In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we trace the long, colorful life of Port Austin’s iconic Lakeside Inn — a building that began as Huron County’s temporary courthouse in the 1860s and ended in a fiery blaze more than a century later.

From its Prohibition-era notoriety as a raided speakeasy to its golden age in the 1930s under Charles Finzel, the Lakeside Inn was once the Thumb’s premier entertainment venue. Big bands, roller-skating, political rallies, and poetry readings filled its lakeside pavilion — affectionately known as “The Fun Center.”

But in July 1967, it all went up in smoke. Join us as we recount the story of a building that mirrored Michigan’s changing times — and left behind a legacy that still echoes through the village of Port Austin.

A production of Thumbwind Publications