By Kevin Howell
The signs read “Playful City USA” at the village limits of Luther, a former logging camp and now a community of less than 400 people. This recognition is given to communities prioritizing “active and balanced” play time for children. The designation seems doubly appropriate, considering the number of resorts, off-road vehicle trails and campgrounds surrounding the little Lake County village.
My navigator Jean and I decided to visit the area in late May as one of our “Backroads and Beaches” road trips. Checking the map, we found a southern approach to the village via U.S. Highway 10 east from Baldwin to Kings Highway, and north to Luther.
Luther can also be reached from the west via Five Mile Road off M-37, a slightly shorter drive from our home to the southwest. However, the longer route gave us a good feel for the area.
We had spotted a tiny burg on the map just off US-10 called Nirvana, so we had to take a left off the highway to reach Nirvana first. Alas, where Nirvana should have been, there was just a small, unmarked cluster of homes along Kings Highway. Past once-was Nirvana, the road winds through hills, forested areas and small farmlands for the next 20 minutes or so.
The “Playful” part of the drive included backwoods places like Tin Cup ORV and motorcycle trails through pine and hardwood forests; Fort Buckeye, a 320-acre fenced deer hunting camp; Carrieville State Forest Campground; and plenty of private campgrounds and resorts.
Luther: a logging camp
Luther sits at the headwaters of the Little Manistee River and is a central place to pick up supplies and quaff a couple beers at North Bar or Dex’s Loggers Landing, both on the main road through town known as State Street. The village, once a booming logging town back in the late 1800s, reached a population of nearly 5,000, according to Marilyn Gray of the Luther Area Museum.
“We had one hotel and a lot of boardinghouses,” she told me. “It’s a logging town, named for a man named Luther.”
The first logging camp was begun by the Wilson, Luther and Wilson Company, and initially the village was named Wilson.
“Word was received from Lansing there was already a P.O. with that name,” so it was changed to Luther. That’s according to a short history found in the local library called, “The Village of Luther: An Historical Overview, A town Developed by Pioneers in Lake County, Michigan”, edited by Doug DeMaw and Franklin Willard.
Gray explained: “There were a lot of good stores. They had a barber, who was also the undertaker, and, of course, the bars that are still here — one bar, Loggers Landing, … has a staircase on the side of the building, and I believe that was one of the rooming houses.”
Luther community today
By the early 1900s, the forests were stripped clean, so folks in part turned to agriculture. Dry beans, potatoes, and cucumbers were cash crops, and Luther had a pickle factory at one time as well. Today, though, the village economy relies mainly on income from recreational visitors.
“We survive,” Gray said. “There are a lot of campgrounds, tourism is big here, and a lot of hunters come. You can go all over the state off of our trail system, and there’s lot of vehicle traffic from ORVs and snowmobiles in winter. It’s a big recreational area with a lot of lakes and fishing in this area.”
It’s a quaint, well laid-out little community, with several small parks, a library, post office, community building and grocery store, and other businesses along the five- or six-block main drag.
One scenic spot, Mill Pond Park, is especially nice ⸺ with a picnic shelter, a small boat launch jutting into the dammed pond on the Little Manistee, and what looks like a little performance area on the downstream side of the dam.
After a drive-through of the main drag, we landed at Loggers Landing for lunch. Jean had the burnt brisket tips with maple bourbon pickles on the side. The pickles were unique and really spicy, but tasty. I tried their standard Ruben (their spelling). My thought when visiting a restaurant for the first time is, if they can make a decent Reuben, the rest is probably good, too ⸺ and it was. Loggers is an old-time restaurant and bar with a rustic setting, sports televisions on several walls and a friendly atmosphere.
My editor delivers papers to Luther and last month stopped by the other eatery in town, the North Bar, for takeout. She ordered the chicken Philly & Swiss submarine sandwich. As she waited for it to be brought steaming out of the oven, she toured the bar’s beer can collection and historical photos, and paused to read the musicians’ names written in chalk on the ceiling of the performance area.
For its size, Luther hosts several events. Among them are a pancake breakfast every first Sunday of the month, a summer concert series at the Purchase Pavilion and the main event, Luther Days. (See the below story.)
I overheard our server describing Luther Days to other customers.
“This is my eleventh year here, and every place in town is busy,” she said. “It really gets nuts.”
For the recreation-minded visitor, Luther is sure to be a “Playful” destination.
Luther Days
By Kevin Howell
Luther Days is a celebration of the logging heritage of the Village of Luther. Organized by the Luther Days Association, this is the tiny village’s main event. Formerly known as Luther Logging Days, the three-day celebration takes place July 1-3 this year, with plenty of activities for all ages.
Friday’s events include a 5K race and the Flying Star Rodeo. The rodeo is one day only, starting at 6 p.m.
Saturday’s lineup includes the Lumberjack competition. with events like the Underhand Chop, men’s and women’s and combinations of men’s and women’s bow saw and crosscut challenges, as well as ax throwing and other competitions.
Also during the three days are a softball tournament, car show, parade, fireworks, shopping, food, assorted vendors, fun for kids and more.
For information, go to the Luther Days Facebook page, email them at lda49656@gmail.com or message them through Facebook.
Kevin Howell lives in Mason County. He loves the Michigan woods, lakes, people and, especially, Michigan craft beers – not necessarily in that order!
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