Human Bake Ovens, Sea Serpents And More: Local Author Dives Into Slabtown History
By Art Bukowski | Dec. 21, 2025
Did you know there used to be a hospital on the hill behind Tom’s West Bay?
Did you further know that this hospital proudly boasted of its Bunsen burner-powered “human bake oven,” which according to advertisements at the time was the perfect way to cure rheumatism, gout, arthritis, ulcers and much more? Patients described how “blood coursed through their veins at racehorse speed” as the heat intensified.
This is just one of hundreds of fascinating tales, anecdotes and historical nuggets – most supported by pictures – gathered by Marty MacLeod for Slabtown: Traverse City’s Premier Neighborhood. It’s MacLeod’s third in an ongoing series of books about Traverse City’s neighborhoods, each …
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