The Whitefish Chain area is home to a variety
of people, from all walks of life. Some community members are
retirees, who enjoy living in the resort-like setting north-central
Minnesota offers. Others are starting families and/or new businesses.
Some folks have owned lake property for many years, and use
cabins as getaways from their hectic lives in the city. Many
citizens work to support tourism, either in
resorts,
restaurants,
or other
related services. Yet in spite of the many different
types of people, traveling their various paths of life, everyone
along the chain is deeply connected to the nature around them.
As a result, communities along the Whitefish Chain celebrate
nature's importance in life-experiences, and work toward the
preservation of these beautiful areas.
The Whitefish Chain is a magical place. It is a place where
a child can catch his first fish, or hear the cry of the loon.
It is a place where eagles soar overhead, majestic and powerful.
It is a place to reflect on nature's healing, as deer gracefully
leap from place to place. It is a place of pale blue sky and
lapping water, perfect fodder for day-dreaming the hours of
summer away.
Fall is a season of brilliant color, a fireworks display of
reds, yellows, and oranges. Boating along the Chain in the fall
is a favorite activity, as is mountain-bike riding and hiking
as well. The crisp air of October breathes life into autumn
festivals and harvest events, urging one to partake in a cup
of hot cider.
Winters are no less magical on the Whitefish Chain. Stand in
the middle of the frozen lake, and listen to it moan and crack.
Be astonished at the number of stars shimmering in the night
sky. Cross-country ski through the quiet trails, or snowmobile
to a restaurant for a bowl of hot chili. Play ice-golf, softball,
or enter in an ice-fishing contest. Watch a winter parade…
outside.
Regardless of the season, you'll find lake residents and visitors
enjoying the surroundings unique to our area. There is always
something going on out of doors. And that's the way it should
be here. Nothing inside can compare to what we step into when
we leave our homes to complete our daily rounds. It's a place
like no other, the birthplace of memories that last a lifetime.
A Historical Perspective...
Ever wonder how Crosslake became Crosslake? The following is
just a little of the history behind the Whitefish Chain! To
begin at the beginning, Native Americans cared for and lived
off the land. Two of the prominent tribes in the area were the
Sioux and the Ojibwa. In fact, the two aforementioned tribes
once battled on the shores of Cross Lake! Once settlers appeared,
negotiations were made by the United States government to purchase
the land because it had a natural reservoir.
After reviewing survey results in 1836, Congress appropriated
funds to start the Pine River Dam, which was completed by 1886.
Back then, the sole industry in what is now our resort area,
was logging. The chain of lakes was created in order to move
the heavy beams from place to place, eventually shipping them
by train to big city destinations. Logging continued from the
early 1870’s until 1912. Before the dam was built, the
lakes were not interconnected.
The first entrepreneur to establish a resort-like business was
Ami Gould, who operated a logger’s road ranch in the Watertown
Township (Crosslake), in 1870. It was a place where weary folk
could eat a home-cooked meal and stay the night. Nearly thirty
years later, Rufus Heath built a homestead on what is now County
Road 15. The Heaths resided in their home until 1928. The original
building now stands in the Logger’s Camp of the Historical
Society. Another family, the Ostlunds, came to the Whitefish
Chain area in 1892.
As the local population evolved from loggers to families, the
landscape followed suit. A school was erected, followed by a
town hall, a store (The Crosslake Store), and a Post Office.
Resorts grew out of logging camps, and became a place of refuge
for city-dwellers. Today the Whitefish Chain continues to flourish
as a tourist haven. The Crosslake of today has an elementary
school, several flourishing churches, four banks, several restaurants
and shops and a busy community center. City sewer will be installed
within the next two years, and a town square was built in 2002.
Instead of moving logs, the chain of lakes now moves people!
Boating enthusiasts and fishermen alike spend hours on the Whitefish
Chain of lakes in the summer, while snowmobilers and cross-country
skiers enjoy its ice in the winter. The lakes along the chain
are: Arrowhead, Bertha, Big Trout, Clamshell, Cross, Daggett,
Island, Little Pine, Loon, Lower Hay, Lower Whitefish, Middle
Whitefish, Pig, Rush, and Upper Whitefish. Trout and Whitefish
are the deepest lakes, hitting bottom at around 130 feet.
Fish are abundant on the Whitefish Chain. Panfish (Crappie,
Bluegill, and Pumpkinseed) are plentiful in all seasons. Largemouth
Bass are found throughout the chain, but are more likely to
be caught on the smaller lakes, in weedy areas. Another deep
weed dweller is the Northern Pike, which is caught along the
Whitefish Chain year-round. Finally, the mother of all Minnesota
fish, the Walleye, is sought after by fishermen in the early
spring when spawning occurs near the Pine River inlet on Upper
Whitefish Lake. In the fall, anglers have better luck on Cross
Lake and Lower Whitefish, in 20-65 feet of water.
From Indian battle ground, to logging camps, to resorts, the
Whitefish Chain has seen many changes. The lakes once supported
life out of necessity; now they supply visitors with the joy
of quietly sitting amongst pines and water, waiting for a bite.
It remains lovely and pristine, a retreat for city-folk and
their families, as well as the fortunate residents who call
the lakes area home. |
