Great-great granddaughter said family once owned Mich-E-Ke-Wis park

The photo on the left is a copy of the Water Works Park Plat specifying that Mich-E-Ke-Wis Park would be “hereby dedicated to the use of the public.”

A number of people from Alpena County said they felt the Mich-E-Ke-Wis RV Park development plan would not be a  fiscally or viably responsible move for the city to make.

This came after an overwhelming number of community members expressed disapproval at Thursday’s municipal council meeting.

That meeting prompted Beckie Durfee–the great-great granddaughter of Michael and Anna Paad–to come forward with this deed.

The Paad family were one of the original owners of Mich-E-Ke-Wis park as it is recognized today.

Durfee said city council is going against what the community wants, and ultimately the dedication deed that was signed back in 1924 by Alpena Township and Alpena County commissioners.

It was also notarized, with a surveyor’s certificate (not included in the photo.)

“[Michael Paad] had this vision to create something beautiful for Alpena, which included a subdivision right on the water along with public land to be used for everybody.”

Here’s what the dedication says word-for-word.

Know all men by these presents that we Michael Paad and Anna Paad, his wife as proprietors have caused the land embraced in the annexed plat to be surveyed, laid out and platted to be known as “Water Works Park Plat” Alpena Township, Alpena County, Michigan, and that the Streets Avenues and Alley are hereby dedicated to the use of the public. The beach is dedicated to the lot owners only.

CORRECTION: The original version of this article stated the Water Works Park Plat was signed in 1942. It was actually signed in 1924. The video also shows the wrong date. That date should also be 1924 to reflect the actual year the deed was signed.