Waterloo Map

For close to a century, a hand-painted map of the Waterloo Recreation Area was a proud landmark in Chelsea. In the 1940s, Vincent Burg Sr. commissioned the first map, which was painted on the W. Middle Street exterior wall of his Burg’s Drugstore (currently, Zou Zou’s) to direct tourists to Michigan’s newest state park. In 1982, Frank Turson of Jackson was commissioned by Vince Burg Jr. to paint the most recent version. It was painted on four plywood panels measuring 14’ wide x 8’ high and then remounted to same exterior wall. In 2017, Zou Zou’s remodeled and uncovered the long-closed side door. With its use, it meant the map needed to find a new home. Chelsea Area Historical Society (CAHS) was glad to receive the donation and installed it at the CAHS museum opposite the historic Chelsea Train Depot. The historic 1982 version began to show its age with faded paint and rough edges, so, in 2026 CAHS hired local artist Meg Grower to bring the map back to life. Through painting, she restored and preserved it for future generations to enjoy this reminder of the wonderful recreational area right in our backyard. A special unveiling event took place on September 19, 2026, for the updated map. The event was attended by a son of Frank Turson, Burg relatives, and others with ties to this story.