Monday, July 25

Happy Birthday Wendy and David!
We arrived at Big Bay about 2:30 from Marquette. We had a pretty good ride but about an hour before we got here the wind picked up and the waves were getting higher. This bay is big, hence the name, but the town is small. And there is alot of history here.
Back in the day, Brunswick (the bowling pin people) logged this area and made bowling pins here. The town was built to provide housing for the workers. They made the pins out of oak at that time.
Sometime in the mid 40's I think, Henry Ford purchased the factory and used it to produce the wood vaneer panels for the old "Woody" stationwagon's. Some of you won't remember that car, but Skip and I sure do! They also made other wood vaneered accessories for the interior - steering wheels, shift knobs, and the like.
About that same time, Mr. Ford also bought the Thunder Bay Inn and renovated it. It was used as a summer gathering place for the Ford executives. Big Bay also had a Army training camp located here.  It was used as a gunnery school.
About 1951-52, this small village gained noterity due to a murder that took place at the Lumberjack Tavern.
An Army Lt. was told by his wife that she had been raped and beaten by the innkeeper/bartender of this establishment. The Lt. admitted that he did murder the man, plugging him with 7 bullets; he was charged with 1st degree murder; a trial took place and he was acquited by reason of "irrestible impulse". Today we know this as temporary insanity.
After the trial, the defense attorney wrote a book titled "Anatomy of a Murder" and it quickly shot up the best seller list. The book was subcequently made into a movie staring Jimmy Stewart, Lee Rimmick and a cast of others. The movie was filmed in Big Bay with the  Thunder Bay Inn used in the movie. Both Thunder Bay and the Lumberjack have newspaper clippings from the murder and the making of the movie.
While we were at the Lumberjack Tavern, the lady bartender told us that she was a little girl when it happened but she can remember her mother saying what a "floosy" the Lt.'s wife was.
If you haven't seen the movie, I would recommend it. I read that it is used in many law schools as a teaching tool.
So there you have your history lesson for today. I just love meeting mew people abd listening to what they have to say. You sure do learn alot!
Love and Blessings,
Margo and Skip