MONTAGUE, Michigan — Tucked away in an inconspicuous corner of this lakeside town, a unique roadside rest stop has a world record claim, but a history that's quintessentially Michigan.
The “World's Largest Weather Vane” stands at 48 feet tall on the corner of Dowling and Water Streets in Montague.
Other weathervanes have also claimed the top spot, including a Tío Pepe arrow atop a museum honoring a Spanish sherry maker and a retired World War II aircraft atop a rotating mast in Canada.
Even though it has lost its crown, Montague's self-proclaimed World's Largest Weather Vane has been deemed “worth the detour” by Roadside America magazine.
This year marks its 40th anniversary, so here's a little history about how this enormous monument came to be.
Related: A look back at the world's largest weather vane in photos
A working weather vane is topped by a slowly tilting timber schooner, paying homage to the real ship, the Ella Ellenwood, which called White Lake its home port.
According to a plaque at the base of the weathervane, the symbol was chosen because it “best represents the colorful yet difficult history of the region.”
Ella Ellenwood sailed in the days when timber from West Michigan was crossing the Great Lakes and building Milwaukee and Chicago.
Built in East Saginaw in 1869, the timber schooner was owned by Captain Thomas Flagstad of Montague and operated out of White Lake.
Her story took a turning point on the evening of Oct. 1, 1901, while she was heading to Milwaukee hauling maple trim and shingles.
The ship ran aground about eight miles north of the Port of Milwaukee and sank within hours due to high winds and waves, forcing the captain and crew to abandon ship after the ship broke up in Lake Michigan.
A plaque on the weathervane reads: “They reached shore safely in the yawl of the schooner, aided by compass and anchor light.”
Only the cargo of bark was salvaged; the maple trim and the rest of the schooner were “left to the weather.”
On the lucky return journey, the Ellenwood's wooden nameplate traveled 60 miles across Lake Michigan and washed up on the shore of White Lake the following spring.
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The evolution of the “world's largest weather vane”
In 1984, a 14-foot-long decorated weathervane was created depicting Ellenwood.
The weathervane is located in Ellenwood Park on the corner near Twisters ice cream shop.
The project was conceived and developed by Thomas Pletcher, owner of Whitehall Metal Studios, now called Whitehall Products.
