Fork, Dinner
Catalog Number
1994.29.1aDescription
Fork from "The Ottawa" with decorations on the handle.History
the Ottawa Hotel was built in 1886 by the West Michigan Park Association along the north side of the channel leading into Lake Macatawa. It had 42 rooms, an observatory and a veranda. By 1887 the hotel had expanded to 100 rooms.On 11-6-1923, the hotel was destroyed in a fire.
The image below shows the Ottawa Hotel (photo from permanent collection).
This fork was discovered in the Ottawa Hotel garbage by Kelly Van Wieren (donor’s father) ca. 1920. Kelly would visit the Ottawa Hotel with his father (donor’s grandfather) on Saturday mornings to gather garbage for the family pigs back home.