History

For over sixty-five years a beautiful, gracious home on a hill at the north end of Carpenter Avenue in Iron Mountain, Michigan has served as a place to welcome guests, hold business meetings and enjoy social events--our Chippewa Club. Built in 1898 by the Chapin Mining company as a residence for General Manager James MacNaughton, it was principally the home of Otto Conrad Davidson who replaced MacNaughton as manager in 1901. The Davidson family lived here until January 1945 when, a year after the death of "O.C.", his widow sold the home to F. Albee Flodin and Martin D. Thomas for the grand sum of $4,500. T he inspiration for this purchase was based on the business trip experiences of Mr. Flodin, president, and Mr. William "Bill" Lewis, vice president--marine division, Lake Shore Engineering, to Pascagoula, Mississippi where they had stayed in an elegant old mansion owned and operated by Ingalls Shipbuilding--The Longfellow House. (A large picture of the Longfellow House hangs in our second floor hallway opposite the Presidents' Gallery.) The Davidson house, with its oak woodwork, ornate brass hardware, four fireplaces, beautiful stained-glass windows, and other features suggested that it could become a match for the Mississippi manor. Organizing a private club would be a way to support such an undertaking.

The desire for such an establishment in Iron Mountain was driven by business necessity. In the early 1940's, there was no suitable place in the area for firms to lodge and dine visiting business associates. Company men were housed in private homes. Attempting to remedy this, a meeting of local leaders was held at the 6-7-8 Club on the top floor of the Commercial Bank building in February 1945 to discuss the feasibility of establishing a private club. Present were J.D. Benham, D.B. Madden, F.A. Flodin, W.B. Thompson, E.G. Kingsford, Dr. C.G. Menzies, W.W. Thompson, Carl Miller, Dr. W.H. Alexander, Frank Russell, Raymond Turner, William Lewis, R.C. Hoyle, A.G. Buchman, Dr. W.H. Huron, Ben Seaman, Ray Hunley, Rex Wells, Abbott Fox, and A. Klevgard. A temporary board of directors was elected to canvas for prospective members. By April, 137 resident and non-resident charter members had been signed up and in May of 1945, the first membership meeting was held in the former Davidson residence.

To turn the home into a clubhouse, it was necessary to do some remodeling. First, for the same price of $4,500, Lake Shore purchased the property to hold during renovation. Albee Flodin asked Robert Hoyle, who at that time was handling advertising for Lake Shore, to evaluate what it would take to turn the house into a club. Hoyle had some experience in remodeling and became very involved in the project. (He subsequently filled in as our very first bartender!) Because of World War II, materials were in short supply. A bar was built in what had been the "carriage room" using wood from sliding doors and woodwork within the house. The kitchen was enlarged and improved and changes were made on the main floor to provide more open space for dining. A year and a half later, the remodeling was complete. Because the Chippewa Club was opening as a non-profit, unincorporated association which by law cannot own property, on December 11, 1946, for the sum of $10,000 an agreement was made to transfer ownership to three Club members designated as trustees-- one of whom was Mario Fontana. The Club operated in this manner with various members serving as trustees until 1973 when it became a non-profit corporation.

Once the Chippewa Club was established, financing, furnishing, remodeling, expanding, and meeting changing needs all became recurring problems for your Board of Governors. What follows is a brief summary of some the board’s solutions.

1983-86: The Chippewa Club was at a crossroads. The Club looked gently threadbare in some areas and downright shabby in others. Several of the worst problems were hidden infrastructure defects (like the sagging floor in the Davidson Room). The Past Presidents’ Advisory Council was reactivated to work with the Board of Governors to seek solutions. Discussion centered on whether to attempt a complete renovation, build a new clubhouse, or close down. T he consensus was that the Club was too important an asset for the community to give up and therefore an effort should be made to save it. Four past presidents agreed to try to collect the necessary funds: George Norr, Roy E. Miller, Jr., Jim Hawtin, and Dennis Engquist. First, they raised money from corporations and individuals to pay for the anticipated costs. Then, because of overruns, they canvassed again and obtained pledges to cover most of these excesses. Adequate funding was imperative, but the success of this endeavor (as in previous ones) also depended on numerous individuals volunteering their time and expertise to bring this project to completion. Renovations which began in the fall of 1984 included: structural repairs to the Davidson Room floor; sewer replacement; third floor closed and insulated heavily to prevent heat loss; new heating and air conditioning; second floor bedrooms transformed into private dining rooms with a associated bar and work stations; dumb-waiter installed to serve both the second level and Chapin Room level; second coatroom construction first floor; woodwork refinished and entire facility painted, papered, and carpeted. Remarkably, the Club shut down on only a few occasions during this time with the longest closure being four days for laying carpet. Business actually improved-curiosity?! In early 1986, it’s Victorian milieu intact, the Club’s rejuvenation was complete. The Board of Governors went one important step further to keep our Club in good condition-a Capital Improvement Fund was established. Each present and future member would be required to pay three hundred dollars into this fund which only the interest could be used for capital improvement and/or maintenance. Once again we had a financially viable Club of which to be proud.

Sixty-five years brought changes not only to the clubhouse but other areas as well. When the house was purchased, a bowling alley, swimming pool, and stable stood on the ground. The pool was used briefly, but is now completely filled with earth and drainage holes drilled into its cement base. A barber shop once operated in the basement. In the early years many formal parties were held which is a rarity now. The dress code for men has changed from “ties required all the time” to less stringent rules. In 1980, junior memberships were established. Lodging, one of the main reasons for starting the Club, ceased at the end of the 1984. In the late 1980’s, bar liability insurance increased 700% in one year-an expense which naturally had to flow through to our monthly bills. In keeping with the times, in 1993 a policy of No Smoking except in the main bar room was instituted. Older members often bemoan these changes but recognized their necessity or at least their inevitability. Changes must and will take place if we are to please our members, stay up-to-date, and continue to be a gracious and hospitable gathering place in our community for another sixty-five years.