A history of the CSA, Glen Eyrie, and Crystal Highlands
Editor’s Note: For some of us, the most boring subject in high school was history. However, we at The Betsie Current have found that our articles which explore the history of Benzie County’s peoples and places have been among those most treasured by our readers—there is something to be said for learning about the past in the place that we call home, for being able to spot a building or a landmark and to know the story behind it, to be able to share that story with others.
Whether speeding along M-22 to your job as a dishwasher or singing along to the radio, squashed in the backseat between your best friend and your fully inflated tube, on your way to float the Lower Platte—it is our hope that, as you go about your days, you savor these last drops of summer and sunshine and all that is truly wonderful about our beautiful corner of the world. And after reading a bit of local history in our pages, perhaps you will take a moment to slow down from the busy hum of life to notice a building or a landmark and to explore in your mind the history of what came before you; perhaps you will, for that moment, truly appreciate what other people had to do for you to be here, in this place, with us.
That is our ultimate goal here at The Betsie Current: to connect our readers—residents, non-residents, lakies, townies, first-time visitors, young, old, and in-between—to each other and to this place.
What follows is the history of three related communities that sprang up along the shore of Crystal Lake in the early 20th century, communities that continue today: the Congregational Summer Assembly (CSA), Glen Eyrie, and Crystal Highlands.
History represents something a little different for each of us: scholars could prefer Ancient Greece; young people, who have not lived through much of their own history yet, might define the past by musical genres or from their first date; for others, it begins only at the point at which they can trace their ancestors. There can be “real” history, “fake” history, or simply “rumored” history, not to mention family lore. For the purposes of these three articles, we will go with the last 100 years or so—in all respects, “modern history,” long after Native Americans settled in this area—both documented and word of mouth.
1. Hamlet of Hundreds: The Congregational Summer Assembly
2. Glen Eyrie: Old Neighborhood on the North Shore
3. One Degree of Separation: Crystal Highlands
4. Love Farm: 2026 Update to Crystal Highlands
Featured Photo Caption: A big tent on the Congregational Summer Assembly (CSA) grounds was home to church services, lectures, and concerts in the early summers. Later, other neighborhoods—such as Glen Eyrie and Crystal Highlands—popped up along Crystal Lake. Photo courtesy of the Benzie Area Historical Society and Museum.
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