In the historic and tight-knit community of Ponshewaing, Ryde Marine is celebrating 100 years of business.

First opened in 1922 with 28 slips, it is unclear how much of the original structure remains after 100 years of Northern Michigan weather led to many repairs.

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The marina was established after the formation of Ponshewaing on the north shore of Crooked Lake. The community was established around the time of the turn of the 20th century as a place for seasonal homes. The small area served as a railroad stop and the home of the Ponshewaing Hotel.

To this day, many of the people who store their boats with the marina have been part of the Ponshewaing community for generations.

In 1967, when Cheryl Blomberg was 12 years old, her father left his job as a firefighter to buy the marina and move to Northern Michigan in order to get away from the riots that were happening in Detroit at the time.

“We had some friends that had moved up here, probably in about 1960-61, and we had been coming up to see them about once a year. (So we) decided to get out of town,” Cheryl said.

Cheryl’s parents owned the marina for 19 years until 1986 when Cheryl and her husband Wayne bought the business after it had been for sale for a couple of years.

The marina had unintentionally become a family business and that trend continued in 2019 when Cheryl and Wayne’s daughter, Lynne Pearson, and her husband, Daniel, bought the business.

“I didn't really think much of (the anniversary) at the start at all,” Daniel said. “But to think that there has been an established boat house here for 100 years is pretty good.”

Daniel and Lynne took over the marina right before the COVID-19 pandemic began, which, unexpectedly, was their busiest summer ever.

“That rented boats out, more hours than ever before,” Daniel said.

Like Cheryl and Wayne, Daniel and Lynne had never planned to take over the marina.

“I wanted to move away and then eventually come back and raise my kids here but that did not happen, which was fine,” Lynne said.

Daniel began working at the marina in 2009 where he learned about boat motors from Wayne, having already had a background knowledge in other types of motors. He continued to work at the marina full-time until the couple purchased it in 2019.

In the summer, Ryde Marine hosts Sunday picnics for the Ponshewaing community, which is where they will celebrate their 100 year anniversary.

Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @Tess_Petoskey 

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Ryde Marine celebrates 100 year anniversary