Our small town rests on a strip of land between the lakes now known as Michigan and Charlevoix. The lakes are connected by a narrow channel, running only about a mile, which has carved a natural access through this land for thousands of years. This cut in the land became known as the Pine River when the white men began arriving in the 1700's. Tall pines high on the sand bluffs at the mouth of the channel on Lake Michigan were a beacon to traders and missionaries and the many Indians who first made this land their home.

In the middle of the channel, halfway between the lakes, the Pine River swelled into a small inland harbor and it became known as Round Lake. The water here was protected and deep enough to allow safe harbor for traveling vessels. It also became the center of commerce around which the first settlement of Charlevoix began.

The town grew slowly at first, fueled by the determination of the early founders to battle the harsh and cold terrain. Fishing and logging brought more opportunity to the area. Small companies grew from these industries and jobs attracted more men and families to move to the North Country.

In the late 1800's, the true promise of the area was discovered by a few wealthy families and religious leaders from the cities to the south. The summers in northern Michigan were wonderfully mild and appealing compared to the heat and hustle of activity in cities like Detroit and Chicago. The beauty of the land and the water was breathtaking and summer homes were built along the waterfronts and families moved north to spend time relaxing on the water and to socialize with others from their class. Resident associations were formed to bring a sense of elite membership and status.

Resort towns like Charlevoix, Petoskey and Harbor Springs flourished with the wealth that poured in each summer. Railroads were built and cruise lines formed to make travel more convenient from the south. Businesses were established to serve the summer residents and jobs were created to make their lives easier and great hotels were built to house their guests and other visitors.

And now, the EmmaLee is coming home. She brings with her an incredible history. As she cruised into the channel today, it was like stepping back in time for many of us. Her early days in Charlevoix saw our little town at perhaps its finest hour and, at times, its worst. The memories of those days linger for those of us old enough to remember, or those that have heard the stories. Many of our families and friends were here during those years before and after the Second World War and lived through the turbulent and often unfortunate circumstances of those times. The EmmaLee shared an important place in that saga, as did the many people who loved her.

I often think back to the summers of my youth in this little town of Charlevoix. My name is George Hansen. It was the summer of 1941, when my friend Jonathan McKendry first met Emily Compton.

Excerpted from The Seasons of the EmmaLee © Copyright 2012 by Michael Lindley. Reprinted with permission by Sage River Press. All rights reserved.