This is Bob Myers from the Historical Society of Michigan with a Michigan history moment. It's called Grand Hotel, not the Grand Hotel, and ranks among Michigan's most famous attractions. It is historically tied to two railroads and one steamship company, which in 1886 gave birth to the Mackinac Island Hotel Company, the parent of Grand Hotel. By 1875, Mackinac island was fast becoming a tourist destination. Mr. Francis Stockbridge had made a fortune in timber, mining and railroads. He bought land on Mackinac island on which to build a resort and hotel, but left Michigan to take a U.S. senate seat. Still hoping to fulfill his dream of a luxury hotel, Stockbridge sold his property to three transportation the Michigan Central Railroad, the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, and the Detroit and Cleveland Steamship Navigation Company. In 1886, the three companies created a subsidiary organization, the Mackinac Island Hotel Company. A Mackinac island hotel would help generate additional revenue since tourists took their trains and ships to vacation in northern Michigan. The Mackinac Island Hotel Co. Hired builder Charles Caskey and John Plank to create an enormous resort hotel on the bluff overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. George Mason of the Detroit architectural firm Mason and Rice drew up plans and Caskey went to work. Caskey completed the construction in less than four months. More than 300 men worked on the project using Michigan white pine milled in St. Ignace. Nearly 2 million board feet of lumber went into the structure. Grand hotel featured a 660 foot front porch and more than 400 guest rooms. It opened on July 10, 1887, as Plank's Grand Hotel. Under the management of John Plank, room rates ranged from $3 to $5 a night. Countless celebrities have visited Grand Hotel. Samuel Clements, known as Mark Twain, made the hotel a stop on his national speaking tour. Many presidents, including Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford, have stayed there. Two motion pictures have filmed at the Grand. The first, the 1947 musical comedy this Time for Keeps, starred Jimmy Durante and swimming champion Esther Williams. The hotel pool is named for Williams. The second, the 1980 fantasy Somewhere in Time, starred Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer. Grand Hotel was listed on the National Register of historic places in 1972. This Michigan history moment was brought to you by MichiganHistoryMagazine.org.