 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
| FEATURED ARTICLE |
 WhitefishChain.com Featured Article Lakestyle Article Written by: Barb Umberger Whitefish Chain of Lakes: The Attraction Continues While there may not be a textbook definition for "chain of lakes," Minnesotans are certain they have lots of them. When people talk about a chain of lakes, they typically are referring to a group of lakes that are connected and allow navigation lake to lake by boat. Chains of lakes can be found in the Twin Cities metro area as well as regional Minnesota and Wisconsin. Regardless of the definition, few would disagree that one large chain of lakes is the Whitefish Chain. The lakes in the Whitefish Chain have become quite a tourist draw and an area becoming more developed all the time – with both businesses, cabins and expensive lake homes. But it wasn’t always that way. History The history of the Whitefish Chain starts during the Ice Age which created the lakes and rivers in the Whitefish area. It is believed that the Paleoindians were the first human inhabitants of the area – between 12,500 and 9,000 years ago. The Whitefish lakes were used as waterways by Native Americans and fur traders. The fur trade started in the 1600s; skins of North American fur-bearing animals brought high prices in European cities. When the upper Mississippi was surveyed in 1836, a reservoir system was discussed, in part, to lessen chances of flooding downstream. It also was planned to help logging operations; by elevating the water level, it was easier to propel logs down the lakes and into the Pine River. A dam was built in Crosslake in 1885 and 1886. The dam changed the topography of the area, including finishing the connections between the lakes in what is now called the Whitefish Chain. Today, it maintains the water level for recreation. The dam project brought a large number of people to the Crosslake area, as did logging operations. At one point, an area logging camp had 1,400 men. Today, Crosslake’s population of year-round residents is about 1,400. Most of the logging in the region occurred between 1890 and 1920. In the early 1900s, as logging operations moved farther north, some of the loggers stayed in the Crosslake area. Timber buyers from the Twin Cities also saw potential in the region, including potential for a fishing destination. Homesteaders started moving to the region and tourism started in the early 1900s, as well. Deanna and Don Engen bought their first cabin near Crosslake in 1959 – a time not that long ago, but an era when there wasn’t even a place to buy milk after 5:00. They moved there full time in 1970. Today, she is the curator of the Crosslake Area Historical Society and Don is its president. They have seen many residents and ma-and-pa resort owners divide their land and sell during the past 20 years. Sometimes, old cabins are taken down and in their place much larger homes are built. "It’s heart-breaking to see the old buildings go, but people want their own corner of heaven or some special place," Engen said. "Things are changing a lot, but it remains so beautiful here." Boyd Lodge Nancy Schwieters heard plenty of stories about "the old days" from her father, Lynn Boyd. Ignoring pleas from his parents and his fiancee’s parents, Boyd set out from the St. Paul area northward in 1934 to find the perfect spot to build a cabin in the woods. His life’s dream was to start a fishing resort. When he reached the west side of Whitefish Lake, he picked a spot near a stand of birch trees, pitched a tent and proceeded to build a cabin. He purchased 200 feet of lakeshore from the Railroad for $2 a foot. After clearing land, each year Boyd built another cabin, with the fourth building becoming the first main lodge for the Boyd Lodge -- three miles from Ideal Corners, and six miles from Crosslake. "He was filled with guts and gumption," Schwieters said. "When he broke his ankle, he set it himself and kept on working." Schwieters and her husband, Roger, took over the operation of the lodge in 1967. Of their own three children, their daughter, Mary Young, and her husband, Mike Young, are now involved in the lodge’s operation. Nancy hopes the lodge can stay in the family. After all, even the stand of birch trees has remained with the family since her father happened upon it in 1934. The Boyd Lodge includes the original cabins, although they have been renovated, along with new buildings that now include 17 townhomes, as well as two swimming pools, two saunas, two whirlpools and two tennis courts. She said her father was a true futurist. "He said, ‘Mark my word. Someday there will be a swimming pool here.’ " While much has changed, the beauty of the area has not, nor has the face of at least one client. One gentleman from St. Louis, Harry Albus, now 92, has made a trip to the Boyd Lodge ‘most every year since it opened. He planned a return trip this summer from mid July to mid September. Customers such as Albus become like family to the Schwieters. In the early days, people often came to the lodge as part of a fishing trip. Today, they come more for family togetherness and recreation. While nothing could compare with the physical labor and other obstacles her father faced in the 1930s, Schwieters said her stress is caused more by the need for workers and increasing requests from guests for more amenities. "We have so many planned activities for the guests," she said. "Even with the hard work, my dad had more time to laugh, to fish, to spend time with the guests," Schwieters said. "We’re missing something today. In my dad’s