The Les Cheneaux Islands

companions to Michigan's Mackinac Island

The French named this place Les Cheneaux

Pronounced mainly as Less She Knows

It means Channels or Oaks

Which confuses some folks

While most simply call it The Snows

                                                                                                                - John A. Markstrum

Although the spelling and in fact, even meaning of this name Les Cheneaux remains relatively ambiguous to this day, there is one thing not in contention:  the woods and waters of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula along northern Lake Huron have both a pristine beauty and an undeniable allure to all who have traveled there. 

Lake Huron stands first among the five Great Lakes in the number of islands fringing its shores.  In the last issue of The ACBS Rudder, the history and lore of Mackinac Island --- perhaps Michigan’s best-known offshore hideaway --- was detailed.  Not far from Mackinac, however, stands an island archipelago of an equally unique nature.  “Of the many diversified types of geologic features that find expression along the shores of the Great Lakes, none is more unique or more fascinating than the small group that constitutes Les Cheneaux Islands.”  Not text from the latest glossy travel brochure, but words spoken in 1941 by a noted geologist at Michigan State College (now Michigan State University).

Perhaps one of the most well known early explorers to have plied the waters of Les Cheneaux was a French explorer named Sieur LaSalle.  By 1679, he had constructed the very first European sailing vessel, the Griffin, ever to traverse the waters of the Great Lakes.  In late September of that same year, fully laden with furs, he set sail from Green Bay bound for Niagara.  She was never heard from again and so became the Great Lakes first shipping disaster.  It has long been believed that while en route to Niagara, LaSalle may have attempted to seek shelter among the Les Cheneaux Islands, but was not successful in doing so.  Hopes of finding the shipwreck Griffin in the waters in or around Les Cheneaux persist to this day.

In that there were no major roads leading to the Les Cheneaux Islands until the early 1930s, those wanting to vacation in Hessel or Cedarville had to travel over the water.  Most travelers arrived at Mackinaw City, having made the journey north by rail, usually from Detroit, Cincinnati, Grand Rapids or Chicago.  Upon arrival at Mackinaw, they would board a passenger steamship, which would make an initial stop at Mackinac Island, then continue on to Les Cheneaux. 

To be precise, the Les Cheneaux region first attracted the attention of tourists much earlier --- in the late 1800s, primarily due to the excellent fishing that could be found among the sheltered bays and inlets.  During the golden era of the tourism among the islands, a grand total of eight hotels could be found among the channels in northern Lake Huron:  Patrick’s Hotel (later The Pennsylvania), Snows Hotel, Cedar Inn, Mackin Hotel, Lakeside Hotel, The Islington Hotel, The Elliot Hotel and the Hessel Hotel.  To be sure, the vacationer of that era was offered a number of choices for fine accommodations, almost an unheard of number of rooms for a region quite far from any major population centers.  Granted, while these hotels did not reach the worldwide acclaim of Grand Hotel on Mackinac, they were certainly not far behind in terms of their lavish appointments and ever-present wait staff.  

Solitude is one of the oft-mentioned reasons that families have found there way to Les Cheneaux for generations.  Apart from other crowded resort areas around the Great Lakes, this region to this day remains mostly unchanged --- tranquil and yet unspoiled by overdevelopment.  In most cases, “old” wins out over “new”, whether referring to the 100-year old summer cottages (or in some cases, mansions) or a classic wooden runabout.  Those wooden vessels, in fact, are probably the most recognized signature feature of the Islands today.

Colorful would perhaps best describe the boating and yachting history among these pristine freshwater islands.  The cold, clear waters themselves, coupled with a relatively short navigation season, have preserved hundreds of boats much longer than their counterparts in regions further south.  It is hardly unusual to find boats that have never been restored, but merely “maintained” by the original families since first purchasing them in the 1920s, 1930s or even earlier.

With 36 islands in the Les Cheneaux region, water-borne transportation was an obvious necessity --- both between the islands and to the mainland.  While canoes and rowboats, sailboats and steamships provided the early transportation, the onset of standardized motorboat production in the early 1920s created an instant market in the Islands.   

