Drummond Islander 1952

Short Resort History: (compiled by gd from oral and written accounts of previous owners and their children.  If you have any comments/corrections or old photos you would like to share send an email or call! )  send comments or info to gary@riverbendresort.com  

Cabins 1,2 & 3 were built around 1947, Cabin 4 and 5 were online a year later.  These were built by the Ehle's and at that time it was called "Ehle's Cabins".   Cabin 5 was (possibly) moved here by truck from Caribou Lake.  The residence quarters (now Cabin 9) was built in the late 50's, and before that time the Ehle's lived in the cabin across the street. (the old antique shop, next to our house).   Carl and Virginia Waterman purchased the cabin court  in 1961, renaming it "Slipshod Manor".  They built Cabin 6  in 1968 and first rented it in August of 1969.  Waterman's also built the "Uptown Frosty Cone" ice cream shop in 1974 and the pole barn garage in 1978.  They ran the resort and Ice Cream shop through 1988 when it was sold to the Ulrichs. The Ulrichs' moved the old boathouse and installed the park model cabins 7 & 8 in 1990 and then sold it about a year later it to the Scheffers.  The Scheffers run the property including the "Cow Barn" Ice Cream shop and "Fortino's Pizza" House addition as "Boundary Waters" until we bought the resort in April 1999 and renamed it "River Bend Resort".

Additional Information from Bill Ehle: July 06:

- The wood for cabins 1, 2 and 3 was cut out at the old dump. They were skidded out by Komitsky's.
- These were built in 1944, and originally rented for $21 per week or $8.30 per night. 
- Cabin 5 was not moved from Caribou Lake, it was moved from Sims St, (about 3 Blocks) it was formerly owned by Ellis Dorian.
- Ehles moved into the Antique shop building and ran the resort from across the street.
- Ehles also built the (Dockside) Restaurant in 1954 and Motel in 1956. 

Here are some pictures of the resort in the 60's.  (photos courtesy of Mike Waterman)

Picture is Dated "Mar 61", Back Says "The cabin court as purchased by Carl and Nedra Waterman from Bill Ehle and wife...." 

Back of Picture says: "Bonnie - Carl and Nedra Waterman's daughter - about 1963"   

Back of Picture: "Fritz and Dorothy Rohl friends of George and Pat Hamel", I guess about '63 also.

Picture Dated: Jul 67: "Nedra Waterman in her peony flower bed", Cabin 3 and our residence in the background.

Picture Back: "Blue winged Teals - Summer '68", I like the colors of the cabins in the background and this shows the bait/boat shed that was located where cabin 8 is now.

Picture Back: "#6 Cabin begun in late summer (or fall) of 68, and first used in Aug 69"

Area History:

De Tour Village is a cozy town settled at the far eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Located in Chippewa County. "De Tour" means "the turn" and is the turning point for the St. Mary's River, Lake Superior, and the Lake Michigan/Huron shipping industry.  Here at the point lie some of the most interesting and historic spots in the Upper Peninsula. Drummond Island is only one mile across the river from De Tour and is the third largest freshwater island in the world.  Among the many points of interest, one can see Light House Point, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Drummond Island, and Numerous islands of the St. Mary's River.

The St. Mary's River has always been a strategic point for trade and travel. In early days, Fort Drummond and De Tour were the most important trading posts for the Chippewa Indians, who called DeTour "Giweeonaning", which means "point which we go around in a canoe"  The first lighthouse was established on DeTour Point in 1847. Originally, De Tour was named Warrenville, after the name of the first township postmaster, Ebenezer Warren, in 1848. Its name was changed to De Tour Township on July 25, 1856, when Henry A. Williams became the area postmaster. De Tour was incorporated in 1899 and changed names to De Tour Village in 1961 to ease postal shipping confusion with Detroit.  In 1999  DeTour celebrated its centennial as an incorporated village, there is a historical yearbook available in town with lots of pictures and stories and family descriptions.

There are dozens of shipwrecks among the rocks and jetties that lie around DeTour dating back to 1862.  This area has now been recognized as a Underwater Preservation Area for divers.  Please see the following link for information on wrecks located in or around DeTour, included in this list are interesting boats that had some contact with DeTour.  

Historical DeTour Shipwrecks Page