Mount Pleasant subdivision marks 100 years

Mount Pleasant residents, left to right: Nancy and Elliott Zirlin; Milt Gross; Lois Schwartz; Township Supervisor Allan Overhiser; Nina Bell; and Suzie Gross with a resolution honoring their centennial

A Casco Township lakeshore subdivision, Mount Pleasant, is celebrating its founding 100 years ago. At the April 21, 2025 regular Casco Township Board meeting, Supervisor Allan Overhiser presented a commemorative resolution marking the anniversary of the historically Jewish neighborhood initially founded as a children's camp, Camp Kinderland, and cultural organization, Workmen's Circle.

Mount Pleasant subdivision Board member Lois Schwartz accepted the resolution on behalf of the community.

"We love our community; we were self-sufficient for a long time," she explained, expressing appreciation for Casco Township and its amenities. She also acknowledged that in addition to descendants of original families, the Mount Pleasant community has evolved to include a multicultural population, an important trait to note.

The public offered a round of applause in honor of the Mount Pleasant milestone. Chicago and Mount Pleasant resident Ms. Nina Bell spoke, stating that her grandfather had been one of the founders of the community. She has spent time at Mount Pleasant every year since 1933 except one. Mount Pleasant residents Nancy and Elliott Zirlin; and Milt and Suzie Gross, traveling to Casco from Chicago and Ann Arbor, also witnessed the reading of the resolution.

The centennial celebration will also include the dedication of a memorial plaque on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, August 30, 2025.

The resolution presented by the Casco Township board reads in full:

Whereas; Since the beginning Casco Township, abundant with beautiful farms, landscape, and lakeshore has attracted people from all walks of life. In addition, the friendly people of Casco Township have a long history of welcoming all who have chosen to visit or move here.

Whereas; In the early 1920s, a group of immigrants from Eastern Europe sought land for a children's camp. They wanted to provide healthful experiences in fresh air and nature, and to inculcate the next generation with the beauty and zest of secular Jewish culture as well as Yiddish language and music. These were members of Workmen's Circle, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of its members and devoted to the ideals of social justice. These members were anxious for their families to spend summers away from small apartments and the congestion of their Chicago neighborhoods.

Whereas; This was a time when discrimination against Jews made purchasing land a challenge. They were able to acquire farmland along Lake Michigan in Casco Township. They established Camp Kinderland and the adjoining Workmen's Circle Colony. The same men organized and purchased adjacent land and by 1925 the community was growing and developing. The subdividers built their own water and sewer community systems which benefitted many neighboring farms.

Whereas; The close-knit community developed a grocery store and provided many social and recreational opportunities. Many amenities were developed including an elevator and clubhouse. The once seasonal cottages continue to transition to year around homes and the community continues to advance and thrive.

Now therefore be it resolved; In warmest appreciation, the Casco Township Board of Trustees recognizes the contributions and achievements that began 100 years ago by the founders of Mt. Pleasant Lake Shore subdivision and provided the foresight and structure for continued development and viability.

The Mount Pleasant Subdivision is located west of Blue Star Highway and south of Highfield Beach development, spanning the streets from Beethoven on the north to A St on the south.

Casco Township Supervisor Allan W. Overhiser, left, presents the commemorative resolution to Mount Pleasant board member Lois Schwartz at the April 21, 2025 Trustee meeting