Harbor Country Living

Al and Nadra Kissman

FORGING A LEGACY
An Interview with Nadra Kissman, July 2003.

The Early Years
Nadra Kissman, known affectionately as the ‘Grand Dame of Harbor Country’, is also one of its founders. A direct descendant of the Wilkinson family who settled the banks of lake Michigan in the 1850’s and the town named Wilkinson that would later become Lakeside, Nadra saw promise in an area that had gone into decline after World War II. Many grand old lakefront estates and cottages had gone into disrepair and neglect, yet the pristine beaches of Lake Michigan beckoned and yearned for better times.

She met with area community leaders including Dick Downing (originally a realtor from Chicago) who was the person credited for coming up with the name “Harbor Country” to represent the area’s scenic ‘harbor’, and the bountifully lush ‘country’ landscapes filling the spaces between the lakeshore towns and inland to Three Oaks. In the late 70’s they formed a think tank known as the ‘Harbor Country Council’ to establish the name “Harbor Country” to represent an alliance of eight southwest Michigan towns and villages of: Michiana, Grand Beach, New Buffalo, Union Pier, Lakeside, Harbert, Sawyer, and Three Oaks. In 1981 Larry Bubb, another central founder and local visionary, joined the initiative and began in earnest to find a way to bring the area out of its dormant state. Larry was an instrumental driving force to keep the effort going.

“Things were pretty bleak back then,” says Nadra, “we didn’t know if this thing would work… and there were the nay sayers that thought it was just another attempt at something that would fail” But Nadra and their small group forged ahead, against what seemed insurmountable odds.

The first brochure

They managed to convince 200 local businesses to each contribute $25 to come up with the area’s first Harbor Country brochure. “It was like pulling teeth” Nadra comments. Another strategy was to place large ads in the Chicago Tribune with titles like “Lakefront Cottages, only $25,000 – and going fast!”. “The turning point was a combination of things” stated Nadra in this July 2003 interview. “In the late 1970’s the state of Michigan approved a grant to dredge the local harbor [which allowed for development of a viable marina].

After having been long overlooked as a destination stop, Amtrak began making its first stops in New Buffalo in 1984 which was a major area event.”

Formal recognition
It was not enough just to stamp a name on something only to have it perceived as a marketing gimmick. It was vital to seek formal and permanent recognition for the area. Nadra was instrumental in forming the Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce in 1981, with Dick Downing serving as its first president and a board of directors put in place to maintain its mission. The Chamber was incorporated as a non profit organization in 1983 and Nadra served in 1984 as the Chamber’s 4th president.

Once established as the area’s authority and driving force, the Chamber eventually sought for and was granted exclusive rights to the name by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as Harbor Country® - a federally registered trademark. This action was taken in part to fend off nearby locations that were not part of this legacy and wanted to ride the coat tails of the emerging notoriety and success by attempting to expand the Harbor Country name and region into other areas south into Indiana and north to St Joseph and beyond. Those efforts were abated, and since its conception in 1981, Harbor Country has remained intact as a uniquely defined geographic region within its eight original southwest Michigan towns.

As part of its early marketing efforts, Karen Conner, a Chicago publicist (and early cottage owner) was hired to get coverage in Chicago Magazine, The Chicago Tribune and The Chicago Sun Times. The effort paid off as the intriguing articles aroused public curiosity about this best kept secret in Michigan’s southwest corner.

The timing was perfect. The nation was on the move again, and nearby Chicagoans and other metropolitan city dwellers were in the mood to find fixer-uppers as second homes and getaways a short drive away from the hectic city life. Although there were skeptics who came and left shaking their heads in disbelief and disappointment, they were vastly outnumbered by the many that took the risk and could see a diamond in the rough. It worked. Harbor Country was transformed as the old inns and estates were bought up for a song and restored to their former grandeur; large investment was pumped into vacant and dilapidated shops that were rehabbed and re-introduced as trendy boutiques and galleries. But with success comes many concerns. As the threat of over-development and the questions of balance were raised, so were funding efforts launched to acquire lands for large preserves to be protected for future generations.

A lifelong achievement
As a formidable presence in Harbor Country, the Nadra K real estate office (www.nadrak.com) offers a diverse range of unique properties and vacant land for those seeking to own a small piece of this wonderful corner of Southwest Michigan. With her husband Al, the Kissmans are also involved in promoting the area’s history, establishing the Railroad Museum in New Buffalo, MI, and the Wilkinson Heritage Museum in Lakeside, MI. “Although I’ve been sort of the mouthpiece,” says Nadra, “it was Al that always supported me and joined in on these ventures.”

This life achievement and a tenacious longevity in preserving and promoting the attractive quaintness of the area has not gone without notice. From these early seeds of visionary intuition and persistent nurturing, Harbor Country has achieved national recognition and year ‘round appeal for its coveted unspoiled beaches and countrysides, attracting the kind of people that want to keep it just that way. Many local businesses have even adopted the Harbor Country name (with the Chamber’s blessing) into their business names, from car washes, to bookkeepers, and even the local New Buffalo newspaper.

Nadra’s passionate commitment and contributions have endured the test of time, and have been widely recognized and appreciated as a labor of love that has come to fruition a hundred fold. Nadra has truly earned her place in history as a “Harbor Country original”.

Previous editions of Harbor Country Living are in the Archives.

July 2003 - Editorial Staff
Copyright © 2003 Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce – may not be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission.