10/28/2024
Do you know any ghost stories about Spring Lake? Here is one shared by our member, Sherron Collins!
The Peter DeWitt Grapery was on South Lake Avenue after 1860. In 1871, Hunter Savidge received a letter praising the quality of the grapes grown here. One of the varieties grown was Catawba, a sweet wine producer. Shipping to Chicago was easy! Vineyards probably filled the land from River Street along South Lake Street to the inlet of Lloyd’s Bayou to the Grand River. The picture shows one of the last “ghosts” left, east of the bridge just where the waters join.
About 1950, the Village expanded to make Summer, Spring, Winter and Fall Streets, and houses replaced the vineyards.
