Custom Search     Petty Lake     I remember that slide. My grandparents had friends who had a cottage on Pretty Lake and we would go there from time to time. I remember watching others go down it and hearing the song ''Hitchin' a Ride'' over and over. The song is now on my ipod and when I hear it, I go back to the lake in my head. Says Kathy My brother David Walb was married to Luanna Walb Merkling many years ago and I still can remember when I was very young that we would go to Merklings     Beach and swim and have a very good time, swimming, playing in the sand, and buying consessions from the stand that the Merklings ran at that time. I always wanted to go down the big tobaggon in the summer but I was too young and my Mom wouldn't let me but still wanted to go! I would like to know what ever happened to the old resort, and all the good summer days everyone used to enjoy?! So if anyone has any history on this, it would be greatly appreciated, my email is jewel44dd@yahoo.com hope to hear from someone. Many thanks to all Julieann Reed Says Julieann ''Walb'' Reed I had a great aunt who lived on Pretty Lake from the late 1930s to the late 1970s. I spent many summers       there, and I loved it; this was in the late 50s to mid-late 60s. In the winter of 1959, we had a Corvair, and my mother drove it out onto the middle of the lake; it was frozen that far down. She and my aunt were ice fishing. I was   a teen in the 60s, and I heard Sonny and Cher's ''I Got You Babe'' for the first time while laying on a wooden raft anchored in the lake from the porch of a cottage on shore. There used to be an entertainment area known as ''Merkling's Beach'', which had diving boards, rafts, and a 96-step water toboggan slide the you could rent the ''sleds'' for 50 cents for half an hour. What fun it was. I remember my cousin hunting a lot, and my aunt would have fried fish, turtle, deer, and homegrown foods due to the fertility of the land. I've not been back there in over 20 years, but a flood of warm, wonderful memories came when I returned. Says Davey Our dive team Orange Twp Fire Dept.recently raised this old fishing boat from the West end of Pretty Lake. We think it's atleast 40-50 years old. It's painted by kids we think and has the name ''gerbers'' and ''MGA'' painted on the bottom. If you know any history on it contact me 260-854-3003 - Stan Loos BIGGER SIZE PICTURE HERE          Map Detailed Map Marinas Marinas on or near Petty Lake Weather Local weather forecast