Onekama Springs / Glen Park

In 1880 A. W. Farr, a lumberman, mill operator and later State Senator, purchased land that included Onekama Springs. Contemporary newspapers hailed “rare medicinal powers” in the water “bubbling up here and there” around Portage Lake, and Onekama soon became a mineral springs resort. Boats from Lake Michigan and trains from Manistee brought guests to the "Saratoga of the West." The Glen House, destroyed by fire in 1892, was the main hotel. Glen Park John Wallace "Captain Jack" Crawford (1847-1917), cavalry scout, friend of Buffalo Bill Cody, and cowboy poet, made Onekama his summer home for several years around 1908. He set up “camp” at the springs where he and visitors performed for guests. In 1914 the springs returned to the Farr family. The area around the springs was platted with the name “Glen Park” in 1916. In 1961 Newton Farr, A. W. Farr´s nephew, deeded the land to Onekama Township ensuring future public access to the springs.