"The land that encompasses the Desert of Maine was purchased by the Tuttle family in 1821... the Tuttles’ methods of farming gradually depleted the soil of essential nutrients. Combined with overgrazing by large numbers of sheep, the widespread erosion of the Tuttles’ topsoil exposed a deposit of glacial sand that was lying underneath. The initially exposed small patch of sand gradually spread and overtook the entire farm. The Tuttles abandoned the land in 1890... The farmhouse burned down in 1919. In 1926, Henry Goldrup purchased the land for $400 ($7.50/acre), and converted it to a tourist attraction... The site is preserved as a natural curiosity...."[1]
Though I object to the use of the word "natural," here (about as "natural" as the Centrailia mine fire[2]), I gotta hand it to Goldrup for turning an ecological catastrophe into income.
For a while, the owners of the still-visible house had a giant wheel loader that they were using to remove the onslaught of sand and sell it by the truckload until the township put a stop to the commercial use of the property; they weren't licensed to operate as a gravel pit, and there's no licensure process for the opposite of a pit. I believe there's an additional home to the northwest which is completely buried by sand, and can attest that in the 15 years I've been going with my wife's family that the climb up from the culdesac has gotten steeper, and the culdesac is slowly disappearing beneath the sand.
Meanwhile, the famous dunes at the Off-Road Vehicle area have gotten shorter, from 18th Ave south of the lake it used to be impossible to see Lake Michigan.
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[ 6.1 ms ] story [ 21.2 ms ] threadThough I object to the use of the word "natural," here (about as "natural" as the Centrailia mine fire[2]), I gotta hand it to Goldrup for turning an ecological catastrophe into income.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_of_Maine
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire
https://www.google.com/maps/place//@43.5823425,-124.2545843,...
https://goo.gl/maps/UifbQYHzvbATyXTi9
For a while, the owners of the still-visible house had a giant wheel loader that they were using to remove the onslaught of sand and sell it by the truckload until the township put a stop to the commercial use of the property; they weren't licensed to operate as a gravel pit, and there's no licensure process for the opposite of a pit. I believe there's an additional home to the northwest which is completely buried by sand, and can attest that in the 15 years I've been going with my wife's family that the climb up from the culdesac has gotten steeper, and the culdesac is slowly disappearing beneath the sand.
Meanwhile, the famous dunes at the Off-Road Vehicle area have gotten shorter, from 18th Ave south of the lake it used to be impossible to see Lake Michigan.
The shores of West Michigan are truly a gem!