George Johan Hutzler Farm

White farmhouse sings against the green woods.

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George Johann Hutzler came to the island in 1856 and was the first islander to file a claim as a homesteader. After immigrating from Germany and landing in Buffalo, New York in mid 1800s, George got a job on the Great Lake steamer, Iowa. On one of the steamer's trips to Chicago, the Iowa stopped at South Manitou to take on wood. George was impressed with the beauty of the island and the surrounding country. He thought he should be able to sell visiting boats almost anything he could grow. He soon got a job cutting wood on South Manitou, and more than a year later, brought his family to the island.

The Hutzlers worked hard, clearing and farming the land, building a house and a barn, and breeding livestock. Fifteen years after arriving on the island, at the age of 42 with almost no money, George Hutzler's hard work, thrift, and careful planning led to him to become the most successful farmer on the island. He planted an apple and cherry orchard and loved carnations, which he grew near the house.

George's son, John, took over the farm after his father and lived there throughout his life. John, a fiddler, played for square dances and was in much in demand for the barn dances that were a regular part of social life on the island.