Leelanau Winter Festivals in Glen Arbor & Northport! (and maybe Empire)
Fouch, Michigan
Fouch was originally established by an African-American, by the name of Smith, who settled on the south end of Lake Leelanau sometime before the Civil War. Smith built a dock, known as Smith's landing where settlers who lived on Lake Leelanau could dock and then walk into Traverse City to buy supplies. Hardly anything is known of Smith, and it is said that he only stayed in the area for four or five years.
In 1866 the 21 year old John R. Fouch, a Civil War veteran, arrived from Ohio. Fouch homesteaded 260 acres of land in Elmwood township. The acreage included Smith's landing. Fouch built a small summer resort at Smith's landing, a post office and railroad station.
In 1892 the Manistee and Northeastern Railroad came through Fouch from Solon to Traverse City. The stop at Fouch allowed people to travel by boat to Smith's landing and take the train into Traverse City, allowing them maximum time in the city. In 1905 Fouch built a resort hotel and named it Carp Lake House. The resort burned in 1915 and was never rebuilt. In 1927 Fouch sold the land to Daniel and Julia Perrin, of Detroit. They established a cabin colony and called it Perrin's Landing. The Manistee and Northeastern Railroad was abandoned in 1934, taking away the importance of the town. Today Fouch/Perrin's Landing is nothing more than a ghost town.
To suggest that Perrin's landing today is nothing more than a ghost town would be highly inaccurate.
This article is from 10/2007.
http://www.leelanaunews.com/blog/2007/10/04/perrins-landing-bar-eyed/
Today there is indeed a bar/restaurant/party store and gas station there. The only gas station on south lake leelenau.
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Comment by Pavlov — July 24, 2008 @ 12:34 pm
I have an old picture of the hotel Wisteria that was located in Fouch. Does anyone know anything about it?
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Comment by Kris Fuller — March 21, 2010 @ 11:09 am
I can tell you that the description of how Perrin's Landing came to be named is inaccurate, since it was my own grandparents who created Perrin's Landing. My grandfather, Earl Perrin, owned and operated Perrin's Landing from the early 1930s until his death in the 1980s and was occupied by my Grandma, Dorothy Perrin, until she died in the 1990s. They had a lodge with a store, a stocked trout pond, many small cabins and campsites and boats for rent or charter. They even operated in winter as an ice-fishing desstination. My Aunt Cynthia Perrin Schroeder still lives in the area.
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Comment by Michele Perrin — July 15, 2010 @ 9:36 pm
Got to this blog doing research for writing: story of my Father's logging days in Leelanau. Am interested in learning more of Perrins landing as my Dad stayed i9n a cabin there, I believe with my Mom and two daughers in the late 40's or very erly 50's. Am trying to describe what it was like there (community, events)then. If Ms. Perrin has any more knowledge to share....?
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Comment by BJ Ingwersen — March 29, 2011 @ 6:32 pm
Anyone know of contact person to rent a boat slip at Perrin's Landing?
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Comment by John Lievense — May 10, 2011 @ 12:02 pm
I used to go there with my family in the mid 50s through the 60s. I am writing a piece about it now. I would love to hear more about the family. Julie Perrin taught me to float and I had a huge crush on John. Mr. Perrin was always nice to me and my times up there were the best in my life.
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Comment by Ione (Schreur) Lake — August 3, 2011 @ 8:10 pm
What a great memory Ione!!
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Comment by Andrew McFarlane — August 7, 2011 @ 10:05 am
I have some pictures I would like to add of the resort. I'm not sure how.
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Comment by Ione (Schreur) Lake — August 19, 2011 @ 6:49 pm
You could email them to me - andy@leelanau.com or post them online somewhere and share the link!
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Comment by Andrew McFarlane — September 1, 2011 @ 8:54 am
Kris fuller did you ever post that picture of the Hotel Wisteria? Michelle Perrin I'm sure we have talked or at least aknowledge one another on numerous occasions when I was a young boy. I spent many summerdays at the Fouch farm growing up and many of those days at Perrins Landing fishing, swimming or just raising cane. I remember on a couple of occasions your Grandpa would give us food to feed the fish. I believe they were brown trout, huge brown trout!! Have you posted any pictures on the web? would love to hear from you.
Jerry Fouch
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Comment by Jerry Fouch — October 14, 2011 @ 1:27 pm