Spirit of the Woods Conservation Club

FROM THE ARCHIVES:
History of the Spirit of the Woods Conservation Club taken from beautiful old club documents.
As the year 1939 drew to a close the Manistee News Advocate published, an outdoor page entitled “Spirit of the Woods.” A popular , though very probably incorrect interpretation of the word “Manistee” which originated late in the 19th century that is a corruption of an Algonquin Indian term meaning “Spirit of the Woods.” The winds blowing through the tall pines near the headwaters of the Manistee were said to be the voices of the spirits. It is small wonder that such alternatives as “River with many Islands” or “River with Red Wood” or simply “Vermillion River” would pale by comparison to the romantic notion of spiritual whispers atop lofty conifers amid the dark recesses of primeval forest.
On Wednesday November 6, 1939 a group of about 40 local sportsmen met to form a new club to “work in conjunction with the conservation department to better fishing, hunting and outdoor sports in general”. After general discussion the group decided on the name “Spirit of the Woods Conservation Club.”