Opened in 1927 as "Bennett's Tavern", the Churchill Pointe Inn has served our community for the past seventy-five years with exceptional dining drawing its guests from throughout Michigan and around the world. In this, its Diamond Anniversary year, it is appropriate that we celebrate the history, lore, and tradition that is The Churchill Pointe Inn. The Historic Site Designation Committee of the Alcona Historical Society is proud to designate this delightful restaurant and resort as an Alcona County Historic Site, and pleased that its current owners, Don and Sharon Geib, have graciously accepted this award.

Churchill Pointe is located on the East Bay of Hubbard Lake, part of the land that was called 'Negwegon (named after an Indian Chief who was friendly to the British in the War of 1812), and later called "AIcona" (the Indian word for "an excellent plain"). Ceded to the United States in 1819 by treaty made with General Lewis Cass, this territory was sixty miles wide and extended northward to the Thunder Bay River. This was the land of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and their prehistoric predecessors, the Mound Builders.

As early as 1834, white men came from Mackinac to settle but were driven out by the local residents. Ten years later, Jonathan Burtch and Anson Eldrige became the first white men to establish a homesite and a saw mill in the area to the north east of Hubbard Lake. Issac Wilson, with his wife and infant son, settled in 1844 to take charge of the mill. On July 4, 1846 Olive Independence Wilson arrived, becoming the first white child born in the treaty territory.

In those early years mail was brought to and from Alpena only if a local farmer was traveling there for supplies. A trip to Alpena was a three to four day Journey over mud holes, corduroy road, and sand. It wasn't until 1883 that the first mail was delivered to Hubbard Lake, brought by stagecoach or sled (in winter) from Saginaw to Ossineke, and then by horseback.

In 1844 Hubbard Lake was called the "Bottomless Lake". In 1850 it was named "Coral Lake", then "Alcona Lake in 1860 before reverting back to "Coral Lake" in 1860. Finally in 1867 it was given the name of Hubbard's Lake" after Bela Hubbard who surveyed the area. Later the "s" was dropped and its current name has remained unchanged. The history of the region at that time is really tied to Alpena County, as settlement extended down from the north and all shipping (including the transport of logs) was up the Thunder Bay River to Alpena. The mighty pine tree fueled the frenetic but brief time when the lumber industry labored In the area.

In the early years of the twentieth century there was a second era of great change for the region, however, as the bulk of the pines were cut, the railroads into the pines were discontinued, and many of the saw mills were closed. While small lumber camps still operated sporadically, cutting second growth timber, the so called boom times were over.

The life of the woods remained, however. Political affairs were still debated over a pork barrel and a trip to Lincoln or the county seat remained a rare event. Schools and Churches dotted the countryside and the Courthouse was far off, over miles of bad road. The spirit of rugged individualism remained, the business of living off the land continued, and the beauty of this area persisted unabated.

The first residence was built on what is now Churchill Point (named after lumber barons, the Churchill brothers) at the start of the last century by Ralph and Josie Moore who lived and farmed there with their four children, Ralph Jr. ("Billy"), Donald ("Tebe"), Eleanor (Mrs. Iner Rasmussen) and Lorraine (Mrs. Milton Peck). The land was subsequently purchased by Edwin ("Edd") Bennett and Margaret (Cornelius) Bennett, his wife. They came from Jackson, Michigan to start a restaurant lodging business on Hubbard Lake, having previously run the Odd Fellows Home in Jackson. Also, Margaret Bennett was very familiar with the Hubbard Lake area because her brother, Alexander Cornelius, settled here In the late 1800.s and owned and operated a farm only a mile away.

The Bennetts built the structure in 1926 and the restaurant and hotel opened in 1927 as "Bennett's Tavern", although it neither sold nor served liquor. Their advertising slogan read "The Place You Will Like". Mrs. Bennett, working over a wood stove, gained a reputation as an excellent cook and her Special Sunday Chicken Dinners. were famous in the area and open to the public. Edd Bennett was an excellent gardener and raised his own chickens. His nephews, Maury and Stan Cornelius, were taught to slaughter, pluck, dress, and cut up the chickens for Sunday dinner. Edd also added his raspberries, vegetables, and herbs to the Inn's cuisine. Beef, pork, hand-churned butter, thick sweet cream, and milk were supplied by brother-ln-law Alex Cornelius' farm.

The Inn charged $3.50 a day for room and board. This provided 50 cents for a breakfast of eggs, meat, potatoes, homemade bread, and preserves, 75 cents for lunch, $1.25 for dinner, and a room rental of $1.00 per bed.

