93CCC-1 Fredolph Hultgren’s Lodge, Green Lake, Spicer, 1940s .tiff

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7 Responses to 93CCC-1 Fredolph Hultgren’s Lodge, Green Lake, Spicer, 1940s .tiff

  1. Sara Severine Cowley says:

    Looking through my parents’ things I found a postcard of the Lodge. I believe they honeymooned there in August 1949.

  2. Geoff Wagner says:

    This is pretty neat. Are there any more photos of the grounds. My family used to vacation there from Sioux City, IA in the early 50’s usually the second and third week of July, after the May fly hatch! Once we were early. Those were so scary as a little kid…and then they were gone. All dead!

    I think there were three or four families from Sioux City at that time. We stayed in adjacent cottages at the left in the photo of the lodge. Besides swimming off the dock, swimming out to the float, my dad took me bass fishing on the east end of the lake. And the ice house across the street to save your cleaned fish until it could be cooked by the kitchen. There were other cottages up the hill across the street, and a tennis court. I think our waitress most years was Hannah. Her family were members of the lodge owner family. They lived at the opposite end of the field from the lodge. Families played softball and croquet in the yard/field after dinner(from were the photo was taken). We could shoot pool in the basement of the lodge. We would row boats around the lake after dinner or down and back to “The Old Mill”. And there were dances. I was probably between 5-11 years old then!

    I believe that we vacationed here largely because of my mother’s childhood memories of staying next door, just east. She told us that large building, next property east of the lodge property was where they stayed.

  3. Paula L Hultgren says:

    My dad, Roger Aaron Hultgren was Fredolf’s son. I was born in 1956 in Richland, WA. We traveled to the lodge every summer – usually on the Empire Builder- getting off in Willmar.
    I was very young, but have such sweet memories:

    The swings near the lodge sign.
    The porch & pop machine.
    The kitchen – area where there was chocolate milk near the dining room.
    The dining room – I would sit in a highchair – fish that had been caught on the wall.
    The livingroom (parlor) where my sister Laura & I would dance for grandma Hultgren (Hattie).
    We stayed upstairs in the guest rooms and were spoiled rotten.
    Chasing cousins around the staircase.
    Trying to water ski with Uncle John.
    Going in to Spicer – the rides & getting extra long rides on the ferris wheel – because we were the Hultgren granddaughters.

    I have such fond memories of a wonderful resort.

    Thank you for keeping the memories alive.

    Paula L Hultgren

    • Dianne Smith Langmaid says:

      My grandmother, Lillian Smith, was Hattie Hultgren’s youngest sister. She and her other sister, Agnes Smith McDonald lived in Vermont and I had the pleasure of traveling, by car, a couple times to Hultgren Lodge. The last time I believe was after 1959, and Hattie was in very poor health. I know my grandmother knew she would never see her again. I was about 6-7 and most memories nare of the lodge being enormous, and Spicer had a merry go round. I’ve lost touch with those in Minneapolis and seem to be the only remaining family in Vermont.

  4. Kim says:

    also the neighbors that bought Larabees from Willmar, Mn to west of us, Russells from Kansas to west of Larabees, then the Westwood Inn was the supper club that was the lodge earlier. During the day we played in the Westwood Inn with Kari (the daughter of the manager). Hide and seek and tag there. Everyone enjoyed the properties that they purchased! Russells stayed all summer, we came and went..we are from Springfield, Mn. The Cabins gave us such great memories. Our Grandmother Johanna had one cabin on the bottom of property, next to that was her daughter Bonnie and family and honeymoon cabin in the middle of property for Grandmother’s guests. (no kitchen, 2 bedrooms and bath). My family had the top cabin.. 7 kids. I was age 5..So the 1965 is the correct date that we bought it. Skipping rocks on the lake, raking the rocks for a better beach, and swimming all day! only stopping to eat in between!

  5. Kim says:

    We bought the 4 cabins on a sloped hill in around 1965. My grandmother bought it for $6000. her inheritance money. we were there for about 40 years. It broke our heart when it was sold by our parents. We wanted to buy it, but it didn’t work out that way. We had so many great years on Green lake at these cabins swimming, catching frogs after a rain. checking for crawfish before jumping into the lake. floating on inner tubes on the large waves.

  6. Steve Krahn says:

    Our family spent many wonderful summer days at great uncle Fredolf’s lodge. They had a pool table in the basement with leather pockets where I was first introduced to this game, though I recollect I could barely see over the rails and a cue stick was unnecessary. The old soda pop machine would sometimes release a freebie. Catching frogs, filling the bait box, we would be given a couple dollars from uncle John. Mesmerizing evening slide shows shown on the porch of a guest’s trip to Egypt, being introduced to camels, pyramids, and native costumes.
    Lots of rocks in the water but great swimming and fishing memories. I always wished my parent’s had bought it after uncle John died in 1965.

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