Walloon Lake, between Boyne City and Petoskey, has long been a destination for those who are passionate about sailing.
In 1890, a man named Albert Nulsen transported a sailboat 650 miles from his home in St. Louis, Missouri, to sail the lake.
His trip became known to locals and Nulsen organized the Walloon Lake Yacht Club in 1907, along with sailor Fred Adams.
It was about more than racing sailboats — it was about preserving the shores and waters of Walloon Lake.
This summer, people will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the first 17-foot sailboat to grace the lake, in 1934.
It was made by Henry Cawthra, who used oak and cedar planks from local lumber yards, as well as Sitka spruce trees.
Cawthra also used aluminum and iron keels that he purchased in East Jordan.
Cawthra’s original still sails on Walloon Lake to this day.
Thirty-one of the boats, known simply as “17s,” are still in existence, but one of them serves as an iconic marker to the Village of Walloon Lake.
