Hot Off the Leelanau Press

By Kristen Counts
Sun staff writer

Glen Arbor now has its very own publisher, which has recently released its very first book. The aptly-named Leelanau Press is owned by Glen Arbor’s Barbara Siepker, proprietor of The Cottage Book Shop. The 67-page book, entitled Glen Arbor Pioneers: John LaRue, John Dorsey, and John Fisher is authored by yet another local – Dr. James Tozer. In this narrative work, Tozer, a retired Presbyterian minister, presents a vivid account of the lives of the first people of European descent to settle in the Glen Arbor area.
This is not the first book to be written about the town’s history. Siepker explained why her first publication stands out on its own. She said, “It’s unique in that it focuses on a much more limited time period and fewer people… It may repeat a great deal of information that has been published, but it’s all pulled together into one; it’s chronological, and it tells the stories. There are not really any narrative accounts in the other books.”
She added that some of the stories presented in the book have not been published before. According to Siepker, a narrative format was chosen so that the reader can have the experience of what life was like in mid-1800’s Glen Arbor. Tozer said, “As we worked with the three pioneers, we began to know them as persons. To capture the story, I wrote the history in a narrative form….
I was convinced that [LaRue, Dorsey, and Fisher] had to face the harshest difficulties as they were the first European Americans to come ashore at the mouth of the Crystal River.”
The three men each had his own adventure, and Tozer presents the events of their lives as inextricably linked to each other and the additional settlers who came. Tozer emphasizes the vision that each man must have had to settle in the untamed wilderness, qualifying them with terms such as “trailblazer”, “forerunner” and “opportunist”.
Little vignettes abound in the book. There is an account of a winter’s night when John Dorsey pulled midwife Elizabeth Dorsey across the Glen Lakes so that she could deliver a baby. Another story presented is the development of Dr. William Walker’s cranberry marsh. Tozer also tells the story behind the naming of Glen Arbor.
The lives of the early women in Glen Arbor are also accounted for in the book. Tozer describes their skills, strengths and personalities with detail.
Siepker said that a theme of the book is how early settlers encouraged others to settle in Glen Arbor, and how they grew as a community. She said, “They knew each other. They were here because of each other. It was just a very supportive, very close community.” Siepker observed, “There is a parallel in how the community has continued to develop.”
Siepker and Tozer, friends for several years, worked together to collect the information needed for the book. Siepker, a local history buff, had already been conducting interviews on the topic for some time.
When Tozer decided to write a book on the founding fathers, he knew whom to contact. Siepker gave him some contacts and decided that she would publish the book.
Tozer said, “Representatives of each of these three families have worked diligently to gather the facts about their ancestors.” Tozer first encountered Glen Arbor history in the late 1950’s, when he met John S. Dorsey, grandson of John Dorsey, while staying on Dorsey’s mobile home campground. Dorsey had been researching his genealogy since 1947. Tozer said that he also contacted Edwin Fisher of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, great-nephew of John Fisher, who has spent 60 years researching Fisher genealogy and wrote Fisher Family: Genealogy and History.
Siepker said that the photographs and maps that appear in the book were obtained from Glen Arbor settlers’ descendants and museums. “The families were very generous with their time and sharing,” noted Siepker. Additionally, she received help from the Glen Arbor History Group and Dave Taghon, who provided information on Empire.
The families of the earliest settlers gathered at the Old Settlers’ Picnic Grounds in Burdickville on June 22 to share stories and information and to get their book copies signed by Tozer. Sixty-two people were present at the gathering, and sat in the shade as they listened to Tozer and Edwin Fisher speak. In an interview, Fisher commented, “I come from a long line of peasants, farmers and pioneers; I’m proud of my ancestry because they had very tough lives. They were the survivors.” John S. Dorsey busied himself with picture-taking at the event. Lorraine Richardson, great-granddaughter of John LaRue, was also present at the event.
Siepker was pleased with the gathering, and plans to continue her research in local history. Tozer said of her- “Siepker researched diligently and extensively and came up with the new documentation that has given significant consequence to this endeavor.”
Siepker is hooked on it, commenting, “Once you have genealogical research in your blood, you just get so excited about every little detail.” She elaborated on this- “When you know the history and the roots of an area, you feel more connected to the people in that area. I think what is unusual about the area is that it didn’t change and develop a lot earlier; it is distant from a major city, so it stayed pretty pristine… You can see a farm or a cherry orchard and see how it really looked back then. It makes you wonder about it.”
She hopes that the book provides a way for readers “to make a connection with the area”. Siepker’s Leelanau Press, a non-profit publisher, already has an outline of publishing efforts to come.
She will focus on Leelanau County writers, subject matter, and artists. Siepker said, “My interest and investment in the county has motivated me to find history and develop writers, to further extend the range of books available from the county.” She will be open to publishing from different genres, yet has another historical book particularly in mind. It will be the stories of the families and resorts of pre-1950’s Glen Lake.
When asked if she had any favorite sections in her first publication, Siepker replied, “Nope”; and with a big smile added, “I like it all.”