In 1928 Margaret Bennett's youngest brother, Joseph Cornelius, moved to Hubbard Lake with his four children. Edwin, the oldest child, drowned in Hubbard Lake right off the waters in front of the Inn. He left his two sons, Maury and Stan, at the Inn to be raised by the Bennetts. The boys helped with the many chores necessary to the running of a restaurant and resort and lived there from 1928-1938.

The Inn had fourteen rooms for guests, two bathrooms on the second floor (one for men and one for women), and one bathroom on the main floor to service all the guests, employees, owners and the public. Each guest room had a "slop jar" that the "girls" on staff had to empty as well as refill the wash bowls and pitchers. Bedding was changed frequently, and the mattresses had to be carried downstairs and outside to "air". Rugs were taken outside, thrown over a line, and beaten to be cleaned.

Further, at least four "girls" helped each day with Setting tables, serving, and doing dishes. Each diner had his/her own dinner plate, silverware, cup and saucer, water glass, buffer chip sever, roll plate, creamer, meat platter, potato bowl, salad plate, two vegetable bowls, gravy boat, and a very important "pie plate." After the meals were served, the girls cleaned up and washed the dishes before cleaning the rooms and cabins and setting the tables for the next meal.

Guests were awakened at 7:00 a.m. promptly by the ringing of a loud hand bell. Breakfast was served at 8:00 a.m., and if you were late you missed your meal. (The Bennetts never varied their policy of punctuality, despite the occasional complaining guest.) The bell was rung again for lunch and dinner, calling In the guests who were on the lawn playing Crochet, on the lake fishing, sunbathing, and swimming, on the porch relaxing, reading, and chatting, or hiking and berry picking In the woods. Families from Detroit, Northern Oho, New York and the Midwest came, usually for two weeks of vacation. In addition, the third week of May was reserved for the Detroit Kiwanis Club and the Detroit Teachers Association.

Electricity was not brought through the East Bay until 1940. Prior to that, the Inn was; supplied by a Kohler Generator System - turn on the switch, wait ten seconds, and hope that a light came on. Arnold "Bud". Gerow was on call day and night to repair this system.

During this time, Ice was supplied to each of the four cabins and the fourth rooms at the Inn on a daily basis. The heavy blocks were cut and hauled off Hubbard Lake daring the winter and kept in the ice house-packed in sawdust. The ice was chopped off in blocks and put In the Ice boxes.

The two nephews, Maury and Stan, assisted by "Herbert Erwin" Farrar (a neighbor) were assigned to cut, split, and haul firewood for both heating and cooking. They also worked as fishing guides, lawn keepers, and gardeners. Drinking water was supplied by a cistern and then hauled up and hand carried into the Inn and cabins for the guests. Maury and Stan were available for this task, too.

The original Moore house was used for employee housing until It was cut In half and skidded on the ice about 500 ft down the lake shore to the East, where it remodeled today. The halves were later remodeled and became two of the four rental guest cottages. Next a small building was constructed for waitress lodging and a garage/workshop was built with a gas pump In front. Maury and Stan stayed in the garage/workshop during the summer and moved Into the heated guest rooms during the winter when the Inn was closed.

Saturday night dances were held at the local grange halls. Spruce, Nicholson Hill and Indian Reserve were the hot spots". Saturday was a busy day at the Inn but the staff pitched In to finish the work and head out for some fun in the evening. Edd Bennett had an REO automobile and he frequently gave permission to the young people to use It (probably worrying when they didn't return until two or three in the morning). Sunday, of course, was the busiest day of the week with the preparation and service of Bennett's Chicken Dinners for both guests and the public. Even if the staff was out partying the night before until three O'clock they had to be dressed and ready to start the breakfast service and dinner preparations by six O'clock the next morning.

Margaret Bennett (1871 1941) died at the age of 70, having run the Inn for 25 yean. Edd Bennett later married Preda Canterbury and continued to operate the Inn until It was sold.

Current owners, Don and Sharon Geib from Rochester, Michigan, bought the Inn in 1995. There are nine guest rooms for rent, and The Churchill Pointe Inn continues its seventy-five year tradition of fine dining in an unparalleled lake side setting. Fortunately, the 7 O'clock wake up bell, the ice house, wood cook stove, and wash basins are a thing of the past, but the hospitality and north woods spirit still thrives in this beautiful place. Be a part of history and visit this northern jewel for dinner or for your next vacation.