PLANK HILL LODGE
In Chandler Township Charlevoix County MI
In Chandler Township Charlevoix County MI
"It started in 1982... Jim Daunter and Mark Lancaster used to come out hunting; and as hunters do, we talked about a better place to stay for hunting. The two of them had slept in my old pickup camper and used the phone in my garage to "keep tabs" on other happenings on November 15, and maybe even on the 16th.
The following year Larry Leibler, a contractor friend of Mark's, was doing an "extensive renovation of a cottage on Walloon Lake off Wildwood. Extensive meant, remove all, but one item of the cottage and then rebuild.
Mark, Jim, Larry and I, along with Jim Gibson, developed a partnership, and pooled some money to get started. I would lease some land to the five of us and we got started.
We removed the cottage in sections and hauled it to Chandler. Jim had access to cement "sweepings" from Medusa. Eight barrels of cement and many truck loads of gravel from the Gallop farm later... we then poured 18 yards, by hand, one Saturday morning.
A schedule was established to work every Monday evening that summer for the lodge to be completed by deer season. Extra help was provided by friends of each of us. So many different people helped that we had a plaque made establishing Plank Hill Lodge 1983 with the five of us as members, and a large wood roll with each person's name printed on it. The idea of using a roller; no one name would be on top. So as the roll turned the different names appeared around it.
I found the gas refrigerator in town. Don Boening had a friend who had purchased a house in town and had an old 6 burner, two oven gas stove he wanted out of the house. Story had it the stove came from Harbor Point when they had a low pressure gas system on the Point. When we hooked it up to modern propane and lit the burners flames went to the ceiling. Jerry Johnston from Mich Con came out just before "opening day" and re-jetted the stove and adjusted it, along with some other gas tuneups. Thanks for Mich Con knowledge.
The name Plank Hill came from a story I had heard about Harmon Road which ran past the cabin. That road had been an old stage coach road, running from Gaylord to Petoskey. The hill near the cabin was steep and sandy, so it was "planked" with wood planks to provide a stable surface for the traffic. So, hence "Plank Hill Lodge" was named. The road later was called "dune buggy" hill. This name even could be found on older snowmobile maps in the 1990's. This name existed because several of us, along with help of some Miller Beer, hand winched a dune buggy up a tree near the top of Plank Hill. That tree died and it fell to the ground. Being older and wiser the second time, we hoisted the dune buggy up a new tree with a large excavator. When that tree fell over I hauled it to the scrap yard in Gaylord. Several people saw it on my load of scrap and commented they knew where "that " came from.
The camp was very busy; with the five of us, and our friends, staying or stopping by. Often, Jim Daunter prepared a banquet and we invited many of our coworkers from school. This also extended to teachers from Boyne City schools. Friends invited friends. Several parties we counted over 60 people in camp. Jim prepared feasts better then most camps, or some restaurants. These feast gatherings became annual fall parties. An item he once prepared was a tray of mountain oysters. We had just finished castrating bulls at the farm. Jim said, "I can do something with those". A large tray was passed around before supper. I noticed that it was nearly empty; I picked up the tray and jumped on the counter and got the attention of everyone. I announced what everyone had been enjoying as they ate from the tray. I will never forget the look on Jim Winkworth's face.
Jim D., Mark, and Larry sold out their interests in Plank Hill Lodge to Jim Gibson and me. I don't remember the year; different people came to stay. Things changed so a slower pace took over with; infants' swings hanging from the tie logs during winter snowmobiling parties, a younger generation of hunters, and some older guys too, Bob Boening stopping to eat his sandwich, and Luke Handwerk looking forward to staying at camp.
All these memories were recorded in the camp photo album. A camp log book was kept with the success stats of everyone recorded. Many game heads hung on the wall clear to the peak. The side walls held the antlers of many guys who had stayed, and were successful.
On 9 November 2013, after thirty years, Plank Hill Lodge was gone in less than a hour." [Destroyed by Fire]
~ Dennis Howard
The following year Larry Leibler, a contractor friend of Mark's, was doing an "extensive renovation of a cottage on Walloon Lake off Wildwood. Extensive meant, remove all, but one item of the cottage and then rebuild.
Mark, Jim, Larry and I, along with Jim Gibson, developed a partnership, and pooled some money to get started. I would lease some land to the five of us and we got started.
