Before PC, Grayling’s Jolly Redskin Canoe Livery Flourished: 1960s-1980s

Once you get north of Clare, the fun begins...camping, fishing, the wilderness, and canoeing.

There are countless canoe liveries spread out in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula...so many, in fact, that it’s inevitable that some would fall by the wayside and go out of business.

The Jolly Redskin Canoe Livery is one that went out of business. Located in Grayling near 400 Ingham Street, the Jolly Redskin operated beginning in the 1960s and wrapping it up sometime during the 1980s.

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The livery was in business before anyone complained about the name – political correctness kicked in during the 1990s, so the Jolly Redskin was not forced out of business because of that. Instead, they enjoyed running their business along the Au Sable River, much to the pleasure and entertainment of locals and tourists.

Take a look at a few photos by scrolling down a little way.