Growing up at "Kentucky Park"
Memories of Carlotta Graziani
The history of the Clark Lake Community Center begins with the Graziani family’s history. What follows are the memories of Carlotta Graziani.
It was in Covington, Kentucky where my story begins, because it was there where my mother and father resided before they decided to explore the wonderful place that we came to love and call Clark Lake.
The Graziani family, prior to 1897, consisted of my parents, Benjamin Graziani, his wife, Eliza, and daughter, Laura. In that year a second daughter, Elsie, was born, and because of her health, it became necessary for them to seek a different climate.
In the months following her birth, she became very weak. It was decided that her survival depended on a change in climate.
Where was the right place for this tiny mite?
A friend of my father suggested what he thought was the perfect place. He described a beautiful small lake in southern Michigan with a tiny hotel and he indicated that Mr. Tom Beech, who owned the Pleasant View Hotel, would be happy to assist the family in any way.
He described the lake as being about three miles long and perhaps, a half-mile wide with not more than a dozen cottages around it. The lake was a natural body of water, fed by artesian wells which kept it clean and fresh always.
It was a hot day in July 1896 when mother and father, with two little girls left Cincinnati via the Cincinnati Northern Railroad. It was a long trip, one which took about seven hours. As they stepped from the train, my father sniffed a couple of times and turned to Mama and said, “We have found the spot! Our little girls will grow strong here.
Departing from the tiny train station at the end of Vining Strreet, they passed a small hotel where guest were sitting on the veranda. There were a few frame houses where some of the local people lived year-round. Just prior to reaching the dock at the west end of the lake, they passed a grocery store.
On the western lake shore they stepped onto the little steamer taxi. Leaving the dock, my father looked to the shore line and saw a tiny grave yard. Not too far away stood the little Red School House.
As the steamer took them to the hotel, Papa looked to the north side of the lake and fell in love with a point of land jetting out into the water. “Mama”, he said, “I would love to own that piece of land and build a cottage. “ Soon they landed at the hotel.
Peaceful days followed and little Elsie improved with each passing day. The weeks quickly passed; soon it was time for Papa to get back to his law practice.
In 1897, after I was born, the Graziani family returned to Clark Lake and the Pleasant View Hotel.
Papa’s love for the lake grew stronger. He decided that the family had to own a piece of Clark Lake and he wanted that point of land that he had fallen in love with his first summer. Papa negotiated an agreement to buy that point with three existing cottages, and three additional acres from Mr. Hitt.
The next summer we returned to the lake and lived in one of the three cottages. My father contacted several builders, and that winter, Papas dream, the Graziani Cottage, was built. The property was named “Kentucky Park”.
As we took our summer boat trip toward the east end of Clark Lake, we came in sight of our objective. There it stood with its beautiful verandas up and down, with beautiful white columns around its entirety. It as a lovely southern cottage on a lake in southern Michigan.
The years passed by quickly, as did my little girl days. The summers were always so happy and we always had lots of company from the south.
Clark Lake was growing into a lovely resort. There were sailboats and a small yacht club developing. The lake wasn’t as quiet as it used to be. Now there were motor boats. The older people said they were ruining the fishing.
The year of 1923 was a very sad year for us, as we lost our dear father. Many changes were made at Clark Lake.
We now had electricity in the cottage and, although it was convenient, I always felt some of the charm had been taken away.
In 1933 we lost mother. She died at Clark Lake in the cottage she loved so much.
In the summer of 1967, the cottage was sold. On the morning of August 28, 1968, we waved our last farewell. With sadness in my heart and tears in my eyes, we left, most likely never to return.