PENTWATER BUILDING STORIES
Pentwater, Michigan officially became a village in 1867. With its scenic location on a major waterway, Lake Michigan, and its setting at the endge of thick woods, Lumbermen flocked here to make their fortunes. Fisherman and business entrepreneurs settled in the growing village. Commerce exploded following the Civil War and extension of the railroad to Pentwater. Residents soon had a school, churches, community halls, and cultural amenities. A huge proportion of the sturdy, attractive homes built in those early days still stand. The area, like so many Lake Michigan towns, soon became a mecca for tourism with hotels, steamers stopping to pick up lake passengers, and the development of good roads. Today, this beloved village has a very active Pentwater Historical Society dedicated to preserving this history PentwaterHistoricalSociety.org.
Each of the gallery images, shown below, sheds light on a moment in Pentwater history. The short vignettes are arranged in chronological order from the early cable ferry to the beginnings of the Pentwater Homecoming celebration and the Art Deco movie theatre. More stories will be added as research is completed. Many of these can be found on panels in retail windows on Hancock Street.
