photograph
Catalog Number
no visible number 140Date of Origin
1929Artist/Author
unknownDescription
Black and white photograph showing the construction of the tunnel, in Park Township, at Tunnel Park. Two unidentified workers are shown dumping a wheel barrow full of concrete into a wooden frame, helping to form the top of the tunnel.History
Tunnel Park began when Ottawa County acquired 7 acres of land from George Getz in 1928. The original park contained 200 feet of Lake Michigan frontage.Work began in 1929 on a tunnel, 60 feet long and 14 feet wide, through a dune. This allowed easy access to the beach.
By 1930, the parking lot was big enough to accommodate 200 automobiles. The Holland City News from 7-16-1931 stated that "scarcely a day goes by without a picnic or a reunion of some kind.". A Baker Furniture picnic in August 1939 attracted 800 employees and family members.