Chatham, named after the Ontario city, is on M-94 at the east edge of a sizable farming area that extends to Skandia, Traunik, and Trenary. The village of about 200 residents was first developed in 1896 as a lumber camp. The camp was gone by 1899, when the railroad arrived. Now the railroad right-of-way is a major east-west snowmobile route. The State Agricultural Experiment Station (now part of Michigan State University) was established the same year to investigate how best to farm cutover land in this cold inland climate.
The striking, three-story limestone hotel, now home of the Village Traveler restaurant, was built as the Pacific Hotel in 1904. It was one of the few buildings to survive a fire in 1925. Across the street, the Chatham Cooperative IGA (906-439-5151), still cooperatively run and open to the public, sells groceries and hardware. It's open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays 9 to 5. (—May, 2008)
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CHATHAM
RESTAURANTS,
LODGINGS
& CAMPGROUNDS
These are our choices, not ads.
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CHATHAM
RESTAURANTS
VILLAGE TRAVELER
(906) 439-5509
Here is a cheerful, competent, completely unpretentious restaurant that's a center of local life, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Owners Kit and Diane Fortney grew up in their families' restaurant businesses, he in Chicago, she in Waterloo and Marquette, Iowa. They first visited the area when Kit's parents retired here. It took three tries to finally buy this place.
"I like to cook," says Kit, "but she'll blow me out of the water." Diane is the menu planner, and "she doesn't repeat the same thing on specials for a month."
The Village Traveler is especially known for breakfasts, cinnamon rolls, pies, soups, and Friday fish fries featuring fresh lake trout or whitefish ($9 to $10). Daily specials like homemade lasagna are around $6. Sunday dinners (currently $6.45) may be roast turkey, roast beef, roast pork, or other homey favorites. Pasties are always on the menu. Diane takes pride in most always cooking from scratch. There are Sunday dinner specials in season.
The Village Traveler occupies one of the U.P.'s more striking buildings. The 1904 Pacific Hotel was built of local gray sandstone by Edward Levy, a grocer and saloonkeeper. The hotel, 50 yards from the Soo Line, was erected to serve lumber company employees and salesmen. It's on the Michigan Register of Historic Places. For a photo and more history, see mcgi.state.mi.us/hso/, then search for Chatham.
No credit cards or alcohol—that's why prices can be so reasonable and affordable by local retirees on limited incomes. "I looked into a beer and wine license," says Kit, "but my liability would jump $12,000 a year." Vegetarian by request. (—May, 2008)
N5298 Rock River St./M-94 in "downtown" Chatham. Open year-round from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., except to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Closed Mon, Tues, Wed. Handicap access: call. 4 steps. Family-friendly. No alcohol.
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CHATHAM
LODGINGS
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CHATHAM
CAMPGROUNDS
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