ROUND ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

SAGINAW, MI

May 19, 2023: Zehnder's and the Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth, Michigan Facing each other across Main Street at the south end of downtown Frankenmuth, Michigan are Zehnder's <i>(left background)</i> and the Bavarian Inn <i>(right foreground)</i>, two longstanding titans of the local hospitality industry that each represent discrete chapters in the storied saga of the Zehnder family, who more than any other was responsible for putting the town on the tourist map as Michigan's "Little Bavaria". It all started in 1929, when family patriarch William Zehnder, Sr. purchased the erstwhile Exchange Hotel and renamed it after himself - but it was across the street at the Bavarian Inn (our dinner destination for tonight) where the essential ingredients of today's Frankenmuth tourist experience were born. After a few formative years spent working at Zehnder's under the tutelage of his father and his uncle Ernie, it was William, Jr. who struck out on his own in 1950 with his purchase not only of the old Fischer Hotel across the street, but also the secret recipe for golden fried chicken that had earned previous owner Elmer Fischer considerable renown. Although chicken dinners remained Fischer's biggest draw, business was initially slow - the effect, experts said, of two essentially identical competing businesses operating in the same small town - and Zehnder soon found himself deeply in debt. Rather than throw in the towel, however, he took a gamble on the idea that a larger market was out there, and hatched a plan to help remake Frankenmuth as a regional tourist destination, playing up the Bavarian ancestry of the majority of the townsfolk. In 1958, Zehnder enlisted Chicago-based designer Robert Lederer to help remodel the place in an eye-catching mock-Alpine motif, and upon its reopening, the newly rechristened Bavarian Inn successfully set the town on the trend that endures to this day. The operation has since expanded to the scale of a full-fledged resort, but if all you're after is a family-style meal of fried chicken and/or hearty Teutonic comfort food, the original Inn (or, for that matter, the original Zehnder's across the street, with whom it's engaged in a good-natured rivalry) still serves it up in style.
May 19, 2023: Zehnder's and the Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth, Michigan Credit: Carrotflower Productions International

Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society is a non-profit organization based in Saginaw, Michigan, dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the historic Round Island Lighthouse. The lighthouse, located on Round Island in the Straits of Mackinac, was built in 1895 and served as a navigational aid for ships traveling through the Great Lakes.

The preservation society was founded in 2003 by a group of volunteers who recognized the importance of the lighthouse to Michigan's maritime history and worked to secure funding for its restoration. The society's mission is to ensure the lighthouse remains a vital part of Michigan's maritime heritage by preserving and interpreting its history for future generations.

Over the years, the preservation society has worked tirelessly to restore the lighthouse's exterior, interior, and surrounding grounds. The society also offers tours of the lighthouse during the summer months, allowing visitors to learn about the history of the lighthouse and its role in Michigan's maritime industry.

In addition to its restoration efforts, the preservation society is also committed to educating the public about the importance of preserving historic landmarks. The society works with local schools and community groups to promote the value of historic preservation and inspire future generations to protect Michigan's rich cultural heritage.

ROUND ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE PRESERVATION SOCIETY is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in SAGINAW MI. US MID #8402600371

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin).

May 19, 2023: Zehnder's and the Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth, Michigan Facing each other across Main Street at the south end of downtown Frankenmuth, Michigan are Zehnder's <i>(left background)</i> and the Bavarian Inn <i>(right foreground)</i>, two longstanding titans of the local hospitality industry that each represent discrete chapters in the storied saga of the Zehnder family, who more than any other was responsible for putting the town on the tourist map as Michigan's "Little Bavaria". It all started in 1929, when family patriarch William Zehnder, Sr. purchased the erstwhile Exchange Hotel and renamed it after himself - but it was across the street at the Bavarian Inn (our dinner destination for tonight) where the essential ingredients of today's Frankenmuth tourist experience were born. After a few formative years spent working at Zehnder's under the tutelage of his father and his uncle Ernie, it was William, Jr. who struck out on his own in 1950 with his purchase not only of the old Fischer Hotel across the street, but also the secret recipe for golden fried chicken that had earned previous owner Elmer Fischer considerable renown. Although chicken dinners remained Fischer's biggest draw, business was initially slow - the effect, experts said, of two essentially identical competing businesses operating in the same small town - and Zehnder soon found himself deeply in debt. Rather than throw in the towel, however, he took a gamble on the idea that a larger market was out there, and hatched a plan to help remake Frankenmuth as a regional tourist destination, playing up the Bavarian ancestry of the majority of the townsfolk. In 1958, Zehnder enlisted Chicago-based designer Robert Lederer to help remodel the place in an eye-catching mock-Alpine motif, and upon its reopening, the newly rechristened Bavarian Inn successfully set the town on the trend that endures to this day. The operation has since expanded to the scale of a full-fledged resort, but if all you're after is a family-style meal of fried chicken and/or hearty Teutonic comfort food, the original Inn (or, for that matter, the original Zehnder's across the street, with whom it's engaged in a good-natured rivalry) still serves it up in style.
HESR 740-06 - Zilwaukee HESR 3866 enters the North YL of Saginaw under the Zilwaukee Bridge heading south.
Z490-24 - Bay City After performing the switchback move, LSRC 6435 leads the empty grain train through Bay City for Standish for loading.
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Contact ROUND ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

ROUND ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE PRESERVATION SOCIETY
PO BOX 6363
SAGINAW
MI
48608-6363

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ROUND ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE PRESERVATION SOCIETY Information

MID # 8402600371
Name ROUND ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE PRESERVATION SOCIETY
Alternate Name
Classification Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Midwest
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) 264507319
NTEECC A82
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM) 201212
INCOME 0
REVENUE 0
LAT/LONG 43.451221, -84.013114
CODES FIPS State Code: 26
FIPS County Code: 145
US Census Tract: 010402
US Census Block: 1002