One of the shorter-lived parks in Shelby Township was the Helm and Lilly Park. We do not have exact dates when the park operated. Our best estimate is that it opened sometime in the 1920s or early 1930s and served as a park business until the 1940s before it closed during World War II. Located on 22 Mile Road, just east of Ryan Road, the Helm and Lilly Park was originally a 20-acre property that was part of the Melvin Nunn farm that ran from 22 Mile Road to the Clinton River. Iva Lilly, Melvin's daughter, secured the property from her father's estate and ran and developed the property into a park with her business partner, Louis Helm.

Helm and Lilly Park was located on bottomland near the Clinton River and ran out of a house situated on the property when it opened. Iva and Louis converted the house into a beer garden and knocked out a few walls to create a dancing space. As the park's business grew, they built a larger concession stand, which sold beer, and two smaller stands to sell pop, hot dogs and hamburgers. There was also a spring-fed swimming pool near the house for picnickers to swim in.

The park was available for rent by picnickers and catered to dog shows, weddings, reunions, church events and company picnics. Groups were responsible for managing their events and had to operate the concession stands and provide music if they wanted any. Unsurprisingly, polka bands were the most common groups that performed at picnics in the park. Wedding receptions were even sometimes held in the house.

Mr. and Mrs. Golf purchased Helm and Lilly Park and renamed it, Holiday Park. This park did not last long and went out of business during World War II because beer was hard to get and gas was at a premium. Mr. and Mrs. Golf continued to live in the house on the property. If you would like to learn more about historic Shelby Township river parks, read Wally Doebler's "Summer Along the Clinton: A History of the Clinton River Parks."