Lodging

Upper Peninsula Lodging

Henry's Never Inn - Rockland, Michigan

Before I write about the long and colorful history of Henry's Never Inn, it is important to note two items because the sign just doesn't tell the whole story:

1.  They have rooms available and you can't beat the prices and accommodations.

2.  On Thursdays you can get a pasty made from an old Cornish recipe; and it is the very best I have found anywhere.

Construction of this building started in 1896 and it took about two years to finish.  The Inn was called "The Sample Room".  The Inn was built by Peter Gagnon.  The family has been involved ever since and Henry and Sally Gagnon are the owners today.

Any time you stop in, it seems there are friendly folk around, lively stories being told and really delicious food from soups to pizza to those incredible pasties.

The stamped metal ceiling and the walls are original.  The dark wood bar is a must see even if you don't have time to linger.

It isn't just the pasties either.  Wednesday nights folks come from miles away to "Build your own Pizza" and then there is the famous smorgasbord on Friday & Saturday nights.

Contact Henry's at 74 National Ave. Rockland Mi. 49960 - 906-886-9910

E-Mail hegagnon@jamadots.com

 

Northern Michigan Vacations

Rockland Historical Museum

The Rockland Historical Museum displays mining and farming equipment, stone hammers from ancient copper mining pits  and, a scale model of the historic Rockland Depot.

On the grounds there is also a section of the wooden pipeline from the Victoria Dam which is nearby.

The museum has the history of the first telephone system in Michigan which was started in Rockland.  There are historic rooms recreated here to show how folks lived during the mining boom.

Photographs include pictures of mines, Victoria Dam, Jeff's Hotel and the Church on the Hill that was once a landmark for ships on Lake Superior.

The grounds also include a Veterans Memorial.

The museum is in downtown Rockland and is open afternoons Memorial Day thru mid-October or by appointment.

1-906-886-2821.  E-Mail rocklandmuseum@chartermi.net

More about Henry's....

During prohibition, Henry's was a blind pig and dance hall.  It was not uncommon to have a saloon for every 150 - 200 people and Rockland boasted for having 14.  During prohibition, there were over 40 blind pigs for Rockland's population of 5,000.  Bootlegging flourished but Anna Gagnon's brother, Elias, who bartended, was arrested for selling illegal moonshine that was buried in the chicken coop out back.  The wine got dumped down the bathtub and Eli got dumped into Leavenworth for 18 months.

Story has it that someone in Rockland reported him to the revenuers because the Gagnon's were getting better cuts of meat from the local butcher during a time of meat rationing.  The night before the bust, Lynn Henry Gagnon got word that the sheriff was coming and was able to high tail it to Chicago for a couple of years.