Herring Lake is located in Benzie County along the shores of Lake Michigan. John Howard, the self-styled "bard of Benzie," chronicles its history through legends, anecdotes, and an abundance of antiquarian information about local artifacts, town characters, Indians, and memorable occurrences. He discusses Watervale's transformation from a "defunct lumber village" to a summer resort community, and recalls vanished technological processes used in processing and transporting lumber. The book's preface is a verse legend, "The Bride of Mystery," concerning the courtship, marriage, and drowning of an Indian maiden, "Arequipah."