Historic Plaque in Harbert Community Park

Chikaming Goat Farm

     From 1928 to 1946, poet Carl Sandburg and his family lived in a beachfront home near here. When he took breaks from writing, Sandburg walked in the sand dunes or studied Lake Michigan from his deck.  Often, he entertained friends by singing and playing songs on his guitar. His wife Lillian developed an interest in farming, and in 1935, purchased a small herd of goats.  They named their property Chikaming Goat Farm after an early Native American Tribe in the area. As William’s goat breeding program increased, the herd earned national recognition for high milk production. Seeking a milder climate the Sandburg family moved to North Carolina in 1945. In an interview for a local paper Sandburg said” I’ve traveled from coast to coast and I find Harbert best of all. Lake Michigan is beautiful and I love this spot”