Mullett Lake. Today’s column will tell the story of the development of this popular state park.
At 10 miles long and four miles wide, Mullett is the fifth largest lake in Michigan. It covers 16,630 acres and has 28 miles of shoreline. It is in the middle of the beautiful Inland Water Route.
A Native American trade route for thousands of years, it was a perfect site for the village of Aloha and public state park.
One of the larger state parks in Michigan, Aloha is one of Michigan’s most popular and most-used state parks. It features a modern campground with 285 camp sites, updated showers and bathrooms, protected boat basin, fishing, and beautiful swimming beaches.
The park is south of Cheboygan. Access to Aloha is provided by M-212 off M-33. M-212 is the shortest Michigan highway at three-quarters of a mile.
The park is also a perfect place to stay if one wishes to visit Mackinaw City, Mackinaw Island or Mill Creek Park.
So how did this park come to exist? During the lumbering days, the land had been cleared by Robert Patterson, one of the last lumber barons.
In the early 1900s, the Detroit and Mackinaw Railroad (D&M) built a 450-foot pier and small park to encourage people from southern Michigan to use D&M trains to travel vacation and rest in the picturesque and beautiful north. Trains would carry day visitors in for a picnic, a swim and relaxation on the beach. Then came the industrialization of World War I and automobiles. Highways were improved. Railroad traffic decreased and many resorts had to sell or shut down.
The county commissioner for Aloha, Guy Tromble, worked hard to convince other commissioners of the potential of the struggling small park. The county soon agreed to purchase eight acres of abandoned railroad property and an additional 20 acres of adjoining land. It was the minimum size to build a state park. The county now owned 28 acres with 2100 feet of lake frontage on Mullett Lake. The county deeded the land to the State of Michigan. One-hundred years ago, in 1923, what had been the Detroit and Mackinaw Park became Aloha State Park.
Two years later, the state dug special wells for drinking water, while also repairing roads and building park benches, picnic tables and outhouses. The beaches were also cleaned.
The first caretaker was Thomas Ballard. His daughter, Lois Ballard, still lives in Cheboygan. Lois has been very active in saving much of Cheboygan County’s history. Tom added new picnic stoves for convenient cooking.
Land was cleared to create a primitive campground to pitch tents. There were 132 camp sites. Many more improvements were to come under Tom’s watchful eye.
In 1927, there were 5,553 visitors and campers to the park.
In 1929, Thomas and his son built a bathhouse, camper registration site and quarters for the caretakers.
The next year there were 11,006 visitors.
The first playground was built in 1935, with six swings, three slides and one see-saw board.
In 1940, a new parking area was built on the south side of Aloha’s main street. That same year 20,420 people used the park. Attendance slowed during World War 2 as the Allies valiantly fought Germany, Italy and Japan.
After the war, in a single day (Fourth of July 1947), 3,500 picnickers visited the park. In 1950, a new well, modern overhead electrical system and toilet and shower buildings were added. Also, another 65 campsites were built. Now one could camp in style!
Today Aloha State Park covers 107 acres of land. It is also now skirted on the west edge by the State Northeast Trail which is open to hikers, bikers in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter. The trail was built on top of the historic old D&M railroad bed.
Who could ask for any more in a state park? It has grown from a rugged site on Mullett Lake to a first-class campground where the public can enjoy their own stretch of waterfront property and beautiful sunsets. Thank God for the local visionaries more than 100-years ago who saw what others didn’t. We owe special thanks to Guy Tromble for his foresight and Tom Ballard for his early work to improve the park, allowing it to become the spectacular park it is today.