[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 102 (Tuesday, July 10, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING THE GRAND HOTEL

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                           HON. DAN BENISHEK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 10, 2012

  Mr. BENISHEK. Mr. Speaker, let it be known it is an honor to 
commemorate the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the opening of the 
Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, Michigan.
  The idea for a hotel on scenic Mackinac Island in Lake Huron became a 
reality when the Mackinac Island Hotel Company was formed by two 
railroads and a steamship company to promote tourism in the region. On 
July 10, 1887, the Grand Hotel opened its doors to the world. Using a 
force of 600 carpenters and 1.5 million Michigan White Pine boards, the 
original hotel was completed in just 93 days.
  In the 1930s, W. Stewart Woodfill, who joined the hotel as a clerk in 
1919, purchased the hotel and became its new owner. In 1960, Dan 
Musser, an employee since 1951, became the president of the hotel. The 
Mussers purchased the hotel in 1979 and have owned it since that time.
  Throughout its history, the hotel welcomed many luminaries and 
statesmen including Mark Twain and Thomas Edison in addition to 
Presidents Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Michigan's own Gerald 
Ford, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
  The Grand Hotel is set on picturesque Mackinac Island. In addition to 
relaxing or participating in sports such as golf or tennis, patrons of 
the hotel can explore the Mackinac Island State Park, visit nearby Fort 
Mackinac, the oldest building in the state of Michigan, or enjoy 
bicycling or horseback riding. The island has banned motorized 
transportation since 1898. Although over a century has passed, some 
things never change, as the hotel still holds afternoon tea and patrons 
must wear proper evening dress at dinner.
  The hotel still holds the record for possessing the longest porch in 
the world, at 660 feet long. It has been on Michigan's State Historical 
Register since 1957, was added to the National Historical Register in 
1972, and became a National Historical Landmark in 1989. Aside from its 
historical status, the Grand Hotel has worked to make the facility as 
green as the forests which surrounds it.
  In its 125 years of operation, the Grand Hotel has represented an 
important link to the Great Lake State's past and its future. I wish 
the Grand Hotel and its staff a very happy anniversary. May it enjoy 
another 125 years of continued success in preserving an important and 
thriving summer destination.
  As a final note, I would like to invite all Members of this body and 
all Americans to come to Northern Michigan and experience the natural 
beauty and friendly hospitality that make my home state one of the best 
places in the country to visit.

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