A Shingle Lake July 4th

By Julie Berry Traynor

            I’ve known Lake George for as long as I can remember, and as it turned out, this little community in Clare County’s Lincoln Township played a big part in my life.

            When I was five, my dad and a fishing buddy took me on my first fishing adventure. We traveled from home, in Marion, to Lake George where they rented a boat from dad’s old friend, Jim Luce. Luce was a Lake George native. He operated a boat rental and bait shop from his cobblestone fronted shop located on the east end of Shingle Lake and just across the road from Lake George. He also had several small rental cabins along his beach.

            We arrived early in the morning on a lovely sunny day and fished for longer than I recall. I was easily distracted by the water lilies and small fish next to the boat and was disappointed that everyone caught bigger fish than me. Dad’s fishing friend told me a thing about fishing I’ve never forgotten, and have passed along to various kids. He claimed that the thing I needed to do, just before the worm went into the water, was to spit on it. He claimed that this was the key to his success, and a very successful fisherman he was. I tried it and it seemed to work. (It may still if I fished now.) I later dined on bluegills I caught with spit worms.

            That day I was also introduced to hamburgers at the old Swiss Inn, owned and operated in those days by Al Holmes, also a jack of many trades, like his neighbor Jim Luce. In fact, several years later he sold a couple of Shingle Lake lots to Oak Traynor and his brother-in-law Mike Kelly, on the north side of the lake, just east of the park. They built cabins there in the 1960’s and both eventually retired to their lake homes in the mid 1970’s.

            In my younger years my friends and I frequented the Shingle Lake Park. It was fairly close to home and a great place to swim. We would enjoy the beach, get pop at one of the two stores and consider the day a good one if we didn’t get too badly sunburned. The township maintained park has only gotten better and remains very popular.

            When I was of age, it was the Swiss Inn that drew us to Lake George. Good music, good friends, and a good time. In fact, I was there with my old friend, the late Pat Ryan when I met my future husband one cold November weekend. Larry Stevens, who can still sing with the best of them, and the Nightlife’s were playing.

The Traynors were among those who came north each and every weekend, as many still do, and loved Lake George more than their home in Flint. Oak and Mary moved to the lake in the mid 1970’s and their children often came ‘home’. There was always a houseful for all of the holidays. There was no place like it at any time of the year, even if we were stacked in like cordwood. 

            When our kids were kids, this was the place to celebrate the Fourth of July. We never considered any other option. After all, this much anticipated holiday is meant to be enjoyed with family, and we had plenty of it in Lake George. The kids and their cousins traveled in a pack. They lived in their swimsuits and in the water. They learned to fish from grandpa’s dock and swim in front of their house. They ate their fill of hot dogs, hamburgers, and grilled chicken. And they made Smore’s each evening and couldn’t wait for dark to fire up the sparklers. Everyone flew the flag.

            Even in those good old days, the Lake George community knew how to celebrate America’s birthday. The first fireworks were provided by the property owner’s association in the form of flares. They were dispersed to everyone on the lakes and on the evening of July 4, the fire whistle blew a long blast at 10 p.m. It was the signal for folks to strike the flares on the beach or at the end of their dock. It was a truly spectacular sight, flares at each place, dotting the lakeshore, bonfires, and fireworks of various kinds. At a time when fireworks were not as readily available as they are now, some folks managed to “find” them, sending showers of sparks into the mix. And, of course, the kids had copious sparklers, spinners, snakes and other such delights.

These days the Lake George of fancy street lights, curbs, sidewalks, and blacktop roads, hosts an even bigger celebration, covering a couple of days. There are big, professional fireworks, numerous parades on the lakes involving boats and other floating toys, four-wheel/razor parades, chicken barbeques, and corn hole tournaments. It is a grand celebration and still stirs American hearts.   

The “Ooo’s” and “Ahh’s” provided by those early, unplanned pyrotechnics and family celebrations echoed across the lakes, put smiles on everyone’s face and pride in their hearts. It will do the same today. Everyone is still in agreement on this. All will proclaim that it is the best 4^th of July yet! And they will be right.

Happy 249^th Birthday America! Celebrate it safely!