Burdickville, Michigan

All that remains in the area of the once thriving town of Burdickville are three businesses. Laker Shakes, La Becasse and Trattoria Funistrada. Although both Laker Shakes and Funistrada are located in Burdickville, neither can claim that they are part of the history of the town. In the late 1850s William Burdick built a saw and grist mill. In 1876 John Helm built a general store. Not much more of the town is known other than the fact that one of the area’s newspapers, the Burdickville Meteor in the 1870s was published in Burdickville.

Leelanau on Location

19 replies
  1. Mary O'Neill
    Mary O'Neill says:

    What about La Becasse Restaurant? That’s been in Buridickville for nearly 20 years!!

  2. Mark Addington
    Mark Addington says:

    I grew up accross the “street” from what is now La Becasse. We moved there in 1963. There has always been a restaurant there! I believe it was called Mary’s Kitchen for a long time, then Woodcock’s for some time, then purchased by the O’Neill family who named it La Becasse (the woodcock). I worked for the latter two owners. The same type of history can be found for Trattoria Funistrada! And Laker Shake was originally a rock shop promoting the local petosky stones and other art forms, ran by Dorthy Lanham for many years. I knew Nan Helm when I was a child; I took her mail to her at her house on the hill overlooking Burdickville. There is a new “modern” house there now, just finished this past year.

  3. william blake
    william blake says:

    I grew up on Glen Lake. Burdickville, michigan was a ghost town during the depression. It also hosted 2 golf courses, and a chinese resturant. In addition it had a dairy, owned by the Daily family. My grand mother and her sisters were in vaudeville. Upon retiring my grand mothers sister Mary built a lodge on the lake. occasionally they invited show business personalities such as The 3 Stooges.

    Lewis Warren was given an idea from my grand mothers sister Irene De Voll. She told him someday someone will put oversize tires on a truck, and take people for rides on the sand dunes. My grand mother Beulah Bexell was also a personal friend of Nan Helm. Nan Helms father who built the saw mill built a house above Laker shakes. He also owned all of the property from Burdickville to Maple City. This was purchased on the homestead rights. To continue earning a living he built a lookout tower in the local junk yard. He charged .10 cents for people to climb the tower. My parents Frank and Frances Blake were engaged at that tower. Contact me at (231) 325-0034. My name is Bill. Another area connected to Burdickville is called De Grauville. The saw mill is still in the woods. As a young man I manufactured moonshine and delivered it throughout the area………..

    • Steve
      Steve says:

      THAT Is what that is back in the woods! Thanks. When I grew up, we owned the old Clemens cottage opposite Old Settlers. Way back in the woods, with trees growing all around and through, there was a collapsed outbuilding of something, with what looked like a big pump in it. There was no road to it or anything anymore, it was just way back there. I wondered with that mechanism was for. Made no sense. Makes sense as a sawmill.

    • Sue & Tom Flerlage
      Sue & Tom Flerlage says:

      We really appreciate your posting information about Burdickville and encouraging others to also. As I posted before, we live in the former Asher Atkinson house and love to know more information about our home and this area. We especially would love to get in touch with his great granddaughter Anne Boone if you know a way to connect us. Our number is 3343740. Thanks so much, Sue & Tom Flerlage

  4. william blake
    william blake says:

    Also on Glen Lake was a grociery store known as Folmans. It is located 300 ft. east of Funistratta. Funistratta used to be gas station and general store, This was common during the 30-50. The hotel and gas station were owned by John and Ruth Holden. The old steam ship is located off of that easment. Appartantly during the WW-2 they had a steel gathering drive. I remember the boiler parts laying on the beech,1955. The old Dorsey Boat is in 150 water. I used to take some foolish scuba divers out there.

    • Steve
      Steve says:

      I remember is as “Faulman’s”. It was a place of wonder for a kid because they had the balsa-wood wind-up airplanes that we could spend hours entertaining ourselves with.

      Dorothy Lanham’s Rock Shop was another (actually the only other) place to go, except for the abandoned house on the hill up behind her place. It was falling apart, but you could still see the great view whoever lived there once had out of the big open front windows.

  5. william blake
    william blake says:

    at one time labecasse resturant was also a laundry mat. Folmans grociery store also had a hitching post, for horses. The pull behind fire trailer was located accross the street.It looked like an outhouse on wheels. I suppose it was better then nothing. At least it was something to believe in.

  6. Anne Boone
    Anne Boone says:

    My great grandparents used to run a resort and sawmill in Burdickville. AM Atkinson? I have a huge number of photos if you are interested.

    • Sue & Tom Flerlage
      Sue & Tom Flerlage says:

      Hi Anne, Since 1982, we have lived in the house in Burdickville that was Asher Atkinson’s house. Tom’s family has had the cabin on the lake since the early 50’s also and bought the Atkinson house in the 60s. We would love to talk to you about your family’s history and see photos. Our number is 2313343740. Thanks so much, Sue
      Sue & Tom Flerlage

    • 2313343740
      2313343740 says:

      We would love to talk with you. We live in your great grandparents house in Burdickville. Please call.
      Thanks, Sue & Tom Flerlage

  7. caroline zervan
    caroline zervan says:

    my maiden name is bow. my grandparents lived on bow rd. my father grew up there.I believe my grandfather Julius Bow built that stucco house that still stands there.the last time I saw it,it was painted brown.we lived in a rented house,my mother called it,the payment place. It burned down in 1933 we lived with grandparents for 2wks,then moved to midland mi.where my dad got a job at Dow Chemical.his name was Julius m Bow.I would be his third child.I am 85yrsold now

    • Steve
      Steve says:

      Bow Road! I learned to drive on Bow Road. So many happy memories of Glen Lake. Got married in the Gazebo at Old Settlers Park in 1994, and had our wedding dinner at La Becasse.

      Wish I didn’t have to sell that cabin.

  8. Garside
    Garside says:

    My grandparents owned Garside’s Resort right there in Burdickville. I spent many summers there helping at the resort and playing with guests. I was sad when they sold out. That was so long ago. Now I hear it’s al been divided up and sold. Sad I guess, but they were getting too old to manage it.

    I remember the Empire Hardware, going to the Narrows, the Empire Landfill, swimmers itch… The car boat someone had. The little store right there in Burdickville. The fancy restaurant next to the resort. The rock shop. memories…

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