Our Story
Cedars Resort began in the early 1940’s when Eddie and Almeda Barber began spending their weekends and summer months building their home, which later become Cabin #1. After completion they began working on other cabins with the idea of creating a “fishing camp”. Each cabin is made from cedar timber taken from the surrounding area. Eddie “hand hewn” all the logs himself and built everything himself, including the cedar cabinets.
Subsequently they permanently moved north from their native Columbus, Ohio. Many of their first guests were friends and neighbors from the Columbus area. In fact, some of our older guests were children at the time and remember some of the newer cabins being built in the later 1940s and early 1950s. We have several families that have been coming to Cedar’s Resort every year since the early 1950’s. We estimate that approximately 30% of our summer rentals are folks who are descendants, or have other ties, to the resort’s original guests. Like the original Columbus families, most of our guests are families that are repeat customers.
In addition to running the resort, Eddie drove a school bus for the Central Lake schools while Almeda ran a ceramics studio at one end of their home. We often hear stories of Eddie’s kindness and love for fishing, while some people still talk about Almeda’s harsher nature. A particular fishing location that Eddie favored, known as “Eddie’s spot”, is still known by that name and frequented by the descendants of our “Columbus Guests”.
After Eddie Barber’s death and Almeda’s declining health there have been two other owners of the resort before our family, the Manning’s and then the Marx’s. Our family purchased the resort in November 1998. We grew-up in Michigan, but moved to Texas after college. After 19 years in the busy, hot, humid Houston area we decided to move back to Michigan with our three children.
Cedars Resort has a history of quiet, relaxing days where families can fish, swim, enjoy breathtaking sunset and warm bonfires, or take day adventures to Charleviox, Traverse City, Petoskey, The Sleeping Bear dunes, or Mackinaw Island.
The five cabins at the resort have been modernized for comfort, but still have the “Up North” charm of years past. Incidentally, the cabins at Cedars Resort are numbered in the order that they were built, which certainly made sense at the time. However, today, without knowing this fact the numbering of the cabins does not appear to have any rhyme or reason. We only mention this so when you (hopefully!) visit us you’ll understand why Cabin # 5 is in between Cabin #1 and #4, and #2 is closest to the lake! Cedars Resort is a wonderful place to make your own family memories and relax in Northern Michigan style. We look forward to seeing you lakeside.
Your hosts,
Michael and Kelly Cannon
Subsequently they permanently moved north from their native Columbus, Ohio. Many of their first guests were friends and neighbors from the Columbus area. In fact, some of our older guests were children at the time and remember some of the newer cabins being built in the later 1940s and early 1950s. We have several families that have been coming to Cedar’s Resort every year since the early 1950’s. We estimate that approximately 30% of our summer rentals are folks who are descendants, or have other ties, to the resort’s original guests. Like the original Columbus families, most of our guests are families that are repeat customers.
In addition to running the resort, Eddie drove a school bus for the Central Lake schools while Almeda ran a ceramics studio at one end of their home. We often hear stories of Eddie’s kindness and love for fishing, while some people still talk about Almeda’s harsher nature. A particular fishing location that Eddie favored, known as “Eddie’s spot”, is still known by that name and frequented by the descendants of our “Columbus Guests”.
After Eddie Barber’s death and Almeda’s declining health there have been two other owners of the resort before our family, the Manning’s and then the Marx’s. Our family purchased the resort in November 1998. We grew-up in Michigan, but moved to Texas after college. After 19 years in the busy, hot, humid Houston area we decided to move back to Michigan with our three children.
Cedars Resort has a history of quiet, relaxing days where families can fish, swim, enjoy breathtaking sunset and warm bonfires, or take day adventures to Charleviox, Traverse City, Petoskey, The Sleeping Bear dunes, or Mackinaw Island.
The five cabins at the resort have been modernized for comfort, but still have the “Up North” charm of years past. Incidentally, the cabins at Cedars Resort are numbered in the order that they were built, which certainly made sense at the time. However, today, without knowing this fact the numbering of the cabins does not appear to have any rhyme or reason. We only mention this so when you (hopefully!) visit us you’ll understand why Cabin # 5 is in between Cabin #1 and #4, and #2 is closest to the lake! Cedars Resort is a wonderful place to make your own family memories and relax in Northern Michigan style. We look forward to seeing you lakeside.
Your hosts,
Michael and Kelly Cannon
