A landmark Gun Lake area restaurant with serious ties to Yankee Springs history appears to have been destroyed by fire Monday.
The blaze leveled Yankee Bill’s Wood-Fired Saloon on Chief Noonday Road (M-179) and Yankee Township officials who battled it fear it is a total loss.
The rustic eatery honored the memory of Yankee Bill, a nickname for William Lewis, who was a key figure in the early days of Yankee Springs Arriving around 1835, this Eastern transplant earned his nickname by being from New York.
He established a stop for weary stagecoach travelers in 1836 from Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.
Yankee Bill’s Inn, while not a luxurious hotel, a collection of log cabins built into the hillside, offered basic but comfortable accommodations. His hospitality was renowned, with the inn able to house up to 100 people and stables for 60 teams of horses.
The restaurant was becoming famous for its wood-fired pizza and it offered live entertainment, craft beers and home-cooked food.
Owners are Todd and Kristina Porritt, former owners of the Sand Bar.
