbie Landis was a long-time resident of Harper Lake, and both she and her husband, Joe, collected lake information for decades. The records show that by 1966 the Harper Lake Association (HLA) bylaws existed. In 1973, the Harper Lake Board of Directors consisted of Howard Funk, Fred Granger, Chet Rau and Jack Keating. In 1980 dues were $5. Miller Lane was named after longtime resident Robert Miller, who was reported as the chairman of the improvement committee. Some of the earliest lake association presidents were: Joseph Spedowski (1980), Joe Landis (1984), Ron Krutel (1986), Jan Magginni (1988), Steve Veneklase (1992) and Russ Hodder (1993).
Bobbi Landis’ collection of Harper Lake Association newsletters begins in the spring of 1984. The newsletter mentions the 1983 annual meeting which was held at St Bernard’s Church and had a total of 55 members present. The 1988 newsletter reports of trout plantings in the spring and beavers damming up the lake’s outlet affecting lake levels. The spring newsletter of 1990 describes a vote made by residents to name the large island in Harper Lake. The winning and official name of Harper Lake’s big island is “Harper Isle” with “Turtle Island” as the runner up. In 1991, Harper Lake aerial photos were ordered. In 1992, wells were tested and hats and t-shirts were ordered. In 1994, spraying to control gypsy moth was conducted on June 9, and the plan to continue lake treatment to control Eurasian milfoil was given on June 20. No evidence of zebra mussels were found, and 165 people had attended the 6th Annual Pig Roast. The fish survey reported that bluegills were most numerous, yellow perch were second most abundant and the population of largemouth bass was increasing. A letter from the DNR dated May 2000 stated that northern pike had been found in Harper Lake, and they may affect the annual planting of brown trout. The 2006 newsletter reported that the DNR and DEQ designated Harper Lake as a bass, pike and bluegills lake, and trout would never be planted again. The Cooperative Lake Monitoring Program surveying Michigan’s lakes reported the median Secchi readings, indicating water clarity for Harper Lake in 2000, was at 12.5 feet, in 2001 at 15 feet and 2002 at 16.7 feet. The HLA also stated that the lake water quality was good. The newsletter also reported that 12 volunteers helped with the annual road clean up.
The Harper Lake Association was designated by the U.S. Forest Service as the official caretaker of Harper Isle. Harper Isle is the large island in Harper Lake and is part of the Huron-Manistee National Forest. New signs displaying island regulations were also given by rangers and were posted on the island.
In 2004, at the age of 83, Frank Granger of Irons passed away. He was the son of Earl and Zita (Riggs) Granger and was one of the original founders of the Irons’ Area Tourist Association. He was survived by his wife, Mary, and three sons.
The gypsy moth treatment had depleted much of the HLA funds. In the fall of 2004, the general meeting reported no need for further gypsy moth spraying. In 2006, dues were increased to $55 reflecting the need to continue the lake’s milfoil treatment and to replenish the HLA funds. The annual picnic was held at the Harper Lake Resort, the lake’s only resort. The first boat parade was held July 15, and first place went to the VanderLaan’s “shower stall.” The white deer on Nixon Road were reported to be doing well, and the Harper Lake picnic was attended by 92 people. In 2008, the lake’s increasing light pollution was noted. The new HLA clothing logos were modified to a loon and fish design. Also that year a request was made for residents to provide information that would help with recording the history of our lake. In 2009, a loon nest was placed between the islands to increase the loon population. The first poker run was held on July 4, 2009, and Randy Heemstra won the high hand. The HLA hired the Professional Lake Management Company to administer the milfoil treatment for the entire lake community instead of having individual residents treat their own properties. Although treatment dates back to at least 1989, the complete eradication of Eurasian milfoil is likely impossible. It was reported that Lance Lamar, of the HLA Chairman of the Fish and Waterfowl Committee, was working with the DNR to begin stocking hybrid bluegills and minnows for food supply.
An Oral History from Marcia May Fairchild, Steve May's mother
Steve May and Randy Brooks are not just neighbors on W. Harper Drive, they share a great-grandmother, Lou Keller, who was the first of four generations of family to settle on Harper Lake. Together great-grandmother Lou Keller and her brother Walt Atkinson purchased property at 9587 Granger Road. There once was a one-room cabin with a hand pump and an outhouse at that location in the early 1950's. Lou, the great-grandmother, decided to purchase three lots on W. Harper Drive for her children. All three children and their families built cottages - Howard at 9806, Irene at 9792 and Audrey at 9778 W. Harper Drive. Marcia May explains, "There were a handful of houses already existing on W. Harper Drive. The earthen dam at the end of the road existed in the early 50's." All three structures were built on high ground, just before Harper Drive descends into lower lands near the islands. The swamp land was not filled in until the mid-1970's. Steve May's grandparents, Clarence and Irene Anderson, and Randy Brooks' grandparents, Ted and Audrey Bear, each dug basements in the early 1960's. Both neighboring families lived in their basements a couple of summers before second floors were completed.
Clarence and Irene Anderson operated the first speed boat on the lake in the mid-1960's. Since there were no wake rules, skiers could be pulled through the east channel and around the entire lake. Marcia explains, "Some of the lake fishermen became angry at the use of speed boats." This led to some of the early lake regulations for boating. Speed boat owner Clarence "Andy" Anderson was a member of the Harper Lake Association.
Note from the author:
This is my first attempt to record some of Harper Lake’s history for the Harper Lake website, and corrections or additions to make it more accurate and comprehensive would be greatly appreciated. I am also interested in collecting historical documents of all types, would accept phone calls and emails, or would be willing to visit for oral interviews. Please contact John Gochis through the Harper Lake Association directory.
Resources used and may be of interest are:
Lake County 1871-1960 by the Lake County Historical Society
Elk Township, A Short History of the Land, the People, and the Hall by the Elk Township Historical Society
A German Pioneer Family in Michigan by Bruce Curtis
Elk Township, A Picture History by Ann Chase
Harper Lake Association News Letters
Frank Riggs oral history
Dorothy and Bill Royce oral history
