The 46-Pound Cherry Pie That Put Traverse City on the Map

A Presidential Slice

If you ever doubted the power of pie, look back at August 18, 1926, that is when a giant Traverse City cherry pie earned a spot at the President of the United States’ dinner table. Yes, a 46-pound, three-foot-wide, 5,000-cherry-filled pie. The pie that took a road trip from Northern Michigan to the Adirondacks, and along the way, it became a sweet slice of American history.

It all started with a fruitful cherry harvest on Old Mission Peninsula. Frank Burkhart, owner of a local fruit packing company, saw an opportunity to promote the region’s prized Montmorency cherries. Working with Traverse City’s Hawkins Bakery, they crafted an enormous pie, using 42 pounds of cherries. The cherries were meticulously pitted and baked it in a custom sectioned tin to prevent slippage. Locals caught a brief glimpse of the pie cooling in the bakery window before it was carefully boxed by Michigan Fancy Fruit Company. Local artist Henry Day decorated the box.

How to get a 46 Pound Pie to Maine

The next hurdle? Transportation. Frank’s son Hugh and family friend Wallace Keep (a college buddy of President Calvin Coolidge from their Amherst days) loaded the pie into a 1926 Lincoln by lifting the windshield and sliding it in—a feat as bold as the dessert itself. After giving the Lincoln a gleaming polish, they departed Traverse City on August 14th. They journeyed through Canada, reentering the U.S. at Niagara Falls.

Along the way, Hugh got a little heavy on the pedal, up to 47 mph. But when the officer saw the pie and heard the mission, he turned from enforcer to fan and waved them onward. By August 17th, the cherry-laden Lincoln arrived at the summer White House in the Adirondack Mountains.

The President enjoyed his Pie

On August 18, 1926, President Coolidge known for his reserved demeanor, showed rare enthusiasm at the dinner table when the pie appeared. The New York Times reported that the President, First Lady Grace Coolidge, and several elder statesmen enjoyed the cherry marvel. The President even quipped, “No talk of fish this evening, no lingering over the meat. Kindly cut it up in pieces, Grace, no matter what the size.”

That pie wasn’t just dessert, it was a PR masterpiece. It highlighted Traverse City’s cherry-growing prowess to a national audience. Today, Traverse City is proudly known as the Cherry Capital of the World. Stories like this one are part of the reason why.

So the next time you’re enjoying a slice of cherry pie in Northern Michigan, remember that you’re eating a piece of presidential—and pastry—history.

Marisa Fancy along with her husband and four children dreamt of moving “Up North”. They had vacationed for years in northern Michigan and in 1995 they finally made the move.

The family was always out exploring, but with 4 kids there was some limitations on what they could do. Marisa discovered the amazing network of trails in Northern Michigan after Steve died and she would walk for miles. The trails provided her with peace, comfort and solitude at a difficult time in her life. Later, after meeting Guy who would become her second husband, she learned to golf and found another passion she could enjoy in beautiful Northern Michigan.

Marisa has been the family historian, writer, and poet for as long as she can remember. She has always loved to write and has now found a creative outlet for it other than family. You can read her articles in Adventures in Northern Michigan, Northern Michigan History and Golf Up North.