We especially want to thank Carole Finley, daughter of Lorraine Cochrane Mains,

on behalf of the family for allowing us and Nelson Herron for allowing us to

post this on our website.

Nelson Herron's Website

The Clay Spratt Residence

The original farm home of Clay Spratt is now a hunting camp.  As the deer herd in this area increased they often found the farm crops a convenient and tasty source of food.  Consequently, the farmers whose land joined the forested lands of the hunting clubs found their profits consumed by the deer, and they were compelled to sell out to the sportsmen.

The Fletcher Floodwater on the northwest corner of Spratt was a contributing factor in the movement of the deer herd into this farming area.  The animals were forced to move out in large numbers as the water rose and flooded many square miles of their habitat.

This floodwater has made a change in the source of income to this part of the community from farming to hunting and fishing as nimrods, archers, anglers, and ice-fishermen seek the game and spend their money here.

Note: My dad has told me that the Clay Spratt farm was located on the Spratt Road near the LeRoy Club entrance gate.  It has apparently been gone for some time now.  The property is currently owned by Brad Jennings who also owns the store on the east side of M-65 on the hill that looks down into the broad shallow valley where the Beaver Lake Road joins M-65 next to the old Beaver Lake School and across the road from the old Fred Collins/Myrtle Bates residence.  I believe, curiously enough, the store is called The Beaver Lake Store.  The Beaver Lake Store is also across the road from the old Clewley raspberry farm..  Nelson Herron, March, 2003

Note: This article was contained in the package of materials from my aunt Ardellia Herron's term paper for professor Dain's History 414 class in December, 1967.  

Note: the original paper is in the archives of the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University.  It may be referenced as:

Herron, Ardellia M., History of Spratt, 1967, Central Michigan University Student Term Papers, Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. 

This page last updated 04/21/2006