“The Douglas” was Lake Ann’s premier hotel and saloon for only twelve short years. Some photos and stories survive to help show it’s former glory. Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel, built with railroad and steamship money in 1887, ten years earlier became one of the nation’s most fashionable summer hotels.
The railroad reached Lake Ann in October 1890. Passenger service as well as log and freight hauling to Lake Ann started that year. In many ways, the village of Lake Ann was typical of the interaction of the M & NE Railroad and the towns along its route. In some cases a town was created by the railroad but in all cases the towns grew with the coming of the rails as Lake Ann did till 1897. A fire broke out in Habbler’s mill at 1:30 p.m. Saturday July 8, 1897 and spread through the town with lightening rapidity. Lake Ann became a mass of smoldering ruins, with scarcely thirty buildings left standing.
GRAND TRAVERSE HERALD, JULY 8, 1897
Holocaust at Lake Ann
1898 was a year of rebuilding. The “Buckley and Douglas Lumber Company” owned a number of lots in the village. The Manistee and North Eastern Railroad was organized in January 1887 at a meeting at the Buckley and Douglas Lumber Company in Manistee, Michigan. William Douglas and Edward Buckley were the principals behind the railroad. In the aftermath of the Lake Ann fire, William Douglas saw an opportunity for his railroad so “railroad money” built “The Douglas Hotel” at 1st Street and Maple across from their Depot (where the Township Hall stands now). Summer tourists had a new place to stay in Lake Ann. They could arrive by train stay at the hotel and enjoy the lake boating and fishing. Walter Sinclair was the Hotel manager. The Douglas Hotel had a dock on the lake and maintained boats for their guests use. There was a saloon at hotel, and legend has it that many good card games took place there.
Sam Burnett, the neighbor and General Store owner to the north of the hotel had a vision for the vacant property in front of his store at the turn of the 19th century. The property adjoined the train tracks and was owned by the Buckley and Douglas Lumber Company who purchased a number of lots in the village after bringing the railroad to Lake Ann. Mr. Burnett purchased the vacant property and offered to donate the land to the village for a park if they agreed to call it “Burnett Park.” There was some controversy over this, but the property was given to the village in 1903 and called “Burnett Park.” Charlie Noscar later made a sign and painted it to put at the park. Mr. Burnett then hired Jay King (Stanley Beckwith’s brother-in-law) and Julius Feaster to plant trees. Stanley as a little boy could remember those trees being planted, staked and tied. (You can see the present Lake Ann Grocery Store at the center of the photo below.)
The second Douglas Hotel owner named it “The Turk”. It’s not known how long it operated under that name. It sold again to Louis E. Knodel, becoming known as “The Knodel“. Louis came from Buffalo, New York, his father was from Germany and mother, New York. In 1910, Louis was 41 yrs. old living at the hotel with his 40 yr. wife Ida (Squire) and their 8 yr. old daughter Ruth E. They had been married 18 years and purchased the hotel on a mortgage. Their neighbors were Samuel S. & Jennie Burnett , Dr. William J. & Anna Shilliday & their daughters Willma & Sarah.
THE EVENING RECORD
TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1910
HOTEL WAS DESTROYED
LAKE ANN HAD A BAD FIRE THIS MORNING
ALL GUESTS ESCAPED
NORTH WIND SAVED THE REST OF VILLAGE
Origin of the fire is unknown but it started in the roof – Loss on building is $2,500 with insurance of $1,200.
Lake Ann, Mich. May 13. — The Hotel Douglas, the only all-year-round house in Lake Ann, was totally destroyed by fire at 6:00 o’clock this morning. The house was well filled with guests but all escaped, although some lost their personal belongings. The loss on the hotel is $2,500 with $1,200 insurance. The insurance on the contents is $1,200 but as some were saved, L. E. Knodel, the landlord, is unable to give his loss.
The fire originated in the roof near where the two buildings came together. The alarm was quickly given and a bucket brigade was soon on the scene, the men doing very effective work. Fortunately, the wind was from the north, blowing the fire toward the lake, else it is very likely that the entire business street would have been destroyed. It was only by the great effort that the home of Dr. Shilliday and the house and store of S. S. Burnett were saved from destruction.
The fire spread very quickly and while many of the guests were still asleep when the alarm came, all got out fully dressed, although some left their baggage behind. In 10 minutes, the hotel was a heap of smoking ruins.
Edna Tucker Noscar remembered watching the hotel burn as a child. I understand that some pretty serious poker games went on in the saloon at this hotel. In fact, one of the local card sharks was doing so well that he had to be smuggled out of the place for his own safety. An irate visitor apparently didn’t enjoy losing.
Louis, Ida and Ruth Knodel lost everything and moved back to Buffalo, New York.
The Manistee and North Eastern Railroad (M. & N. E. R. R.) for forty-two years, 1892 to 1934, connected Traverse City to Manistee and numerous towns in between. The Great Depression hit in 1929 and in 1932 the “Buckley and Douglas Lumber Company” went bankrupt. The Pere Marquette Railroad bought the M. & N. E. R. R., abandoning it in 1934. Sept. 1934 they removed the rails & the locals used the ties for wood and kindling. The Depot no longer had a purpose, Almira Township erected their Township Hall there.
The Museum is Open 1-4 pm Tues. & Sat.
Memorial Day to Labor Day19440 Maple St. Lake Ann, Michigan 49650