Castle Blog

“Mrs. J.M. Brogan and daughters, Misses Janet and Edith Brogan pleasantly entertained a party of about thirty friends Saturday at the house boat ‘Yosemite,’ near Carr’s Landing. The party went up the river on the steamer Josie. The excellent fishing was enjoyed and one of the features of the day was a fish dinner in the ‘Yosemite’.” –The Saturday Evening News, October 31, 1898. By the 1890s, the great logging boom was over. With the end of logging, the Tittabawassee, Shiawa

“Fire destroyed the Parkway Inn popular night club on Veteran’s Memorial Parkway (US-23) early today. The loss was estimated by the owner at more than $75,000.” -The Saginaw News, December 15, 1959. THE SAGINAW NEWS, October 13, 1947. THE BAY CITY TIMES EXTRA, December 19, 1941. At this point, the earliest advertisement we have found for the Parkway Inn appeared in The Saginaw News on December 5, 1941. Proclaiming it “Saginaw’s Newest Night Spot[,] under the management of

“They met at a birthday party at Brownies Dance Hall in James Twp. And married in 1947.” -(The Saginaw News, February 26, 2012) The Castle Cocktail Lounge is getting ready to close its doors on another season of thirst-quenching history and an exciting road trip around the county: The Golden Glow Ballroom in St. Charles The Brass Bell in Chesaning Bridgeport's Big Boy –but it's getting late, and we thought we'd better head for home...well, maybe one last stop…for a drink…and

Last week, The Castle Cocktail Lounge enjoyed an elegant evening at the Brass Bell in Chesaning. After partaking in some Showboat entertainment, we took the back roads back north by the Prairie Saloon and Price Nature Center…finding ourselves in Bridgeport. While we thought about swinging through the Cass River Yacht Club for another drink, our stomachs instead pulled us in the other direction…welcome to Bridgeport… Big Boy*, More than a Chain Closing Day-January 2023. Fo

Last week, The Castle Cocktail Lounge made its way all the way out to St. Charles for a dance at the Golden Glow, so we kept right on driving, heading south along M-52 until we came to a crossroad, a town with a Showboat, and a tasty bar/restaurant too…welcome to Chesaning… A Village with a Showboat... 1972 Showboat program As the Great Depression lingered across the country, the Chesaning Showboat Festival materialized in 1937 as a way to bring crowds and an economic boost

Welcome back to the Castle Cocktail Lounge! This summer we’ve packed our bags and are ready to head out of the city on an epic road trip–and out to some of our more rural watering holes and venues in celebration of our millage partnership with the local museums in Bridgeport, Chesaning, Frankenmuth and St. Charles. First stop…The Golden Glow Ballroom, circa 1971… Friends, Arlene Wegner, Dolores Gary and Marion Spindler, are all gussied up to see Nick and His Cornhuskers at T

“Mrs. Farwell and her family moved to Saginaw in 1943. She owned and operated the A&W Restaurant on Gratiot for many years. She loved her business and her customers, and it was her life. After her husband passed, she bought the franchise from her brother-in-law Howard Farwell and had a new A&W drive in built. She later sold that in 1975.” -From the obituary of Irene B. Farwell, The Saginaw News, January 8, 2004. The Saginaw News, March 5, 1958. By World War II, Saginaw had

“A large number of people have made a trip to Bliss Park and marveled at the wonderful peony bed on the far western side of the park. It is said that for quality, essence and largeness this is by far the most magnificent display of this flower ever known in this city. There are a number of individual beds featuring enmasse huge white, pink and other colored specimens that have attained great size through the years of scientific cultivation. It is the purpose of the Board of T

As the days warm to summer standards and the sun stays out later and later, here at the Castle Test Kitchen we can’t help but lean into those summer foods that we remember from our childhood—peanut butter (JIF, of course) and grape jelly sandwiches, Faygo Red Pop from the corner store (which tasted better after the bike ride there to get there), and of course, hot dogs. While hardly the stuff of gourmet meals, we have strong memories of good times connected with these foods a