As the summer heat began to sweep the Mississippi Delta, it was time for our crew to make the journey north from Robinsonville, MS to Charlevoix, MI. I remember even as young as three or four years old excitedly boarding the train and making the long trek up to the Belvedere. Our journey started in Memphis where we would board the train later in the evening, have dinner on the train, and wake up in Chicago, where we would spend the day in the city. In Chicago, we would stop at Marshall Field’s to get new summer clothing. While I didn’t care so much for the shopping, I loved riding the escalators up and down, as I had never seen or been on an escalator before this. It’s funny what memories you hold on to from your childhood, but I do have a distinct memory of that. We would then board the train again that evening and finally wake up in Charlevoix. We would spend the summers of my early years at the Belvedere hotel, until my parents bought #519 in 1944.

             As a young boy, I loved doing all of the Belvedere activities, which included going to gang, swimming in the lake, playing tennis, going sailing, and water skiing, just to name a few. I always enjoyed going to gang. I have a fond memory of Charlie Kinnard and I enjoying riding a Shetland Pony, that the resort brought in for the gangsters. I learned to swim at an early age as well, probably around four or five years old. One time we were out with the Orr’s on their boat aptly named the “Orrkid”. We had beached the boat at Oyster bay, and all of the kids were jumping out of the back of the boat to swim. Wanting to fit in, I too jumped off and began swimming but hadn’t quite yet figured out how to raise my head to take in air. When my dad noticed I may need some help, he quickly jumped in the water, fully dressed in his white linen suit, straw hat, and lit cigarette to boot. Once I had safely been brought back on board, I asked “daddy, why’d you jump in with all your clothes”. To say the least, he was not amused with my question!  

             My perfect Charlevoix day consisted of playing tennis in the morning, having lunch with the whole family at the cottage, golfing in the afternoon, and water skiing at night. Lucky for me, this was my typical daily routine during the summers. My mother, Irene, established an unwritten rule that the whole family would have lunch together daily. This included my mother and father, brother, Richard, sisters Kate and Irene, cousin, Bobby Morrow, and uncles, RG and Louis Morrow, as well as whoever was staying with us that week. To say the least our Neffo’s bill, the local grocery, was quite high, which would always shock my mother! Our cottage really was a revolving door, and we would welcome family and friends. One of my favorite stories involves my uncle Louis staying with us. He pulled up to the cottage in a yellow taxi cab and said “sister, pay for my cab”. Unbeknownst to my mother, Louis had taken the cab from Chicago, and my mother was stuck paying the then exorbitant fee of $500! One of the most important days I remember at the cottage was the celebration of VJ Day. Tommy Upson, Minor Morrow, and I were coming back to the cottage, and the adults were celebrating the big day in the most Belvedere way, with a cocktail party on our porch. By the end of the party, everyone who attended had signed a big piece of grocery paper to commemorate the day. We currently have that piece of paper framed and hanging in our cottage 115.

             As I continued to come back year after year, not much changed on the good ‘ole Belvedere. I remember one day as a teenager Tommy Upson, Minor Morrow, and I went out sailing; however, we forgot to put a pin in the rudder that would hold it to the boat. The rudder ended up getting dislodged and Tommy jumped in to get it, but he wasn’t able to grab onto the boat mid jump. He was stuck in the lake as we drifted off with the wind. He ended up shedding everything but his boxers to stay afloat better. Thankfully, the coast guard came to the rescue and used a pulley system to pull Tommy out of the water. Minor and I got quite a laugh as we saw our friend being lifted out of the water with only boxers on. What could have been a disastrous event turned into a humorous day!

             I played tennis often and improved my game. We would play tennis tournaments with the Chicago Club and would maintain a good rivalry, though we were typically the winners! As a young man, I got together a great game of Commando at Mount McSauba. We bought the whole town out of flash lights, and we all had a really fun time. A young Mike McDonald even caught a couple canoodling while we were playing the game!

             I was fortunate enough to share the Belvedere with my wife and kids. My wife fell in love with the easy living that the Belvedere provided. My kids all experienced the perfect Charlevoix day and learned how to play tennis and golf like I did. While we missed a few years in the ‘80s, I began renting cottages in the early ‘90s for my growing family and eventually was able to buy 115 in 2004. The Belvedere has provided a place to watch my kids and their kids grow up together and become closer as a family. As I reflect on the importance this place has been in my life, I have begun to realize why my mother kept a full cottage and gathered us daily for family lunches. As time went on and her kids and family began migrating from the Delta, she knew that the Belvedere would be a meeting place for her family to come together every summer and grow closer. From this, my mother built a legacy where we continue to gather as a family to this day. This is why I love the Belvedere and hope that this tradition will continue for years to come.

-Bobby Leatherman

(Lovingly written by his granddaughter, Eliza Leatherman)