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Budd Lake in Harrison, surrounded by hills on three sides, has
clear blue water, and good fishing. The state park in Harrison sits
on the northwest end of the lake. |
| Surrey House in Harrison is a landmark on the hill on Second
Street. Surrey House used to be a hotel and restaurant. After
several renovations and owners, it once again serves the people of the
area as a great family restaurant. Their breads are marvelous! |
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This is a hayfield north of Mannsiding Road in Hayes Twp.
There aren't a lot of areas that offer good farmland in Clare County, but
the areas that are good produce great crops. |
| This is McEwan St. in Clare city, looking north. The famous
Doherty Hotel is the large building just to the north of the traffic lights.
They have added to the hotel to make it a great convention center.
There are many great shops on McEwan Street, including the "Leprechaun
Shop" where Irish and Scotch items are sold. |
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St. Cecilia Parish serves the Catholics of southern Clare County.
The church is built in "mission" style. The community is over 100
years old. |
| In Farwell, just west of Clare, there are several grand old buildings.
This house is one of them, the Fuller House, which stands just a block
north of Main Street on Michigan. |
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On Main Street in Farwell, several structures from the turn of
the century still stand including this business building that has two storefronts. |
| Clare County has been home to many colorful characters, but one
of the most famous (or infamous!) was Spikehorn, a hunter and trapper who
set up shop on the corner of Old U.S. 27 and MI 61. He had a gift
shop, deer pens and a bear or two. These are the ruins of his gift
shop. |
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Way up north in Clare County, is the little hamlet of Leota,
which was a very busy sawmill and shingle mill producer back at the turn
of the century (1900). Now there are only a few buldings left, a
church, some homes and the "Leota Mall" which is a godsend for the people
of the area, selling food, staples and gas. It's just down the street
from the bridge over the Muskegon River where there is a great swimming
hole. |
| The lumber industry had a huge impact on the people of Clare
County in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The photo to the right
shows the site of a small village called Mannsiding. It stood at
a Pere Marquette railroad siding owned by Mr. Mann, hence the name "Mann's
Siding", where logs were loaded to head to the mills. There is no
trace of the railroad or the houses that stood here. |
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