Spikehorn's wildlife park at the Harrison crossroads

At the corner of Old US-27 and M-61 south of Harrison, John “Spikehorn” Meyer operated a roadside wildlife park centered on black bears. His advertising invited travelers to “shake hands” with the bears, and period photographs show visitors feeding and petting them.

Meyer ran the attraction from the 1930s until his death in 1959. He kept other animals, but the bears made the place famous with generations of travelers heading north through Clare County.

Spikehorn also used the animals to attract attention to his disputes over wildlife rules. Clare County’s historical landmark tour remembers him for taking live bears to the state capital while lobbying lawmakers, and local newspaper accounts describe his clashes with conservation officers over permits.

Meyer died in 1959 at age 89, but the attraction continued for a time afterward. The Clare County Historical Society preserves Spikehorn memorabilia and points readers to a book-length local history of the showman and his once-famous bear park.