day, people didn’t hurry as much." Schwieters remembers families that drove long distances to the lodge during the time of gas rationing coupons around World War II. Some didn’t know how they would get home, being short of gas coupons, but her dad always helped the customers finagle a way to make it back home. She also remembers going with groups of customers to a dance hall called the Log Jam. "People had fun, but things never got out of hand." Before the days of strict liability insurance, her family gave water skiing lessons to customers. And her family regularly took caravans of guests by boat across the lake to an island for a picnic lunch, with coffee made over an open fire with lake water. She also remembers talk of some "shady characters" who allegedly visited some northern Minnesota resorts in the old days. One vivid memory is the day in the early 1950s when two slot machines were suddenly missing from her family’s lodge. Slot machines had recently been outlawed. "Nobody ever talked about it," said. "People think there are quite a few slot machines in Trout Lake." "I have a lot of good memories," Schwieters said. "This lodge truly has been a labor of love and dedication. It has been a wonderful experience and I hope it will continue." Real Estate Values The lakefront property that Lynn Boyd purchased in the 1930s for $2 a foot would bring a slightly higher offer today. When Bruce Larson began selling real estate along the Whitefish Chain in 1978, a 100-foot lot in the most prime location you could find sold for $29,000. Today, that same lot would cost about $290,000. The average cost of improved property, with a cabin, is $250,000 to $500,000. Some cabins cost less depending on the location of the lot and size of the cabin. Most of the lake property is developed today. The Whitefish chain is attracting buyers not only from the Twin Cities, but also from Nebraska, California and Colorado. "A lot more jets are lined up at the Brainerd Airport than you’d imagine," Larson said, as well as some people who fly planes to the airport at Pine River. Fortunately, the increased development in the Whitefish area – both residential and commercial -- is accompanied by increased attention to quality of architecture, Larson said. Larson is co-owner of Shores & More Realty in Crosslake, and runs a team of agents and support staff inside the firm. "Years ago, fishing was king," Larson added. "Today, boating has become much more important. There is something for every member of the family – a fabulous blend of amenities." The increasing number of quality golf courses is fueling interest in the Whitefish area, Larson said. "Golf has become a very exceptional amenity. Some of the finest courses in Minnesota have been built here the past five to seven years, and more are being built today. This is becoming a golf destination; before, it was for lakeshore only. "Baby boomers are driving the economy. They want recreation as part of their lifestyle." Rollie Johnson Whitefish Chain resident Rollie Johnson has a few stories to tell, starting with his address. He lives on Bourbon Lane, on Lower Hay Lake, off Old Whiskey Road. The road was named Old Whiskey Road after World War II; up until then, the locals called it Moonshine Alley for the still that operated during Prohibition between Bertha Lake and Upper Whitefish Lake. Growing up, a neighbor next to his family’s farm on Lower Hay Lake served as a whiskey runner for Al Capone’s gang, delivering alcohol to dance halls and other locations in the Chicago area. "He regaled us with his tales," Johnson said. "Our mouths dropped open in awe." Johnson’s father and uncle served as guides for the former Kamberling Resort (now Driftwood Resort). Mr. Kamberling built a wooden boat and installed an inboard motor. "There was no such thing as an outboard motor in those days," Johnson said. All the boats were made from wood. The boats were tied together and pulled onto the lake by the boat with the inboard motor. When they got to the middle of the lake, customers would get into one of the small wooden boats along with a guide and row to a spot for fishing. After fishing, they’d have a shore lunch and then row back or have their boat pulled back to shore around 5:30. Guests usually were fishing for walleye which was plentiful in the lake back then. Johnson himself worked as a guide starting at the age of 10, starting by rowing women and children back to the resort after the shore lunch. Johnson so loved the lake and fishing that he traded his bicycle for a 3.2-horsepower Evinrude motor at the age of 12. Around the time of World War II, outboard motors were in use. Guides made $10 a day in the 1940s, Johnson said, and they needed to furnish their own boat, gas and minnows. "You’d put in 10 to 15 hours a day." Johnson’s father bought the family’s own resort in 1940 on Clamshell Lake. In those days, a one-bedroom cabin rented for $15 a week, a 2-bedroom cabin for $20 and the three-bedroom cabin for $25. Of course, that price included use of an outdoor biffy and an outdoor well with a pump. The four-cabin resort with a house and 640 feet of lakeshore on Clamshell Lake cost $5,250 in 1940. "Now it’s $3,000 a foot with no buildings on it," Johnson said. Johnson’s family also cut chunks of lake ice each winter and kept it in an ice house through the summer, delivering chunks of ice to local resorts. With no refrigeration, cabins typically had ice boxes. Ice was delivered every two days. He recalled that over time, most of the ma and pa resort operations either got bigger or were sold. Manhattan Beach Lodge The