The current owners consist of five families who use this home as their summer cottage.

Lake Cottage Group, LLC purchased this cottage in 2014

The current owners grew up going to a country cottage they all called 'The Ranch.' It was very rustic with no indoor plumbing and a wood stove for cooking. The Ranch originally belonged to their great grandfather Mary and James Edward Rowse. Great Grandpa Jim actually traded the store he and Mary owned in Oil City, Michigan for the Ranch which belonged to his cousins. When he passed, it was handed down to his three sons Arnold, Dutch, and Gale. When non-family members used to stay at The Ranch, they were charged $3 for the weekend to help off-set oil and supply costs. People aged and time passed too quickly before family could organize to buy it. The Ranch was sold and children and grandchildren for years longed for those wonderful times that created such good memories.

In search of that special place, the current cottage owners camped for years. They were introduced to the Fenwick's, another family on Crystal Lake years ago by the eldest of three brothers. All the siblings were invited to stay with the family every summer along with their spouses and children and did so for years. One sister, and three brothers began to expand their own families and thought it might be time to search for something they could call their own. One day, while staying on the lake, one of the brothers went for a walk a street over from where they were staying at the Fenwick’s and ran into an older gentleman that was putting a for sale sign in the yard. The excitement began as two brothers developed a deep relationship with the gentleman. The idea was shared with the rest of the family and soon they all came together to call this their summer cottage. The older gentleman wanted to know that his cottage and the memories would continue to be shared. As our Great Grandparents Jim and Mary shared The Ranch with their sons, and our Grandparents Arnold and Evelyn shared it with us to build memories with our families, we share this cottage with you and yours.

Crystal Lake is located in eastern Montcalm County. This large Michigan Lake of 760 acres has reported depths of 70 feet. The city of Crystal Michigan is located on the south east shore of the lake. The city is big enough for a grocery store, gas station, and bank and yes a sporting goods store.