Inspiration behind Vintage Views Along Scenic M-22
From staff reports
Christine Byron and Tom Wilson, who published the acclaimed Vintage Views of Leelanau County in 2002, have published a new book that’s sure to make an impact on the visual narration of this region’s history. Byron and Wilson, who own a cottage on Big Glen Lake, will sign copies of Vintage Views Along Scenic M-22 on Sunday, Aug. 2, from noon-3 p.m. at the Old Settler’s Picnic in Burdickville and on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Port Oneida Fair. They’ll also present the book on Friday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. to the Empire Heritage Group at the Empire Town Hall. We asked Byron and Wilson about the book and what they learned while producing it.
Glen Arbor Sun: What inspired you to publish Vintage Views Along Scenic M-22? How long did the book project take you?
Christine Byron & Tom Wilson: Our inspiration for the book came from spending summer vacations in Leelanau over the last 30 years, like so many visitors to the area. We love touring M-22, taking long drives and discovering new scenic gems along the way. The book took about two years to complete. We love doing the research and working with the local historical societies and museums.
Sun: What surprises did you learn along the way? Or what twists and turns did the project take?
Byron & Wilson: The thing that we were most surprised about was that there were four grassroots associations formed over the years, starting in 1929, for the purpose of promoting M-22. Promotional efforts included naming the road: the “Chippewa Trail” in 1929; the “Manitou Trail” in 1953; and the “Michigamme Trail” in the early 1960s.The earlier M-22 associations advocated paving the road. Later groups published brochures and placed advertisements to encourage travel on M-22.
Sun: Did you focus most on the historic, the natural, the commercial, the beautiful … or all of the above?
Byron & Wilson: Our book focuses on the history of M-22 and the attractions along the way. We feature views of some of the old hotels, dining spots, shops and summer camps. The quaint towns and villages along the route are shown in old postcards and historical photos. Attractions, such as Lund’s Scenic Garden, Glen Magic and Fishtown are highlighted. While showing vintage images of Sleeping Bear Dunes, we tell the story of how the National Lakeshore was formed.
Sun: M-22 has become far more than a state highway, of course. It’s a brand of clothing, allegedly a “way of life” and the inspiration for an annual triathlon. Did all this impact your story in any way?
Byron & Wilson: Although the M-22 t-shirts and stickers are seen around the state, the popularity of M-22 is not a new thing. M-22 has been favored with tourists and travelers since it was first established as a scenic loop of the West Michigan Pike in 1913, thanks to the efforts of D.H. Day. The same things that inspire the popularity of the road today inspired earlier generations of motorists to take the scenic drive, and return year after year. From our first visit to Leelanau County we realized that the combination of dunes, lakes and shoreline goes beyond just scenic to inspirational.
Sun: Was this project different, in any particular way, from your previous book, Vintage Views of Leelanau County?
Byron & Wilson: Vintage Views of Leelanau County was our first book and has now been out-of-print for several years. Since people are still asking for the book, we considered reprinting it. But since the original publisher changed hands three times and the digital files were lost, we would have had to recreate the book. Instead we thought we’d take a different tact, and focus on M-22, since so much of the road is in Leelanau County. This also gave us the opportunity to show highlights of the road in Manistee and Benzie Counties. For the most part, our new book focuses on the age of automobile tourism, while the first book covered a wider expanse of time including the eras of early settlers, the lumbering industry and steamship travel. In the new book, we tried not to duplicate much from the first book, but there are some images that were just too important to be left out.
Sun: What do these two books add to the narrative lexicon of this beautiful area?
Byron & Wilson: We hope that our books give readers a sense of the rich history of the people, places and things that have made this area such an iconic vacation spot in a state that abounds in natural beauty.
Sun: This region has changed A LOT since many of these vintage photos were taken. What do you like most about the changes in Leelanau County and along M-22? On the other hand, what do you pine for the most?
Byron & Wilson: The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is the one thing that has both changed the area, yet preserved it. The National Lakeshore’s preservation of beaches, dunes and forests became the bedrock of a directional shift towards conservation and recreational use that continues to this day. The Leelanau Conservancy continues the work of preserving the “natural beauty, ecological integrity and working farms” of the Leelanau Peninsula. Although much development has taken place in the county, it’s this background of conservation that continues to give Leelanau County its ability to retain its natural beauty and rural charm.
Although we know the dunesmobile rides may have not been beneficial for the ecology of the dunes, we sure wish we could have had a ride in one of the 1956 Oldsmobiles convertibles gliding over the dunes.
Sun: Tell us about your small cottage on Big Glen Lake. What does it mean to you? And how do you spend your time while here?
Byron & Wilson: Our small cottage on Big Glen is 352 square feet and was built by Bill Peppler in 1950 on the site of the former Glenview Country Club. Our cottage was one of eight in Peppler’s Glenview Resort. Although we removed the orange shag carpeting, the cottage still has the original pine paneling and cozy feeling that gained it the nickname, the “Honeymoon Cottage.” We spend our cottage time reading, loafing, hiking with Pete the pup, boating, going for coffee in Glen Arbor and watching sunsets over Big Glen.
