Louan Lechler was driving me home from a fine musical event up in Hayes Township that I’ll tell you all about later this week. We came to the intersection of US-31 and M-88 and she said, “Look, they’ve uncovered the old writing on the building.” I looked over at the future Torch Lake Café and pondered. I’d been writing about the history of the building, and none of my photos showed that lettering.
“Nah,” I said. “I’m pretty sure that’s just a clever way of telling people what’s coming.” Louan is too polite to laugh in my face but . . .
Boy was I wrong. At least I’m good at admitting when I’m wrong. I have a lot of experience eating crow pie. Herewith, the evidence against me.
Exhibit 1: Progress report on Torch Lake Café – April 7 or 8 2016 – photo by Babs Young
If you look closely, you will see that lettering is cut off by the windows. Clearly the tarpaper has been stripped off the old siding and the old lettering has been revealed. There’s more.
Another incarnation of the corner bar
Babs sent out her usual Sunday Michigan Pic and posted the photo on Facebook. Lynne Charlet Agar responded with another that showed even more progress, with even more tarpaper stripped off, and wrote that her grandfather had owned the place as The Eastport back in 1944. Good grief! Not only was I wrong about the lettering, but there was a whole ‘nother incarnation of the corner bar between the Hoopers and Molly Malone’s. I did not steal Lynne’s photo but trotted over there and made one of my own.
Exhibit 2: Torch Lake Café revealed as descendant of The Eastport – photo by Gerry Sell April 11 2016
No question about it. Old lettering on old siding. There’s more, too. Here’s the west side of the building.
Exhibit 3: Torch Lake Café reveals early lettering on west side too – photo by Gerry Sell April 11 2016
I rest the case against me. But wait, there’s more.
Make that two more incarnations
In addition, Katherine wrote to add that Josie and Roy Ellington Ellison! had owned the building, too, and operated the Torch Lake Inn there between two eras of Molly Malone’s. Oh boy. Another serving of crow pie coming up. Update 4-14-2016: Make that two servings. Ellison. Ellison. I knew that.
You see, I was up in Charlevoix the other day talking to Randy Cebulski about the Barnard Grange – you may be sure you will hear more about that eventually – and Randy swore the corner bar had once been called the Torch Lake Inn.
“Nah,” I said. “You must be thinking of the Torch Lake Inn in Torch Lake Village.” He was too polite to laugh in my face, but he lived in Torch Lake Village until he was twelve, and made a pretty good case, so I already half expected this second piece of crow pie.
Another quest. Must acquire photos of all incarnations. I love quests. Crow pie not so much. I am reliably informed, by Leanna Collins herself, that it will not appear on the Torch Lake Café menu, not even disguised as “Gerry’s Just Dessert.”
Torch Lake Views 
P.j. grath
April 12, 2016
Well, very interesting, and you are JUST the person to keep digging, even if it proves your initial beliefs wrong. Thank you! Love the history….
Gerry
April 12, 2016
I am a stubborn cuss, aren’t I!
Bill bennett
April 12, 2016
Jerry,nice detective work there!!! Small world too. Louan was my sister kathleen’s Bennett’s roommate back in the late sixties in the Grand Rapids area. Small world … as they say!!!
…
Gerry
April 12, 2016
Small world indeed. I keep telling Louan she should write a song for Antrim County and a memoir just on general principles. She is one of the very best storytellers I’ve ever met.
uphilldowndale
April 12, 2016
That lettering is just so crisp, it can’t have been very old when it was covered up?
Gerry
April 12, 2016
See, that’s what fooled me, too. But the evidence is pretty clear. The Eastport was only there for a couple of years in the 1940s. One of these days I’ll fill in the blanks.
uphilldowndale
April 12, 2016
I’m sure you will. I thought this post would interest you… https://upwoods.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/passenger-pigeons-show-tell-and-my-dad/
Gerry
April 12, 2016
Oh my – I had not read it. Thank you for the link.
Louan Lechler
April 12, 2016
My ears were burning. Stop already.
Talen Thomas and I put on a few shows of music and poetry at the Torch Lake Inn, when Josie and Roy owned it.
Hi Bill! The small world is getting smaller. I enjoyed knowing your parents, too.
Gerry
April 12, 2016
Why am I not surprised? More evidence.
dawnkinster
April 12, 2016
Pretty darn interesting. And I bet most of us know what crow pie tastes like.
Gerry
April 12, 2016
I find it goes best with pungent condiments and a glass or two of strong red wine.
WOL
April 12, 2016
Evolutions. My mom and I had a taste of a local evolution Wednesday. We went by where the house used to be where we lived when we first moved here and I was a wee tyke. Gone, gone. The house, the neighborhood, even the street’s not named the same as it was when we lived there. A whole great swath of town has been swept away and replaced with new construction. At least your building is evolving in and of itself.
Gerry
April 12, 2016
I know the feeling. My elementary school – which was the very school attended by my mother before me – is gone, replaced by – oh, the irony of it all! – a senior citizens residence. That brings it full circle, doesn’t it.
Andrea Laidlaw
April 12, 2016
That is all so interesting! I can’t wait to see the lettering in person! In your previous blog, the ice free lake appears to be quite high. True?
Gerry
April 12, 2016
You’d better hurry on up here. The old siding is going to be covered by new siding one day soon. The ice-free lake is behaving itself at the moment, and is not threatening any bluffs that I know of. By my house, it has even given some beach back. We are supposed to have a nice Friday and Saturday. You should come up and see us sometime.
Bruce Laidlaw
April 12, 2016
We had many good meals in that building in the Sneakins era. There was also fun entertainment. After Sneakins closed, the building was bought by a man who couldn’t manage to get the liquor license transferred to the next restaurant. I had a good hamburger there, but there was no beer to go with it. It didn’t make it past the summer. I can’t remember the name.
