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Streets, Highways & Bridges Following high water levels, Boyne City, Mich.’s, North Lake Street Bridge required repairs, and the city had the goal of completing them before the National Morel Mushroom Festival. (Photo provided by Boyne City, Mich.)
The festival goes on: Boyne City completes bridge project in time to welcome morel fans By BETH ANNE BRINK-COX | The Municipal
Boyne City, like so many other northern Michigan towns, got its start in the lumbering business. At the height of Boyne City’s lumbering era, the population had grown to nearly 6,000 permanent residents. There was actually a shortage of homes at the turn of the century; the call went out from city fathers, and the result was development and growth, which propelled the village of Boyne into Boyne City. In 2012, downtown Boyne City achieved its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s a beautiful small town, a mix of historic homes on quiet streets, a library, and smaller, newer homes as well. There’s a bustling Main Street, complete with the old-fashioned hardware store. There are restaurants and an ice cream shop — Kilwin’s — whose smells of caramel corn and fudge draws tourists and residents straight through the door. Boyne City has a back-in-time feel to it that makes everyone feel like they know everyone, even if they’re a summer tourist.
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And there are parks, 10 altogether, more parks than might be expected in a town this size (population 3,721 in 2020). They include Old City Park, Veterans Memorial Park, Riverside Park, Sunset Park, Cannery Park, Peninsula Beach Park, just to name a few. Veterans Park, right on the edge of Lake Charlevoix, hosts the farmers’ market all summer long.
