Johnson’s Rustic Resort, Houghton Lake, Michigan 1967

This authentic 1960s color photograph, captured in 1967, showcases the expansive entrance and roadside signage for Johnson’s Rustic Resort in Prudenville, located near Houghton Lake, Michigan. The archival image highlights the resort’s mid-century marketing appeal, dominated by a large stone pylon sign for Earl Johnson’s Rustic Resort with a marquee directing visitors to the “Motor Lodge on the Lake.” To the left, a separate “Cocktails” sign is famously topped with a large, white figural deer statue, a landmark for travelers on the way to the Traverse Bay Woolen Co. store visible in the background. The resort, which opened in 1925, eventually expanded to 1800 acres and included a hotel, numerous cabins, a golf course, and a convention center. While the hotel was later known as Shea’s Lakefront Lodge and East Bay Lodge before its closure in 2013 and subsequent demolition in 2014, these iconic signs represent the peak of Michigan’s “Up North” vacation culture. This factual record preserves the vibrant commercial landscape and specialized figural architecture that defined the Houghton Lake area during the sixties. All our images are available as royalty-free instant downloads for use in books, media, and creative projects – or make your own prints for home, work, or as a truly unique gift.