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Ernest Hemingway in Michigan.
"...In 1916 Ernest Hemingway briefly visited several small
northern Michigan towns, including Kalkaska. It is apparent by
looking at excerpts from the journal that Hemingway kept of the trip
(written in a ruled pocket ledger courtesy of the Old Hartford Fire
Insurance Company) that the excursion made an impression on him and
helped him produce two of his finest Michigan stories: "The Light of
the World" and "The Battler."
-- Taken from the article, "Gone Fishin'," by Jack Jobst
(Michigan History Magazine, November/December 1995)
Today you can still walk the trails that Hemingway walked and see
the sites he saw. The cottage of Windemere is still there at
Walloon Lake, though it is not open to the public. This region
inspired two books, "Up In Michigan" and "Big Two-Hearted River".
Lumbering camps abounded in the area (it was lumber from here
that helped rebuild Chicago after the great fire), and it had an
Indian village. Many of Hemingway’s Nick Adams stories are filled
with tales gathered here and in the neighboring towns.
The innkeepers at Horton Creek Inn can direct you to local sites
that Hemingway visited and can even tell the tale of an Indian
maiden said to haunt the area to this day.
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