By Sterling McGinn
News that the Toonerville Trolley and Riverboat Tour is officially closing almost feels like the loss of an old friend.
The business was an icon of the Tahquamenon region for nearly a century. But, as I was often told as a child, all good things come to an end at some point.
For several years, longtime owners Kris and Dixie Stewart searched for a buyer who would love the business like they did. They provided an amazing experience for visitors and locals alike, but they were ready to retire. However, a buyer couldn’t be secured, and the business has closed.
This weekend the Stewarts announced they will not renew their real estate listing and plan to hold an equipment sale this fall.
For 96 seasons, the Toonerville Trolley carried hundreds of thousands sightseers and locals to the riverboat landing on the Tahquamenon River to view the famous Upper Tahquamenon Falls.
The boat was piloted by someone who knew the river like the back of his hand. He shared its stories and pointed out wildlife to everyone on board through the boat’s intercom.
As a lifelong resident, I realize that we often take for granted Mother Nature’s amazing features here in our own backyard. We often long to travel somewhere far away for a break from our daily lives, perhaps forgetting about things we have right here in the U.P.
The Tahquamenon excursion showed what we have here. Guests spent most of the day viewing the river at a slow pace, far away from the hustle of every day.
I was one of those who said I hadn’t been on the Toonerville Trolley and Riverboat Tour. I went two years ago, and I am very glad I did.
These days, we can get into our cars and drive to visit the falls, and we don’t think much of that. But we really have it easy in that regard these days.
Thanks to the foresight of business founder Captain Joseph Beach, thousands of people viewed the river and the falls prior to the construction of a passable highway in the early 1950s.
His son, R.J., kept up the tradition after his father’s death, and he sold the business to the Stewart family in the 1980s.
After the Tahquamenon Falls State Park opened and guests could drive to visit the falls, the Toonerville Trolley and Riverboat Tour remained a popular destination for tourists and to the locals.
Countless Newberry High School senior trips were taken on the excursion, along with Elks Club trips and other groups.
Though we’ve lost the Toonerville Trolley and Riverboat Tour, hopefully the fact that we had it for so long can remind us that we have some of the greatest natural beauty right here, and we are so fortunate.
