Famous People Used To Flock To This Tiny Michigan Town To Experience Resort Life
By Emily Tieman|Published January 20, 2023
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Emily Tieman
Author
Emily Tieman is a lifelong Michigander and has a love for locally owned small businesses. She is a freelance writer for Only In Your State and has her own vintage content creator business.
The Great Lake State has many incredible lakeside resort towns that are worth visiting. But there is one tiny community that used to be a popular vacation destination in Michigan that is nearly a ghost town today. Many people don’t know the story of the once-thriving resort town of Idlewild, Michigan.
Idlewild is a small community in the Manistee National Forest area and was once known as “The Black Eden of Michigan.” Due to segregation, this safe haven was one of the few places in the country where African Americans could relax and enjoy a vacation.
The resort town was a popular destination among Midwestern African Americans who would travel from as far as St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago, and Indianapolis. One famous resident was Dr. Daniel Williams who performed the first successful open-heart surgery and founded the first non-segregated hospital in the United States.
Arguably the most popular attraction was the roaring nightlife scene. The heart of Idlewild up until the 1960s was The Island which was once only accessible by footbridges. There was a hopping dance pavilion, saddle horses, a hotel, and vacation cottages.
Big names from all across the country came and played in nightclubs around town, including entertainers like the famous group The Four Tops. You can still see The Flamingo Club building standing today as a remnant of Idlewild’s history.
In 1964 the Civil Rights Act prohibited segregation and opened the door for Black Americans to visit previously White-Only resorts. Unfortunately, this started the decline of Idlewild as a travel destination. The population of Idlewild is now below 1,000 residents but you can still feel the rich history all around the community.