The City of Hart, Michigan – Part 2, and Family

With over 10,000 acres of asparagus in the area, it only makes sense for Hart to have an Asparagus Festival, with a parade, craft sales, rodeo, etc. One of the highlights this year was the appearance of the Scottville Clown Band.

A couple of pictures including Austin & Tori dancing the Chicken Dance with the band.








In this picture, her sisters are admiring Melissa’s “Little Bean”.

Since Joe can’t just relax, we had to cut down a tree, which meant having a campfire. And that

leads to S’mores, here is Madi enjoying hers – yes that is her hair stuck to her face.

And the end included the kids singing “So Long, Farewell” from Sound of Music as they headed in to bed. A GREAT time was had by all!

The City of Hart, Michigan

Hart is the county seat of Oceana County. Located in the western portion of the county, Hart is approximately six miles from Lake Michigan. Hart was founded in 1856 by early pioneers including Nelson Grove. Hart Township was named after Wellington Hart. In 1862, a gristmill and sawmill were built by Lyman Corbin and the area was officially platted in 1864, being named after the township. It became the county seat in 1865, incorporated into a village in 1885 and a city in 1946.


The Hart Historic District came into being in 1984 when the Hart City Council voted to establish a Historic District Commission. Today, the Historic District is home to several carefully restored buildings and collections, as well as a summer Friday Night Concert series during the months of July and August.


We arrived yesterday (Cindy & Joe are out of town), and got settled into the back yard. And, of course, a strong storm came through, including a lightning hit too close! We are impressed with the house, and the outside landscaping, the pic is of a gorgeous rhododendron by the back of the house.

Sailors' Pines

Close by the north shore of Croton Pond (about 6 miles from our Park) is a reminder of our past. Here is a stand of white pine that takes you back to a time before the turn of the century, when most of Northern Michigan was covered by the wonderous pine. Mr. Sailors, a lumberman, purchased this property in 1926, cleared the few hardwoods, trimmed the lower branches, kept the forest floor clear, all with the vision of leaving something for future generations. Still in the family, the property is available for the public to view. These pines are at a point that is reminiscent of what the lumberman of the 1800's would have seen, some measure 24" in diameter, and are over 100 ft. tall. This size of stand would yield over 18,000 board foot per acre. What fun it is to walk among the trees, listen to the breeze move through the pine canopy, and enjoy the serenity of the forest!