What started in 2021 as the Woodland Park Historic Signage Project is now officially complete. Julie Burrell is Senior Economic Development Director for The Right Place in Newaygo County and project manager.
“The community was formed back in the 1920’s by some entrepreneurs that were trying to kind of create a resort for African Americans back when everything was segregated.”
Lake County’s Idlewild community was founded a few years prior to that, when family-oriented Woodland Park was created as a sister resort community.
“It was really pretty popular for a couple decades until segregation ended and then people could go anywhere, and that’s kind of when the popularity declined a little bit.”
Now, 11 sign locations offer a self-guided tour of the area, with more than 20 interpretive panels highlighting historic buildings, local legends and unique stories that shaped Woodland Park.
“There’s even sites that were in The Green Book that are in Woodland Park that I think the general population just doesn’t realize.”
The public is invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 8th at 1 p.m. at the Woodland Park Property Owner’s Association.
