July 1, 2017
On Friday, July 21st at 4:00 p.m. there will be an unveiling of a statue dedicated to a local legend many continue to study.
Prior to WWI there was a young man who summered on nearby Walloon Lake. His father was a prominent physician from Oak Park, Illinois and the family made yearly pilgrimages to Northern Michigan. As this young man grew so did his love of the outdoors and literature, and eventually he molded both into a Pulitzer and Nobel prized career. That young man was Ernest Hemingway.
Throughout downtown Petoskey, Ernest Hemingway made his presence known. He walked the streets, ate and drank at local watering holes, including the Annex, checked books out at the Carnegie library, and often stayed at the Perry Hotel.
Guess what? You can continue his walk and enjoy the same views he did.
Walloon Lake, south of Petoskey, has grown into a village, but Hemingway’s home, Windemere, still stands and has remained in the family. In fact, one of Hemingway’s nephews lives in the residence and another close by on the shores of Walloon Lake.
In Downtown Petoskey, you can walk into the Petoskey District Library on Mitchell Street and find a room dedicated to Hemingway’s books along with other local Michigan authors. The Carnegie building stands across the street, owned by the library, and used by Crooked Tree Arts Center, as well. It is open to the public.
Down Mitchell Street and around the corner from Meyer Ace Hardware, venture north on Pennsylvania Park and turn right at Lake Street. Immediately in front of you is City ParkGrill which used to be the Annex. Enter and you’ll encounter the very same bar where Hemingway sat and contemplated many of his characters.
Once lunched and hydrated, walk back outside, stroll further north through Pennsylvania Park and run headlong into The Perry Hotel. It is here Hemingway would rest on many a journey and where on Friday, the 21st, we celebrate his birthday with dinner, a toast, and a preview of “Young Hemingway & His Enduring Eden,” a documentary by George Colburn. You may check on any remaining tickets by calling the Perry Hotel at 231-347-4000.
If you’re curious about anything Hemingway, the President of Michigan’s HemingwaySociety resides right here in downtown Petoskey at Arlington Jewelers on Lake Street. Stop in and see Chris Struble, email him at info@michiganhemingwaysociety.org, or look him up on facebook.com/mihemingwaysociety.
Welcome to our great town, Petoskey, and enjoy the footsteps of history.
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