This 1938 article was submitted to The St. Ignace News by Arlene Eby of St. Ignace, who received it from Marion Nelson of St. Ignace. Mrs. Nelson found the piece of newspaper when she was cleaning out boxes of old papers.

See How Others Do Things, Says C.C. Eby

“During the off-season from now until the spring of 1939, I hope every individual who has a tourist service to offer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan will take the opportunity, if at all possible, to see how the resorting business is handled in other parts of the country,” says Clarence Eby, owner of the Indian Village in this city.

“Such a trip need not be expensive, and the man or woman who makes it, and who gets around with eyes and ears open, will bring back many valuable ideas which can be continued,” said Mr. Eby. “We all have much to learn, and the best way to learn is to get the information you want at first hand, from others who are in the business in the resorting states.

“Such a trip, even though it is a brief one, can be made a valuable investment to the one taking it,” he said. “We have the finest country in the world for summer resorting, but oft-times we do not make the most of it because we are not posted. New ideas in tourist service are coming out right along, and when we see how others do things we can come home better equipped to give the service the traveling public demands.”

Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Eby and family plan to leave here around December 1, on their annual trip to southern winter resorts.

Arlene Eby is the wife of the late John “Jack” Eby, who passed away in 1983. He is Clarence Eby’s son. Clarence Eby, said Arlene Eby, pioneered the souvenier business in St. Ignace, implementing the town’s first information booth downtown and publishing the town’s first tourist information book.

The Eby family, at one time, owned four businesses, the Indian Village, Castle Rock, and the CurioFair and Souvenier Barn on US-2. All but the Indian Village are still owned by the Eby family.