Article from the Past
This week’s history feature is plain and simple—a direct article repost. It was originally provided by the Chamber and published in the White Lake Yacht Club News.
The Article
“The committees of the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce have been busy laying out the projects for the coming season, and to date much of the program has been accomplished. Clarence E. Pitkin who has been chairman of the Budget Committee for the past ten years, heads this committee again this year. Included in this year’s budget was the printing of fifteen thousand new White Lake Folders. The art work was executed by Mr. Edw. Drier of Grand Rapids. One of the features of this year’s folder is a map of the entire White Lake region, including the Duck Lake area, east including the Chippewa Council Boy Scout Camps and north to and including the Rochdale Inn. The map is done pictorially showing the activities in pictures in their proper location such as, sailing, golf, lake and trout fishing, swimming, picnics, scouting, canoeing, in fact every recreational activity known to the community.”
“Through the cooperation of the Whitehall Township board, and the village council, a full page ad was sponsored in the Michigan Tourist Guide which is published by the Michigan Tourist and Resort Association. This page is in two colors and in comparing it with the ads of other resorts in the guide it is outstanding.”
“The Michigan Tourist Guide this year is considered to be the finest piece of resort advertising ever put out, any place or any time. Included with the guide is a lure map done in colors of entire Western Michigan from the Indiana line to the Straits of Mackinac. The guide is distributed by mail only on direct inquiries to the office of the Association in Grand Rapids. Fifty thousand have been printed for distribution.”
“Band Concerts—Included in the budget is a substantial contribution to the Whitehall High School Band that will assure the usual Saturday evening concerts throughout the resort season of July and August. The band organization is one of the best in the state and has carried off several awards of merit in competition. Mr. Louis F. Peterson is the organizer and director of the band and to him goes the major portion of the credit for creating this near professional band.”
“Mrs. Gordon P. Meinert Manages Tourist Bureau—The Whitehall Tourist Bureau, sponsored by the business men of Whitehall, has been moved from its former quarters in the Masonic Temple to the office of the White Lake Insurance and Real Estate Company in the Pitkin office building on Mears Ave., directly back of the Pitkin Drug Store.”
“Mrs. Gordon P. Meinert has been appointed manager of the bureau and will take care of the usual routine of business such as cottage rentals and general information on the entire White Lake district. Already five thousand of the new folders have been mailed out to people whose names appear on the bulletins of the Michigan Tourist and Resort Association. Fifteen hundred of the folders have been placed in Loop information bureaus in Chicago by Mr. Q. Hallquist who is handling the publicity for the Wisconsin and Michigan Steamship Company. This firm will operate the Steamer Missouri into Muskegon during the coming season.”
“Other items in the budget will include a contribution to the White Lake Hotel Owners’ Association to assist them in carrying combination advertising in the metropolitan newspapers. A large and artistic sign is to be painted on the west side of the Kroger Grocery Store directing south-bound traffic on US 31 over the Scenic Drive to Muskegon. The North Muskegon Board of Trade has already erected a beautiful sign board at the north end of the Memorial Causeway near North Muskegon directing the north bound traffic over the Scenic Drive which brings them in at US 31 in Whitehall. Muskegon County has every reason to be proud of this drive which takes in the beautiful State owned Dunes Park.”
“Other smaller items of the budget include an amount for the Waterfront Beautification Committee that is working on a project to clean up the waterfront between Whitehall and Montague.”
“The Whitehall-Montague Joint Harbor Committee have depleted the funds on hand and will need some assistance in defraying further expenses that might arise.”
“A small fund in the way of a reserve to take care of emergencies will be included in the total of the budget.”
“Picture Contest—An amateur picture contest is being sponsored by the Grand Rapids Association of Commerce in all the resorts of Western Michigan. The grand prizes will be awarded for the best resort activities pictures at the end of the season, and the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce will award the best pictures taken locally. Posters and literature and entry blanks are being supplied by the Grand Rapids Association. The entry blanks can be obtained through local newspapers and photographic supplies who are associated with the local chamber. The picture accepted will be submitted to the Michigan Tourist and Resort Association to be used in publishing their annual guide for the 1936 season.”
“Chamber to Entertain Newspaper Men—Last year the members of the Chamber of Commerce entertained a group of about sixty newspaper men representing various metropolitan newspapers of the middle west. The object of this annual tour, which is sponsored by the Resort Association and the Grand Rapids Association of Commerce is to show these writers what Michigan has to offer first hand. At various points along the route the visitors are entertained at whatever sport is dominant in that vicinity.”
“For instance last year the tour started from Grand Rapids after breakfast. At Spring Lake they were taken for a motorboat ride. The next stop, White Lake a Dutch Lunch was served at the Yacht Club. Sailboat and motorboat cruises were offered those who wanted to indulge in this sport and the courtesy of the White Lake Golf Club extended to those who wished to play golf. Farther on north, they were taken deep-sea fishing for Mackinac trout.”
“In this way the objective of the tour was attained and hundreds of words appeared in the various papers represented, telling the story of what all our West Michigan resorts had to offer.”
“This year on June 25th, this same group will again be entertained by the Chamber in much the same way as last year. Many who were present last year expressed themselves as having the best time ever at White Lake.”
“Taking everything into consideration the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce is trying to do a thorough job of making this community a much more desirable and beautiful place to live, for its residents, as well as the members of the community. While the budget this year will be in excess of $1300.00 and it is the hope of all on the committee that each and every business man, when approached, will do his share cheerfully, thus assuring himself of one hundred-per cent return on the investment he is making in his community.”
