Situated in northwest Dalton Township, bordering Blue Lake Township to the north, the Village of Lakewood Club, Michigan is in the northern segment of Muskegon County.
The chief route through Lakewood Club is US-31, which passes through the southwestern portion of the village. White Lake Drive forms the northern boundary of the village, while Lakewood Road forms its southern boundary, and Russell Road makes up the eastern border. Automobile Road passes north-south through the center of the village.
Cities and villages within twenty miles of Lakewood Club include Whitehall, Montague, North Muskegon, Rothbury, Muskegon, New Era, and Roosevelt Park, while the unincorporated communities of Twin Lake and Dalton are about five miles away.
Fox Lake is an 80-acre body of water in the northeast segment of the village.
The first European-American land acquisition in the area that was to become Lakewood Club was to an Ohio developer. Nothing was done with the land until it was sold to the Mayo brothers in 1912. Approximately one year before that, the Owasippe Scout Reservation had opened north of the village, which attracted several Boy Scouts from the Chicago area.
Familiarity with the area due to the Boy Scout camp likely influenced the decision of the Mayo brothers to market the land to Chicago residents. Through a partnership with the Chicago Evening Post, a subscription to the newspaper entitled the subscriber to purchase two lots for $23.20, which was a very good deal, even at that time.
New property owners organized a lot owners association, which facilitated the construction of a resort that included a clubhouse, bathhouse, and dance pavilion along the lake. Soon, a cafeteria, bowling alley, billiard room, tennis courts, hiking trails, and docks were built.
Initially, the lots were used as a sort of a family camping area for property owners, who rented tents to stay in during their stays in the summer months. Before long, the tents were replaced by small cottages, and some property owners built year-round homes.
The Pere Marquette Railway constructed a spur to Fox Lake in October of 1913, as well as a depot which was known as Lakewood Station. The train carried potential shareholders of the Lakewood Club Association to the region.
A post office was established on August 1, 1914, with W. Laddyslaw Sajowski as the first postmaster. Originally, the post office was only open during the summer. In time, a telegraph station opened in Lakewood Club, then three hotels, grocery stores, dance halls, and some churches. At one point, there were more than four hundred cottages and several permanent homes around the lake.
In the 1930s, the resort community began to decline. Incomes were cut during the Great Depression, forcing people to cut back on non-essential expenses, such as summer homes and vacation properties. Some of the original buildings were damaged by hard winters and dismantled, while others were sold as storage sheds.
The community rebounded somewhat during World War II. An industrial boom prompted by the war effort brought workers into the area, many of whom took over abandoned cottages, turning them into year-round homes, while others built new homes in Lakewood Club.
Lakewood Club was incorporated as a village in 1967, and currently has a population of just under 1,300.
The focus of this portion of our guide is on the village of Lakewood Club, Michigan. Topics related to the village government or any businesses, organizations, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, and events within the village are appropriate.
Recommended Resources
Incorporated in 1967, the village is in Dalton Township, Muskegon County. The official municipal website names the village trustees, the village president, village clerk, village treasurer, and department heads. The village hall address, phone and fax numbers, and office hours are posted on the site. Meeting minutes, and village meeting dates are posted. Other resources feature an overview of village programs and services, a citizen's guide to the community, and a projected budget report.
http://villageoflakewoodclub.org/
