In 1880, several members of the First Congregational Church of Chicago formed a Chicago Summer Resort association, now known as the "Chicago Club."
Early citizens contributed to the founding of such early institutions as the Lewis Grand Opera House (1883) and Methodist (1878) and Congregational (1885) churches.

In 1892, the first rail traffic to Charlevoix arrived as the Chicago and West Michigan Railway extended rail service from Traverse city to Bay View. (
This is not related to the 1901 Detroit and Charlevoix Railroad line to East Jordan).
Rail lines opened up formerly remote tracts of inland land and lakeshore to commercial, industrial, resort, and other real estate development, as follows:
The Detroit-based D.M. Ferry Seed Company expanded operations in northern Michigan, developing the land along Lake Charlevoix in 1892.
It built a 200' dock and warehouse complex by 1905.
Ferry's Charlevoix operations continued until 1927.

In 1899, the Federal Revenue Cutter Service came to Charlevoix and began tending buoys on the north side of the Round lake train bridge.
This site would later become known as the Coast Guard moorings.

By 1901, industrialist James M. Felts of Rushville, Indiana had purchased thousands of acres between Mount McSauba and Big Rock point  and began construction of a massive sugar beet factory to be called the Charlevoix Sugar Company.
The National Construction Company of Detroit built the factory between 1902 and 1903 at the point where Stover Creek emptied into Pine Lake.
The factory was not profitable, and by 1911 the factory had closed and the machinery was removed to Ohio.
The building, made almost entirely of concrete, slowly decayed until it was demolished in 1964 to make room for the Irish boat shop.

In 1909, Chicago real estate developer and Chicago Club of Charlevoix member Edward Carson Waller purchased 2000-acres north of the Pere Marquette rail line including the former Felts tract.
He replanted the land with pine trees, and commissioned architect Frank Lloyd Wright to create a bathing pavilion on the site.
The pavilion burned down in 1922 or 1923.

The rail also brought tourist traffic during the summer.
It was not long before the city became known as a resort destination.
With three summer associations (the Belvedere Club, Sequanota Club, and the Chicago Club); a number of luxurious summer hotels, including The Inn and The Beach; and rail service at two train depots on the Pere Marquette Railway line (one depot for the Belvedere Club on the south side of Round Lake and one on the north side near the Chicago Club); Charlevoix became known as one of the nation's finest summer communities.

In 1913, the Pine Point development (near Oyster Bay) opened on Pine Lake, making it one of the earliest neighborhood subdivisions in the Charlevoix area.

Charlevoix was also a popular destination for many lake passenger liners, including the Manitou, Alabama, North American, South American, Milwaukee Clipper, Illinois, and others.
By 1907, the Gazetteer published by R.L. Polk & Co. listed Charlevoix as a port of call for several Michigan steamboat lines  including:
the Anchor Line (Erie and Western Transportation Company from Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, and Detroit to the summer resorts, Mackinac Island, Sault Ste.
Marie, Marquette, Houghton and Hancock, Duluth, St. Paul, Minneapolis etc.
connecting at Mackinaw Island with steamer lines to and from Milwaukee and Chicago, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Frankfort, Bay View, and Green Bay Ports.)

Boyne City and Charlevoix Line (daily)
East Jordan and Charlevoix Steamboat Line
Manitou Steamship Company (Between Chicago, Frankfort, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Roaring Brook, Wequetonsing, Harbor Springs, Bay View, and Mackinaw)
Northern Michigan Transportation Company (every Wednesday and Saturday between Chicago and Ludington, Manistee, Frankfort, Glen Haven, Glen Arbor, Northport, Suttons Bay, Traverse City, Old Mission, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Bay View, St. James, St. Ignace, Mackinac Island, and Cheboygan)
Traverse Bay Transportation Company (daily between Tra
In 1880, several members of the First Congregational Church of Chicago formed a Chicago Summer Resort association, now known as the "Chicago Club." Early citizens contributed to the founding of such early institutions as the Lewis Grand Opera House (1883) and Methodist (1878) and Congregational (1885) churches.
In 1892, the first rail traffic to Charlevoix arrived as the Chicago and West Michigan Railway extended rail service from Traverse city to Bay View. (This is not related to the 1901 Detroit and Charlevoix Railroad line to East Jordan). Rail lines opened up formerly remote tracts of inland land and lakeshore to commercial, industrial, resort, and other real estate development, as follows:
The Detroit-based D.M. Ferry Seed Company expanded operations in northern Michigan, developing the land along Lake Charlevoix in 1892. It built a 200' dock and warehouse complex by 1905. Ferry's Charlevoix operations continued until 1927.
In 1899, the Federal Revenue Cutter Service came to Charlevoix and began tending buoys on the north side of the Round lake train bridge. This site would later become known as the Coast Guard moorings.
By 1901, industrialist James M. Felts of Rushville, Indiana had purchased thousands of acres between Mount McSauba and Big Rock point  and began construction of a massive sugar beet factory to be called the Charlevoix Sugar Company. The National Construction Company of Detroit built the factory between 1902 and 1903 at the point where Stover Creek emptied into Pine Lake. The factory was not profitable, and by 1911 the factory had closed and the machinery was removed to Ohio. The building, made almost entirely of concrete, slowly decayed until it was demolished in 1964 to make room for the Irish boat shop.
In 1909, Chicago real estate developer and Chicago Club of Charlevoix member Edward Carson Waller purchased 2000-acres north of the Pere Marquette rail line including the former Felts tract. He replanted the land with pine trees, and commissioned architect Frank Lloyd Wright to create a bathing pavilion on the site. The pavilion burned down in 1922 or 1923.
The rail also brought tourist traffic during the summer. It was not long before the city became known as a resort destination. With three summer associations (the Belvedere Club, Sequanota Club, and the Chicago Club); a number of luxurious summer hotels, including The Inn and The Beach; and rail service at two train depots on the Pere Marquette Railway line (one depot for the Belvedere Club on the south side of Round Lake and one on the north side near the Chicago Club); Charlevoix became known as one of the nation's finest summer communities.
In 1913, the Pine Point development (near Oyster Bay) opened on Pine Lake, making it one of the earliest neighborhood subdivisions in the Charlevoix area.
Charlevoix was also a popular destination for many lake passenger liners, including the Manitou, Alabama, North American, South American, Milwaukee Clipper, Illinois, and others. By 1907, the Gazetteer published by R.L. Polk & Co. listed Charlevoix as a port of call for several Michigan steamboat lines  including:
the Anchor Line (Erie and Western Transportation Company from Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, and Detroit to the summer resorts, Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie, Marquette, Houghton and Hancock, Duluth, St. Paul, Minneapolis etc. connecting at Mackinaw Island with steamer lines to and from Milwaukee and Chicago, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Frankfort, Bay View, and Green Bay Ports.)
Boyne City and Charlevoix Line (daily)
East Jordan and Charlevoix Steamboat Line
Manitou Steamship Company (Between Chicago, Frankfort, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Roaring Brook, Wequetonsing, Harbor Springs, Bay View, and Mackinaw)
Northern Michigan Transportation Company (every Wednesday and Saturday between Chicago and Ludington, Manistee, Frankfort, Glen Haven, Glen Arbor, Northport, Suttons Bay, Traverse City, Old Mission, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Bay View, St. James, St. Ignace, Mackinac Island, and Cheboygan)
Traverse Bay Transportation Company (daily between Tra
Charlevoix, Michigan