Gerry
April 12, 2016
Looky here! Another Laidlaw heard from! I could not remember the name of the post-Sneakin’s incarnation either. It had a nautical theme. I remember having a good time at Sneakin’s but I don’t remember the food particularly. I suspect that was because a bunch of us from Eden Shores would go over there to watch the Stanley Cup playoffs. We tended to have beer and unhealthy fried things.
Gerry
April 12, 2016
I should add that that was almost 20 years ago. I don’t do that anymore. The unhealthy fried things part. I still do the beer and Stanley Cup part, of course.
Shalene Sommer
April 14, 2016
The Hatch was after Sneakins
Gerry
April 14, 2016
The Hatch! That’s it. That’s when the building got its blue and white paint. There was music, too. Thanks Shalene.
shoreacres
April 13, 2016
Palimpsest. This may be the first building-as-palimpsest I’ve ever seen. I’m supposing that much of the writing survived so well because of the layers over it. Still, it’s pretty impressive that so much has been revealed. As for crow pie, it’s a dish not often served up around people who understand that most knowledge is provisional, and subject to revision.
Gerry
April 13, 2016
This is such a good idea! I never thought of it as a palimpsest. That would be a good name for the bar, but I’m pretty sure Leanna’s committed to Blue. Update 4-14-2016: Deep Blue! I knew that.
Leanna Hettinger
April 13, 2016
Palimpsest ! I’m getting a lesson in vocabulary! So many wonderful comments! There have been many owners. Everyday, I hear someone new. My friend Cheryl, who’s Mom was “Molly Malone aka Eileen has given me a lot of history. Love to hear from form the girl who’s Dad owned it in 1944? I have a folder of goodies here Id be happy to share soon. It’s a busy project. Our name will not change , we are the Torch Lake Cafe, but my bar has always been called the “Deep Blue!.” The lettering is OLD. We recently uncovered it. It looks like maybe the original siding? So, was it before or after the Hoopers Dinner Bell?
We are also adding what is to be a copy of the bell tower as it was originally.
We are attempting to bring back the old, the vibe, the great food and the live music and dancing! Thx Gerry😘🍔🍻🍷🎸💃🏿🙏🏼
Leanna
April 13, 2016
Gerry I’ll get back to you with more info
Gerry
April 14, 2016
Deep Blue. I knew that. Hooper’s Golden Bell. Frank Hooper died in 1941, but his widow carried on with the Golden Bell for awhile (I found some old ads post-1941). The Eastport was apparently 1944 or so, and all the other stuff came after that. I think. Sigh.
Crafty
April 13, 2016
its Josie and Roy Ellison, not Ellington
Gerry
April 14, 2016
Oh, yes – you are absolutely correct, and boy did I hear from a lot of people about THAT typo. Thus the update in the text . . . and another piece of crow pie. It’s really not a good choice for breakfast. Sigh.
Leanna
April 13, 2016
Hi Gerry I’ll have more history soon
Gerry
April 14, 2016
Me too. We can trade folders over a cup of coffee.
Leanna
April 14, 2016
So glad you these comments. They didn’t show up until today!
Still finding more info!
Gerry
April 15, 2016
Hi Leanna – the comments are moderated on Torch Lake Views, so they don’t show up until I read ’em and press “approve.” I approve them all unless they’re spam (or from this one anonymous troll who likes making up really nasty stuff about people-ech.)
Between us we will find treasures.
Leanna
April 14, 2016
Btw, when you look at lettering up close, it doesn’t look new or perfect. But, very cool.
Gerry
April 15, 2016
See, I like to think that applies to my own rapidly aging self.
Debby
April 14, 2016
You could probably ask some of the old folks at the little Baptist Church about it. My folks have driven by that place for more than 65 years, on their way to church every Sunday! 😍
Gerry
April 15, 2016
That is a pretty good idea, Debby. Ask your parents what they remember! As it happens, when the building was first constructed, the Baptists and Congregationalists took turns having services there. Then the little Baptist Church building in Alden was lifted off its foundation, hauled up to the north end of Torch, and plopped down on a new foundation where you see it today, much expanded and still going strong. But that was all over 100 years ago.
Here’s a link to a post about the history of the Baptist Church, published on the occasion of its 125th birthday celebration. Your parents might even be in some of the pictures.
https://torchlakeviews.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/happy-125th-birthday-to-eastport-baptist-church/
Adell Fox Williams
April 15, 2016
My dad, Duane Fox, used to play the piano there, when it was Sneakins
Gerry
April 15, 2016
I didn’t even know Sneakin’s had ever had live music. (By the time I was going there it was a good place to go watch the Stanley Cup playoffs.) I’d love to hear Fox stories!
Frank Malone
April 17, 2016
When was it converted from church use to bar and restaurant? I am thinking the 1930’s.
Gerry
April 17, 2016
I’m pretty sure it was converted to a restaurant in the 1920s. In the 1930 Census Franklin P Hooper of Torch Lake Township owns a restaurant and his wife Florence A Hooper is a cook in a restaurant “working on own account” (i.e., she and Frank owned the restaurant together). It couldn’t have become a tavern legally until the end of Prohibition in 1933 (and I have no evidence whatsoever that it was an Up North blind pig-or that it wasn’t). You can see photos from the 1930s in the first post about the place at https://torchlakeviews.wordpress.com/2016/01/26/hope-for-sufferers-of-tlc-withdrawal/.
So Frank – what are your memories of the “corner bar”?
sybil
April 18, 2016
Crow Pie is the only kind of meat I eat. lol
Gerry
April 18, 2016
I will package up the leftovers and send them on to you. Miss Sadie and the Cowboy have rebelled, and I can’t eat another mouthful myself.