We removed the cottage in sections and hauled it to Chandler. Jim had access to cement "sweepings" from Medusa. Eight barrels of cement and many truck loads of gravel from the Gallop farm later... we then poured 18 yards, by hand, one Saturday morning.
A schedule was established to work every Monday evening that summer for the lodge to be completed by deer season. Extra help was provided by friends of each of us. So many different people helped that we had a plaque made establishing Plank Hill Lodge 1983 with the five of us as members, and a large wood roll with each person's name printed on it. The idea of using a roller; no one name would be on top. So as the roll turned the different names appeared around it.
I found the gas refrigerator in town. Don Boening had a friend who had purchased a house in town and had an old 6 burner, two oven gas stove he wanted out of the house. Story had it the stove came from Harbor Point when they had a low pressure gas system on the Point. When we hooked it up to modern propane and lit the burners flames went to the ceiling. Jerry Johnston from Mich Con came out just before "opening day" and re-jetted the stove and adjusted it, along with some other gas tuneups. Thanks for Mich Con knowledge.
The name Plank Hill came from a story I had heard about Harmon Road which ran past the cabin. That road had been an old stage coach road, running from Gaylord to Petoskey. The hill near the cabin was steep and sandy, so it was "planked" with wood planks to provide a stable surface for the traffic. So, hence "Plank Hill Lodge" was named. The road later was called "dune buggy" hill. This name even could be found on older snowmobile maps in the 1990's. This name existed because several of us, along with help of some Miller Beer, hand winched a dune buggy up a tree near the top of Plank Hill. That tree died and it fell to the ground. Being older and wiser the second time, we hoisted the dune buggy up a new tree with a large excavator. When that tree fell over I hauled it to the scrap yard in Gaylord. Several people saw it on my load of scrap and commented they knew where "that " came from.
The camp was very busy; with the five of us, and our friends, staying or stopping by. Often, Jim Daunter prepared a banquet and we invited many of our coworkers from school. This also extended to teachers from Boyne City schools. Friends invited friends. Several parties we counted over 60 people in camp. Jim prepared feasts better then most camps, or some restaurants. These feast gatherings became annual fall parties. An item he once prepared was a tray of mountain oysters. We had just finished castrating bulls at the farm. Jim said, "I can do something with those". A large tray was passed around before supper. I noticed that it was nearly empty; I picked up the tray and jumped on the counter and got the attention of everyone. I announced what everyone had been enjoying as they ate from the tray. I will never forget the look on Jim Winkworth's face.
Jim D., Mark, and Larry sold out their interests in Plank Hill Lodge to Jim Gibson and me. I don't remember the year; different people came to stay. Things changed so a slower pace took over with; infants' swings hanging from the tie logs during winter snowmobiling parties, a younger generation of hunters, and some older guys too, Bob Boening stopping to eat his sandwich, and Luke Handwerk looking forward to staying at camp.
All these memories were recorded in the camp photo album. A camp log book was kept with the success stats of everyone recorded. Many game heads hung on the wall clear to the peak. The side walls held the antlers of many guys who had stayed, and were successful.
On 9 November 2013, after thirty years, Plank Hill Lodge was gone in less than a hour." [Destroyed by Fire]
~ Dennis Howard
Photo Below: Don Boening (on the left) watched Luke Handwerk splitting wood. Watching from the open area were possibly Brandon Gibson and Bob Gibson.
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Photo Below taken in 2003: Luke Handwerk was a "regular" at deer camp. During the summer months he and his wife drove out and went past the cabin almost weekly. He always started talking about his deer camp in Pennsylvania, up in the Pocono Mountains before he moved to Michigan.
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Plank Hill Lodge
1993
(Photo Below)
1993
(Photo Below)
1993
(Photo Below)
Back Row : Jim Gibson, Luke Handwerk, Mike Adams, Dennis Howard
Front Row: Tom Baldwin, Don Boening, Randy Handwerk, Joe Wudyka
(Photo Below)
Back Row : Jim Gibson, Luke Handwerk, Mike Adams, Dennis Howard
Front Row: Tom Baldwin, Don Boening, Randy Handwerk, Joe Wudyka
On 9 November 2013, after thirty years, Plank Hill Lodge was gone in less than a hour.
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Most posted items will enlarge by "clicking" on them.
"Clicking" on some highlighted words may access additional information.
Please do not copy the photos on this site, many of which have been submitted by private individuals...
just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.