Ottawa Hotel / Ottawa Art Park

In 1876, Dr A.N. Gerow, a prominent local physician who ventured in many different business markets in the area, had the Ottawa Hotel built. The Ottawa was the largest hotel in town being 3 stories tall. In 1884, the Ottawa received competition across the street at the corners of State and Water when the New Cheboygan Hotel was built. The Ottawa was briefly known as Fay Hall in the early 1900’s. It was listed this way in 1919 phone book.

Dom St. Amour owned the Ottawa in 1927, he also owned the New Cheboygan Hotel at the time. Making the New Cheboygan Hotel an annex to the Ottawa Hotel. In 1958, at 74 years old, the Cheboygan Hotel was torn down.

In the 1930s there were two bars located inside the Ottawa. The one that faced State Street was named the “Rustic Bar” because it was filled with rustic furnishings. The Algoma bar faced Main Street. Even though Prohibition was in place during the 1920s there was still liquor running through the Ottawa and New Cheboygan Hotels. According to Louis LeBlanc Jr., his father Louis LeBlanc Sr. ran liquor across the Detroit River in his speed boat from Ontario, Canada.

In its early days, visitors would arrive to Cheboygan via train, then take a horse drawn coach to the Ottawa. It was a popular establishment for dining and dancing in fine surroundings. It was also known as a meeting place for local clubs and other organizations. After the arrival of automobiles, the hotel was used as a bus station. You could purchase your tickets here and wait for the bus.

In the 1960s there were at least 15 other hotel/motels in the area. The Ottawa’s patronage was shrinking. By 1962, the owner, Mike Cash lost it to the bank. It sat empty for 10 years before changing hands to Allen Penoyer. He remodeled it and ran it as a hotel again until 1978. After a year of sitting idle it became a furniture store. The Ottawa was the last of the historic hotels to close.

In the 1980’s Dr. Michael Bacon purchased the hotel and tried to secure financing in order to turn the old hotel into a senior citizen home. His plans never came to fruition. The building was torn down and the city purchased the property. There was an attempt to sell the property, but this did not come to fruition. The lot remained a vacant grassy area for several years. In 2004, several groups, organizations and individuals in the community had a combined vision of a park with a focus on art. With some funding from grants and support of the local community the park was opened. It has become a place for the community to not only create but to display their art.

Kirsten Guenther, Downtown Cheboygan Enhancement Administrator. “Ottawa Art Park.” Cheboygan Daily Tribune - Cheboygan, MI, Cheboygan Daily Tribune - Cheboygan, MI, 7 Dec. 2011, www.cheboygannews.com/article/20111207/NEWS/312079947.

“Ottawa Hotel, Cheboygan, Michigan.” Ottawa Hotel, Cheboygan, Michigan | DPL DAMS, digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora:221424.

“Ottawa Hotel.” CardCow.com, www.cardcow.com/411683/cheboygan-michigan-ottawa-hotel/.

“Ottawa Park, Where Art Happens...” Ottawa Art Park, www.ottawaartpark.org/.

Turner, Gordon. “Historic Ottowa Hotel Awaits Remodeling.” Cheboygan Daily Tribune, 20 May 1986.