Bay View: An American Idea

Located on the shores of lake Michigan east of Petoskey, the National Historic landmark Bay View is a blend of two uniquely American traditions, the camp meeting and cultural assembly. In this volume, author Mary Jane Doerr explains why millions were drawn to the Bay View grounds to hear influential American speakers on its platform, why hundreds of nationally known women reformers came to Bay View each summer, how the Bay View Music Festival has come to be the oldest continuously operating festival in the U.S., and how the community provided the only college level classes in northern Michigan until 1959. New information about Ernest Hemingway's connection to the community is revealed along with the story of the Blanshard brothers. Paul Blanshard, the Great Unitarian, was an ardent supporter of the separation of church and state and developed his ideas living in this community. This long overdue book uses local newspapers, primary documents, and interviews to provide substantial background about the community and its deep roots in many aspects of our national culture.

Mary Jane Doerr is a retired special education teacher and English tutor at Oakland Community College. She has published extensively with newspapers through Michigan and with the Petoskey News-Review since 1979.

Robert Cleveland was an advertising photographer from 1975 to 2008, and worked primarily in the automotive field. His profound interest in the architectural/documentary genre is evidenced by his image making for The Detroit Historical Society.