Country Club
Reviews, Comments & Questions:
-
2021-08-10 06:55:18 -
:
This was the Club House for the Battle Creek Country Club. It was located on the south side of Michigan Ave NW. face a downhill slope all the way to the Kalamazoo River. The actual golf course was located across the Street on the land now occupied by the Leila Y Post Montgomery Arboretum. Notice the trolley tracts that ran immediately in front of the building next to the road. This particular line ran from downtown to Augusta, Gull Lake, Galesburg and beyond and became part of the interurban light rail system.
The Country Club decided to move to the opposite side (Southern Part) of town into the Lakeview area on what was then Lake St. (Capital Ave S.W.). They purchase a large acreage Farm that extended from Lake St all the way to frontage on Goguac Lake. They hired a professional golf course designer from England to design and oversee the construction of the New Battle Creek Country Club. The farm house was renovated to become the new Club House. The area soon became the new homes of the elite and well to do and the Maple St. area Mansions fell by the wayside.
By way of a generous donation, Leila Y Post Montgomery widow of C.W. Post purchased the land and few others donated smaller surrounding parcels to make the Arboretum for the Children of the BC Schools. There were great plans for several Bldg's. The depression hit and the only bldg that was built was from money in the will of the Kingman Family for a Museum. The Museum closed in 2020 due to lack of repair funds and fear the leaking roof would destroy the exhibits which were moved into safe storage until other plans could be made.
The plan for a great Auditorium was fulfilled by W.K. Kellogg with his large donation to build the W.K. Kellogg Auditorium on VanBuren St next to the BC High School. A new Junior High was attached with a tunnel to pass under McCamly St. allowing Students and Faculty to pass between the two building safely without traffic concerns or inclement weather. The Tunnel was removed in later years with the construction of a large Band/Choir Bldg over the area that was the tunnel.