The City on Three Lakes Book Launch & Benefit Event

Join us for an extraordinary evening celebrating the release of The City on Three Lakes: The Maritime History of Charlevoix & the Surrounding Region, the Charlevoix Historical Society’s most ambitious publication in a generation. More than four years in the making, this landmark 682-page work brings together over 875 images, newly commissioned photography, and original scholarship to illuminate Charlevoix’s maritime identity and its place within the broader regional and historical landscape.

The program will be led by noted area author Charles Eisendrath, former foreign correspondent for TIME magazine and writer of the book’s foreword. Eisendrath will moderate a lively on-stage conversation with lead authors David Miles and Ole Lyngklip, joined by the editorial and creative team behind this monumental work: photographer John Doskoch; curator Sierra Laddusaw of the University of Michigan’s Clements Library; Odawa/Anishinaabe historian Eric Hemenway; Jen Wahi of Mission Point Press; and leaders from the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council.

Together, they will share the stories, discoveries, and collaborations that shaped this unprecedented project—from the digitization of never-before-seen historic photographs to the hunt for rare archival materials from major institutional collections in Michigan and across the United States. This event offers a rare opportunity to hear the team reflect on the making of a book that promises to redefine how we understand Charlevoix and its interconnected region.

Proceeds from ticket and book sales support the curatorial and educational mission of the Charlevoix Historical Society’s Museum at Harsha House, helping to ensure the preservation and interpretation of local history for generations to come.

The limited first printing of The City on Three Lakes—a standard edition of 650 copies—may be preordered during event registration and picked up at the event. A limited number of additional copies will be available for purchase on-site, though advance purchase is recommended to guarantee availability. A book signing with co-authors David Miles and Ole Lyngklip will follow the program.

Read more about the book at cityon3lakes.com