genesis of the Manhattan Beach Lodge can be traced to 1929. The lodge was located on a dirt road back then. A lumber train came through near the lodge and would stop at a pond called Manhattan Hole for water for the steam engine. The watering spot apparently was so named because, just as no trains pass through Manhattan without stopping, all trains needed to stop at the Manhattan Hole. Initially used as both a lodge and restaurant, the Manhattan Beach Lodge was incorporated as the city of Manhattan Beach in order to secure a liquor license. "We’re one of the smallest cities in the state," said John Zesbaugh who, with his wife, Mary, owns the lodge on Big Trout Lake on the northeastern corner of the Whitefish Chain. About 25 percent of the city’s 60 residents serve in an official capacity, which includes the mayor, city council and planning commission. When the Zesbaughs bought the lodge in 1990, it was in a state of disrepair. It had been used the previous 20 years as a rock-and-roll bar. Today, many locals visit the restaurant and the 18-room lodge attracts a wide range of guests, from Iowa farmers to Minneapolis corporate CEOs. "We have such a mix of guests; we try to be very flexible, and offer a broad menu in our restaurant." One patron of the Manhattan Beach Lodge decades ago claimed to have gotten a ride while hitchhiking on County Road 16 from John Dillinger. "He thought Dillinger was a pretty nice fellow," said Zesbaugh. Zesbaugh has also heard an account of notorious St. Paul gangster, [Alvin Karpas?], sitting at the lodge’s bar in the 1940s. In the 1930s and 1940s, the lodge’s basement was used for gambling – primarily cards and slot machines. Besides tales of gangster visits, the lodge is known for another kind of visitor – the ghost of a band member who played there in the early 1940s. The story goes that after band members packed their bus on a Sunday morning and took off 10 miles down the road, they noticed the saxophone player was missing. They returned to find all of his possessions still in his room but no sign of the band member. According to legend, his disappearance has never been solved. Strange things happen on occasion at the lodge and some people report hearing someone playing a saxophone. "After my wife and I bought this place, we pulled up barstools and were thinking, ‘What have we done?’ We were having a bit of buyers’ remorse. All of a sudden, a knick-knack fell off a post and landed near our feet. We turned it over and it said, ‘Don’t worry. Tomorrow will be a better day.’ " Other times, rolls of film taken almost always have one photo with a lighter shadow next to someone in the photo. "Some people have said they feel a presence here," Zesbaugh said. "The previous owner said they heard doors slamming down a hallway in succession." The lodge plans to offer its first-ever murder mystery the weekend of Nov. 11 called, appropriately, "Sax on the Beach." Zesbaugh described each of the lakes in the Whitefish Chain as having a different character. Trout Lake is a spring-fed lake that is exceptionally clean and one of the largest in the Chain. It is the only lake in the Chain cold enough to support lake trout. The lake’s cold temperature is caused by the deep springs that feed it. Jeanette Holm Knutson Camp One fixture on the Whitefish chain since 1953 is the Jeanette Holm Knutson Camp, commonly called Camp Knutson. U.S. Rep. Harold Knutson willed the buildings and 25 acres of land on Lower Whitefish Lake and Trout Lake to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in memory of his mother, Jeanette. His wish was that the camp be made available as a summer retreat to disadvantaged, "unfortunate" and disabled children. Two homes – Rep. Knutson’s summer home and a guest cabin built in the early 1930s – are still used today. After a transfer of ownership in 1978, the camp is owned today by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. In addition to individual children, special programs for families are available, including families with a member infected with HIV or someone who is deaf. In conjunction with the Twin Cities Autism Society, children with autism also visit the camp each summer – giving the children a beautiful setting for a summer vacation and giving their parents a much-needed break. This summer, about 900 campers are expected to visit the camp. Since 1953, an estimated 16,000 children and adults with special needs and their families have visited this special summer camp, most staying for one week. Many activities are available, such as arts and crafts, campfires, boating, swimming, water skiing and tubing. Taking the boat six miles to Crosslake for ice cream is also a popular activity. Use of the lakes is one of the camp’s most popular attractions. "The water is just beautiful and so clean," said Rob Larson, the camp’s operations director. He described spring-fed Trout Lake as crystal clear with a sugar sand beach. "It’s the most special lake on the chain. It gradually drops off to deeper water, making it perfect for campers with special needs. "We have eagles flying around the ridge line and loons calling at night. This is a gorgeous property. It’s quite a place." Lakes in the Whitefish Chain Ask five people to name the lakes in the Whitefish Chain and you likely won’t hear the same answer. Some people refer to the larger lakes region. Others agree that the following 14 lakes make up the true Chain, with other lakes being neighboring lakes. Arrowhead Bertha Big Trout Clamshell Cross Daggett Hen Island Little Pine Loon Lower Hay Lower Whitefish Rush Upper Whitefish |