One of those early visitors was Joe Keaton, who, along with his family, made Bluffton an annual summer retreat in a cottage on a sand dune known as Pigeon Hill.
[2] Originally, the locals organized a one-story clubhouse nicknamed Cobwebs and Rafters - a reference to its unfinished state - along the Muskegon Lake shoreline.
[1][3] Another favorite hangout was Pascoe's Place, a local bar famous for its perch and nickel beers Keaton and Earl sold plots of land to fellow performers, who then built cottages where they could come and relax in the summers while working on their acts to take on tour the following year.
Some of the personalities living there included "Happy Jack" Gardner, Dick Dixon, George Pearl, Joseph Roberts and many more.
[5] It was a common sight to see among the performers someone like Max Gruber, who brought his trained animals, including his elephant, zebra or dog around the neighborhood.