Depression Era House - See how we lived in 1929

What: Sconik House - Historic House of the Depresssion Era
Where: 504 W. Clay Avenue, Muskegon, MI 49440 (Downtown)
When: May 2, 2007 to October 28, 2007
Cost: Free
Distance: This is no more than a 15 minute drive from Bluffton Harbor Cottages or a nice bike ride along the Lakeshore Trail which is two blocks from the cottage.

The house tells the story of a fictious family who lived in Muskegon during the Great Depression, when 25% of the country's working people were unemployed and men sold apples on the street corner to try to earn enough to feed their families.

The inhabitants of the house may be fictional, but the house itself is not. It's a late 1880s "classic Queen Anne-Inspired Folk Victorian style" house, according to the Muskegon County Museum (Muskegon County Museum, The Muser, Winter 2006, Vol. 06, Issue 4, p. 1.) The house has been renovated and furnished with period carpet, paint, linoleum, and furniture, including a working player piano.

The Scolnik House is the common man's counterpart to the opulent houses of Charles Hackley and Thomas Hume, which are now restored as the Hackley and Hume Historic Site, also in downtown Muskegon and close together.

If you ever wondered why some "older" people still say "Put the milk away in the ice box," you'll see the real ice box. By the way, I'm dating myself, but I still call our refrigerator an ice box from time to time, and yes, we had one at my parents' cottage in the 1940-1950's, and a handsome one it was, made out of oak. The huge block of ice was delivered two times a week as I recall.

Copyright 2006 Bluffton Harbor Cottages, Jane Schapka. All rights reserved. Violators will be pursued, so please don't copy my words or photographs (available for purchase).

The Marquette Room - a great place to eat on a week day

The other night - not a weekend - my family went out to eat a really scrumptious meal. I always like a steak once or twice a year, and I especially appreciate one at a reasonable price. So we decided to try The Marquette Room, 1903 Marquette Avenue, located inside one of the buildings at the Baker College campus in Muskegon, MI. This is only 8 miles - 20 minute drive -from Bluffton Harbor Cottages , and a trip I frequently make when attending to the cottage from my home nearby.

Wow! What a treat. The food was delicious, the price about half of a fine-dining restaurant, and the service excellent. The chefs, servers and others are students of the college's culinary arts program, and as far as I'm concerned, they were as good as an established restaurant. No, I'm not promoting myelf as a gourmand, just an ordinary person who likes a really good meal.

The only possible disappointment is that The Marquette Room is closed on weekends and when the college is closed.

Their published hours are:
Lunch: Monday thru Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Dinner: Monday thru Thursday, 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.

As the schedule may change, please phone 231-777-5302 to verify their hours.

Copyright 2006 Bluffton Harbor Cottages, Jane Schapka. All rights reserved. Violators will be pursued, so please don't copy my words or photographs (available for purchase).