Mirror, mirror, on the wall, Which of Cheboygan’s townships is greatest of all? Is Aloha Township the “Queen of the Ball?” Named for Hawaii, it is peaceful and small.
Aloha Township lies on the east shore of Mullett Lake, six miles south of Cheboygan. The 2010 U.S. census showed 949 people living in Aloha Township. (Many more people live there now.)
For hundreds — if not thousands — of years, Indians called the land where Aloha Township is today, home. At the end of the winter fur season, Indians would wait on the shores of Mullett Lake for fur traders traveling from Montreal and Quebec to arrive in their large canoes. Fur traders would trade needed supplies and trinkets in exchange for the furs Indians had harvested from a long winter of trapping.
Aloha Township covers 32.28 square miles. Within these square miles are located the following precious treasures.
The first treasure is Aloha Village. It is located on the east shore of Mullett Lake. The first white settler to arrive was James Patterson in 1903. Patterson had recently traveled to Hawaii and he gave the area the name “Aloha.” He built his home and a sawmill. Later a General Store was built by F. Haut. Aloha village soon built up around these two businesses. A post office was opened in 1903. It closed in 1942.
Mullett Lake is Michigan’s fifth largest, stretching 10 miles long and four miles wide. It covers 16,630 acres (26 square miles).
To reach the village today, people drive on the shortest highway in the state of Michigan, Highway 212. It is seven-tenths of a mile long, stretching from M-33 to the lake shore. The highway was at one time a Native American trail. Trains passed the edge of the village several times a day, headed north to Cheboygan and Mackinaw City, and then returning to Bay City.
Aloha Village had a station for the Detroit and Mackinaw Railroad. The station had a unique-looking depot. It was a handsome building and it was topped by a beautiful tall tower. Climbing to the top of the tower was a favorite activity for many because of the beautiful vistas in every direction. The tower overlooked Mullett Lake, the train tracks running north and south, and Aloha Village. Facing west, people could watch the most stunning sunsets over the lake. In what can only be called a historic tragedy, the depot was torn down in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
Today, the multi-use North Eastern State Multi-use Trail runs 70 miles on an old railroad bed from Alpena to Cheboygan, skirting the eastern edge of the village. The trail is managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The trail is open year-round for all non-motorized vehicles and for snowmobiles from December 1 through March 31.
Another Aloha Township treasure is Aloha State Park, established in 1923. People love to vacation there. Many come back every year. The park accommodates tents, trailers and huge motor homes. It has almost 200 sites and covers 107 acres of land on the northeast side of Mullett Lake. It has modern camping facilities, a boat ramp, playground, fishing, swimming, biking and paddling. The park lies at the center of the 38-mile Inland Waterway, where one can boat through a series of lakes and rivers from Lake Huron through Cheboygan to Ponshewaing near Petoskey. It ends two miles from Little Traverse Bay. Native Americans relied on the route to avoid the big waves and turbulence on Lake Michigan. Close to 50 Native American archeological sites have been discovered on or near the inland water route. Archeologists have found artifacts from human activity dating back 3,000 years.
A third great township treasure is Long Lake. This lake lies 10 miles south of Cheboygan, about four miles from Aloha. This lake lies between Mullett and Black lakes and is over two miles long. It has a depth of over 60 feet in some places. Most of the rest of the lake is at least 20 feet deep. There is a public boat launch. Long Lake is excellent for swimming, fishing and boating. Before 1963, Charles Lahaie, a Cheboygan businessman, purchased one side of Long Lake, which, at that time, had only a dirt road. The road, Hiawatha Drive, had once been an Indian trail. Today most of Mr. Lahaie’s lots have been sold and year-round homes and summer cottages have been built on many. Today, much of the land around the lake is built up.
Aloha Township’s fourth gem is Camp Walden. This camp was established in 1959 by a young couple who purchased 90 acres on the shores of Long Lake. They transformed it into a superb summer camp. Camp Walden is very popular. This camp is for children in grades 2 to 11. It brings children and counselors from all over the United States, Europe and Asia. Here the children explore Aloha’s lakes, woods and meadows. This camp has everything for them. The children live together in small groups in log cabins and every cabin has a counselor. The campers have many choices of activities to participate in. They feel safe and well cared for. Over the summer, they learn to be more confident and independent.
Finally, Aloha Township has little Devereaux Lake about 12 miles south of Cheboygan off of M-33. This lake was named for a Civil War veteran, Franklin Devereaux, who shot a large bear, which then charged him. From the evidence, Deveraux and the bear engaged in a match to the death.
Devereaux Lake is also surrounded by cottages. The entry dirt road is only 50 feet long. The lake has a rocky shoreline and a sandy beach. It is a good fishing lake but it is very small and shallow.
There are also many beautiful farms in Aloha Township.
I cannot leave the history of Aloha Township without mentioning the names of the fabulous resident historians who printed a book on Aloha Township history. Many people have helped to record this history. The people who earned the greatest credit are Lois Ballard, Eva Tromble, Judy Rose, Mary Herbert McDuffie and Sharon Seabolt. Aloha Township also has its own historical society, which has been very active.
So, is Aloha Township one of the best? I think so. But, I am biased as I live on a bluff overlooking beautiful Long Lake. Though, I believe you can’t really go wrong on any place in Cheboygan County!