Gordon Turner Park / Cheboygan Crib Light

Gordon Turner Park is a popular location for residents and visitors to swim, play, explore and enjoy nature. It’s hard to believe that at one time, this location was inaccessible to the community. At one time, Huron Street ended around Lake Street with the area north of there being a marsh.

One of the complaints people had about Cheboygan was that, even though it was located on the Straits, there was no way to drive to the shore and have access to it. That changed when Joseph Doyle became City Manager / City Engineer. Around 1942, Joe took advantage of a government project to dredge the Cheboygan River for the purpose of deepening it. He arranged to have the fill pumped to the marsh area north of Huron Street, which allowed him to extend Huron Street about 1200 feet and begin building the beach and park. The new park and beach became very popular and continued to develop over the years.

Gordon Turner Park’s namesake was a local journalist for the Cheboygan Daily Tribune. He began working for the Tribune in 1927, planning to work three months and then head for the big time. He ended up working for the Tribune for six decades. Known as “Scoop” Turner, it is estimated that he wrote around 10,000 articles for the Cheboygan Daily Tribune. Gordon Turner died on November 27th, 1995 at the age of 89.

One of the great attractions at Gordon Turner Park is the Cheboygan Crib Light. This light has become a symbol for the city of Cheboygan, being used in logos for the city. This light was originally built in 1884 on an offshore crib and used to help mariners find the entrance to the Cheboygan River. The light had multiple renovations and improvements over the years, until the 1980s, when the Coast Guard determined it would be less expensive to demolish the structure rather than repair it. The light was transported and placed upon a cement foundation at the foot of the pier in Gordon Turner Park. From the end of this pier, it is possible to see the Mackinac Bridge.

The park also has a boardwalk and observation tower which overlooks the 15-acre cattail marsh. Visitors come here to birdwatch and enjoy nature. Also, near the park is the Joseph Doyle Recreational Area.

“Cheboygan Area Parks.” Cheboygan Area Trails, Parks, Boating, Fishing, and Other Information, www.eyeonmichigan.com/guides/cheboygan/.

“Cheboygan Crib Lighthouse.” LighthouseFriends, www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=217.

Hahn, Kortny. “Gordon Turner Returns to Cheboygan.” Cheboygan Daily Tribune - Cheboygan, MI, Cheboygan Daily Tribune - Cheboygan, MI, 24 Sept. 2020, www.cheboygannews.com/news/20200924/gordon-turner-returns-to-cheboygan.

Hahn, Kortny. “New Sign Installed at Gordon Turner Park.” Cheboygan Daily Tribune - Cheboygan, MI, Cheboygan Daily Tribune - Cheboygan, MI, 8 Oct. 2020, www.cheboygannews.com/news/20201008/new-sign-installed-at-gordon-turner-park.

“Lively Newsman, 88, Is Town's Soul.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 1994, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-22-mn-60699-story.html.

Turner, Gordon. “Cheboygan's Bathing Beach Was Once Just Swampland.” Cheboygan Daily Tribune.

Turner, Gordon. “Local Engineer Put Cheboygan on The.” Cheboygan Daily Tribune, 23 May 1983, pp. 1–3.