South Manitou Island Visitor Center

The visitor center houses a collection of historic photos and artifacts as well as area information.

NPS credit

Quick Facts

Amenities

8 listed

Dock/Pier, Ferry - Passenger, First Aid Kit Available, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information - Park Newspaper Available, Picnic Table, Recycling, Restroom

Currently a visitor center and small museum, this building has always been a social hub on the island. The house was built by Thomas Thompson, the mail carrier at the time, for his young family. But Thompson drowned in 1910 and left his wife Hattie with two small children in her care. Hattie took over the job as Postmistress, turning her home into the island's post office. To further supplement the family income, she also cooked and cleaned for the men at the nearby Life-Saving Service Station. Hattie remarried and left the island, but the house remained the post office, and in 1923 it also became the island's main general store and a center of activity on the island.

Although the island residents had gardens and grew their own vegetables and raised cattle, pigs, and chickens for meat and were nearly self-sustaining as far as food was concerned, the island store was still an important fixture. Islanders bought the staples which could not be produced on the island, such as tea, coffee, salt, flour, sugar, molasses, and spices.