The community known today as Waters was established in the 1870s when a lumbering operation was built at Bradford Lake near the southern border of Otsego County. The name of the town was also Bradford Lake. It was renamed Waters in 1885. A year later, the Wright & Davis Lumber Company sold its saw mill to the Stephens Lumber Company.
The Stephens Lumber Company consisted of three generations of the Stephens family — all named Henry. It was the grandson, Henry (Tom) Stephens III that made a lasting impact on Waters. He inherited the family fortune and moved to Waters in 1912.
Henry (Tom) Stephens III had a glass bottle fence built in front of his home in 1914. It was about 4 feet high and 200 feet long. It was located on the east side of Old 27 about where the Otsego Lake Township fire hall is now. Stephens left Otsego County and moved to the Detroit area in 1917. He died in 1932 at the age of 48.
A couple of popular questions about the bottle fence are “Why was it built” and “What happened to it?” Some accounts claim Stephens built the fence as a tribute to his father. Others say it was in honor of the lumberjacks. However, he did have his name emblazoned on the fence with 2 foot high letters, so maybe it was also motivated by a bit of ego. Over the years, many of the bottles were broken and the fence was determined to be within the highway right of way. The original fence was moved and then demolished. A replica was built in 1974 behind the fire hall but was removed in 1996.
Undoubtedly, the bottle fence was Waters’ most famous landmark. There is a commemorative exhibit on the north lawn of the township hall which includes a likeness of the bottle fence. Be sure to see the historic photo and read the description about a milestone from Waters past.
To see another history marker, go to the Otsego Lake Township Park. It is located on Memorial Drive just north of Waters. Next to the pavilion is a plaque that pays tribute to Remi and Edna Schotte.
In 1927, Remi and Edna purchased 1,800 acres which included much of the abandoned town of Waters. They succeeded in getting the post office re-established in 1930. Remi and other members of the Schotte family held the position of postmaster for nearly 30 years.
Other endeavors to revitalize the town taken on by the Schotte family included operating a tavern, hardware store, and a sawmill that used salvaged logs from Bradford Lake.
They donated parcels of land for community use such as the Otsego Lake Township Park and the township’s fire hall.
You can learn more about the history of Waters in the book “Waters, Michigan: The town with the bottle fence” published by the Otsego County Historical Society. Then head over to Waters and take a stroll through history.
Trivia tidbits
• Did you know that the first U. S. Patent for the snow machine (predecessor of today’s snowmobile) was awarded to Wasters resident Ray H. Muscott on June 27, 1916?
• Did you know Ty Cobb was hired by Henry (Tom) Stephens to play on his baseball team, the Otsegos, in 1914 and helped win the state championship?
• Did you know that the first airport in Otsego County was located in Waters?
• Did you know Ski Village located on the north end of Waters was owned and operated by Al and Stephanie Almon from 1948 to 1957?
• The origin of the town’s name is somewhat of a mystery. Most sources said its name is due to being surrounded by water. There are four lakes nearby: Big Bradford, Little Bradford, Marjory (formerly Redhead) and Heart. However, new information has recently been discovered. An article in The Crawford Avalanche dated Jan. 14, 1886 stated the town was named in honor of O. Waters, agent for the Michigan Central Railroad.
This plaque at the Otsego lake Township Park commemorates Remi and Edna Shotte.
Remi and Edna Shotte with son, Albert.
There is a commemorative exhibit on the north lawn of the Otsego Lake Township Hall which includes a likeness of the waters bottle fence.