Ever since the days when horse-drawn buggies brought resorters to enjoy the charm of the area more than 130 years ago, Clifford Lake Inn has been continuously providing hospitality to those who visit. It remains a touchstone of history and of progress.
The first telegraph line was stretched from Stanton to Clifford Lake re-sort on October 1, 1880, but instead of a telegraph instrument as intended, a telephone was put into operation. It took, however, until February 22, 1881, for the first conversation to pass over the wire. When the U.S. Post Office opened in 1881, the town was known as Richard’s Point. Clifford Lake Inn was constructed and opened for business. A horse-drawn “bus” line transported passengers from Stanton to Clifford Lake. The cost of a round trip fare was a whopping five cents. A steamboat also was launched at the lake that same year.
The Inn has gone through many transformations since 1881. It has experienced destruction by fi re, multiple owners, a condemned state of disrepair, renewal, restoration, changes of style, and paranormal investigations. Despite the many challenges along the way, the Inn not only remains a staple of Montcalm County, but has been declared a State of Michigan Historic Site since 1986. This is the saga of Clifford Lake Inn.
