Extinct Summer Resort Area: Lemon Park, Kalamazoo County

One of the more popular places in Kalamazoo County was a place called Lemon Park...it's still here, but it's not like what it used to be.

Lemon Park sits on the west side of Indian Lake in Brady Township. It began as a resort area in the 1890s by Jacob (Joseph) Lemon (Lemmon), one of the first men to settle along the lake. People began flocking to the resort by excursion boat or train to enjoy the beach, dance hall, cottages, and hotel. Unlike many other places akin to Lemon Park, there were no amusement rides or sideshows. It was simply a place where one could enjoy a summer day.

Another attraction of the park was its acceptance of liquor. Another park across the lake did not condone alcohol and they had no dance hall, so many of their customers ended up taking a boat to Lemon Park.

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All those amenities disappeared after a while. So how come?

By the end of World War II, more and more people were buying and driving their own automobiles, taking them to places they otherwise might not get to by train or boat. Because of this, Lemon Park – and other similar resort areas – suffered and finally just.....stopped. It might not be a resort area anymore, but simply a well-kept neighborhood along the Indian Lake shore, away from major highways.

Not many photos of Lemon Park's heyday seem to be available, but we did locate a few and you can see them in the gallery below...