E.J. MERTAUGH BOAT WORKS

In 1925, E.J. (Gene) Mertaugh decided to go into the boat business.  He had purchased a small Hessel waterfront lot.  Gene and his father, Patrick (one of the early settlers in Les Cheneaux) constructed a forty-five by eighty-foot boathouse on shore.  As a testament to their ingenuity and thrift, this entire boathouse was constructed largely with salvage materials obtained from a large cottage that had been torn down on a neighboring island.  Standing as a waterfront sentinel for 75 years, this landmark structure with its recognizable rounded green roof was the first sight that welcomed boaters entering the Islands through the West Entrance off Lake Huron.  Unfortunately, especially for our upcoming tour of Les Cheneaux during the 2000 ACBS Annual Meeting, the ravages of time took their toll and this historic boathouse was razed in January 2000.

As one would expect, with the burgeoning demand for motor boats, the boat works expanded, both in capital improvements and product lines carried.  Chrysler and Gray Marine engines were among the earliest.  The next business decision made by Mertaugh, however, would determine the course of both their business and the northern Lake Huron region for decades to come.

In early 1926, Mr. Mertaugh signed an agreement with the fledgling Chris Smith and Sons Boat Company of Algonac, Michigan and began selling their boats.  The very first dealer franchise was awarded to Eugene J. Mertaugh on February 18, 1926, which stated that Mertaugh “held exclusive rights to the territory north of Bay City, including Canada.”  In the early days, as paved roads were yet quite uncommon, Mertaugh would himself travel to Algonac and transport the boats back to the Upper Peninsula by driving them up the lake.   For those familiar with the Great Lakes (and their legendary storms), an expanse of over 250 miles could be treacherous in a freighter, let alone a wooden runabout.  Moreover, legend has it that an old surveyor’s compass was his only means of navigation.

The business grew (save for the World War II years), continually adding new franchises, yet all the while still serving their Chris Craft customers.  Having its beginnings as E.J. Mertaugh Boat Works (a sole proprietorship) with Gene as sole owner, it continued as such until 1970, when active interest was turned over to sons Jack and Jim.  This family partnership remained in place until 1989, when the business was sold to Bruce and Nancy Glupker. 

LES CHENEAUX ISLANDS ANTIQUE WOODEN BOAT SHOW

On the second weekend in August 1976, the Hessel marina and docks at E.J. Mertaugh Boat Works held the inaugural Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show.  As mentioned previously, waterborne transportation played a key role in the development and enjoyment of the islands since the earliest settlers had first explored the bays.  As such, boats on display at the show did not have to travel far, since almost every boathouse or dock in the islands contained at least one canoe, launch, runabout or utility. Most of these boats are used daily during the summer months as a primary mode of transportation to and from the cottages dotting the area’s sheltered islands.  With the addition of the countless boats that are trailered from points far and wide, the success of the show was virtually ensured.  It is now considered one of the finest and largest antique and classic wooden boat shows in the United States.

Apart from the production craft like Century, Chris Craft, Gar Wood and Hacker, the Les Cheneaux Islands played a significant role in boat building in their own right.  Names like Follmer, Honnila, Patrick and Tassier were well-known local craftsmen, many continuing to this day, as second or third-generation businesses. 

LES CHENEAUX YACHT CLUB (LCYC):

With boating playing a prominent role in the summertime lives of many Les Cheneaux residents, it was only necessary that a yacht club be organized and clubhouse constructed.  In 1913, a Mr. Fleming from Pasedena, California purchased the property on which the yacht club would eventually be built.  A prominent railroad man, he built a cottage, pumphouse and electric generating plant in 1914.  The structure that has since become somewhat of a fixture in the islands, however, is the mammoth two-story boathouse.  Built entirely of Florida cypress that had been shipped by rail to Detroit, beams were cut to specification, fitted with mortise and tenon joints and finally towed to Les Cheneaux on a barge to be later assembled on site.  The original cost of the boathouse (not including the docks) was said to have been approximately $100,000.

On August 7, 1937, an initial meeting was held at a Cincinnati Row cottage on LaSalle Island --- the official beginning of the Les Cheneaux Yacht Club.  Needing a home port and hearing it had been offered for sale, the LCYC purchased the Fleming property in October 1939, with the famous boathouse serving as the clubhouse ever since. 

Over the past decade, through the generosity of LCYC members Tom and Mary Flood, both the Michigan and Water Wonderland Chapters have had the privilege of enjoying the yacht club facilities for a pre-boat show picnic on Friday afternoon.  With over 125 in attendance and over 30 boats at the club docks, it has turned into a boat show in its own right.

Although many things have changed over the decades since the first Chris Craft arrived at the Mertaugh docks, much, indeed, has remained the same.  Life among the islands is still as tranquil and relaxing as ever--- all the while accompanied by a permanent link to the past --- through the love of history, nature, the Great Lakes and wooden boats.