Photos of Hague Amusement Park, Vandercook Lake: 1900-1920s

It’s so disheartening to see such glorious places like this close down for one reason or another. I wish Hague Amusement Park would’ve lasted long enough for me to enjoy.

Now called Vandercook Lake Park, Hague was an extraordinary amusement park that had its beginnings in the 1890s. It eventually featured a carousel, giant water slide, roller coaster, hot air balloon rides, ball games, bowling, dancing, roller skating, arcade games, steamboat rides and much, much more. It was a wonderful place to go in southern & mid-Michigan for a grand time...and then...it was gone.

In June 1923, a fire broke out and spread from building to building, destroying seven buildings in all. Repeated calls were made to the Jackson Fire Department but each time, park officials were told “sorry - you’re out of the fire department's jurisdiction”.

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No help came. Nowadays I would bet that, even if still “out of jurisdiction”, the current department would rush to help in a similar case. It's a sad tale and we can only imagine what would've happened to the place if it hadn't burned. If you pay a visit to the park and look REAL hard, you’ll be able to find a few leftover Hague Park artifacts that linger. This park truly was extraordinary.

It’s a fascinating journey for anyone from Michigan who's interested in our history. To read more in-depth details about the fire that sadly destroyed Hague Park, check out this Mlive article! But first, take a roller coaster ride into the past by scrolling a way down and seeing some old images of what you missed back over 120 years ago