A Little Bit of OPC History
Our History
5 of our cottages were originally built in 1939. These cottages were believed to be a stop on the West Michigan Pike years after it was developed. The West Michigan Pike stretched from New Buffalo to Mackinaw City, as Michigan’s shoreline became a celebration of the road, people and places along the way.
The West Michigan Pike was developed and constructed between 1911 and 1922 as one of the nation’s first “tourist” roads, designed specifically to bring vacationers from Chicago to Michigan’s West Coast to escape the sweltering summer heat of the Windy City. A full-blown tourism industry with lodging, restaurants, and attractions grew up along the West Michigan Pike and flourishes to this day.
The communities along the “Pike,” collectively known as Michigan Beachtowns, include the historic communities of St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, South Haven, Saugatuck/Douglas, Holland, Grand Haven, Muskegon, and the Silver Lake Sand Dunes.