Page 14 - Wayne Dispatch Pages

When Wayne had a lake

Did you know that Wayne used to
have a man-made lake for recre-
ation? The land bordered by Michi-
gan, Hannan, Glenwood and Hix was
all the Irving Carpenter farm. He had
bought the land in 1904 from the
Nash family and grew the farm to in-
clude a Sugar Bush, where maple
syrup was made. After WWI Irving
decided that he wanted a swimming Wayne residents could swim, fish,
hole on his property. At the time canoe, camp, and in the winter they
there were no county or state parks could ice skate on the frozen lake.
yet, and no good places near Wayne Carpenter’s Lake became a re-
to swim, fish, or camp. gional destination, attracting picnics,
He hired a man named Otto meetings, reunions, speeches, and
Brown who owned a road grader to all manner of events. Everything was
pull up a dike alongside the Rouge going swimmingly until 1937 when Carpenter's Lake
River, creating a bowl in the natural there was an outbreak of Polio in De- Hannan and look on the east side, men to work doing landscaping and
floodplain. A windmill was built troit. This caused many swimming you may catch a glimpse of the little construction work. Camp Wayne was
which pumped water from the Rouge areas to be closed, including Carpen- white cottages, all the remains of set up to re-grade and landscape the
into the bowl, creating a large shal- ter’s Lake. Irving was asked to drain Carpenter’s Lake. These are private center median of Michigan Avenue
low lake, which was filled by 1924. the lake, and he did so. The cabins property though, so please do not from Holmes Road to Telegraph
At first tents could be rented to were still used as summertime stop. Road. One hundred eighty-four men
camp, but eventually Irving built sev- rentals, and Irving farmed the fertile Another interesting story about lived at the camp and worked
eral cottages out of salvaged wood former lakebed until 1957. The Carpenter’s Lake is that from 1935- throughout the year, sending most of
that could be rented for the week or buildings fell into disrepair until the 38 it was home to Camp Wayne, a their earnings home to family. By
whole summer. There was also a current owner of the property saw Civilian Conservation Corps Camp. 1938 the work was done so the
bathhouse, kitchen, general store their value and restored the cottages These camps were created around camp was disassembled and moved
and playground equipment for kids. and store building. If you drive down the US during the depression to put to the next project.

14 · August 2023 · The Wayne Dispatch