Category Archives: Minnesota Tourism
Gully Day Celebrates The Jefferson Highway
In my presentations on Minnesota’s early resorts and tourism, I have often included comments on the Jefferson Highway. However, with the 2015 centennial celebration of the highway’s conception, I have been presenting separate programs focusing primarily on the Jefferson. This … Continue reading
Jefferson Highway Centennial Programs Well Attended
I recently presented Jefferson Highway programs for the Wadena County Historical Society’s Spring Lecture Series and for the Northern Exposure to Lifelong Learning in conjunction with the Clearwater County Historical Society. I was surprised at the number of people who … Continue reading
Inconsistencies in old maps
If you’re interested in resort history, maps can be a valuable resource for finding information. Early tourists relied on them not only to show how to reach a resort, but to know what amenities were offered. The maps were usually … Continue reading
Douglas Lodge: Classic Blue Ribbon Resort #5
One of my all-time favorite places to visit is the historic Douglas Lodge, located on Lake Itasca at Itasca State Park in north central Minnesota. (Lake Itasca is the official source of the Mississippi River.) While few log structures built … Continue reading
Highways Without Numbers
Minnesota’s International, Transcontinental, and Interstate Auto Trails The beginning of the twentieth century brought dramatic changes to tourism in Minnesota. The reasons? The emergence of continuous highways with uniform signage. This, coupled with the rapid development of the automobile industry, … Continue reading
What would you name your resort?
The Minneapolis Star Tribune (Sunday, August 10, 2014 edition) contains an article written by columnist James Lilek in the “twin cities + region” section under “around the state.” If you still have the newspaper, you can find it on page … Continue reading
Recent Presentations
Jefferson Highway Conference Since my last blog, the annual Jefferson Highway Association Conference, has come and gone, with members already anticipating next year’s 100 year celebration in Muskogee, Oklahoma (April 30–May 2, 2015). As a new member, I was … Continue reading