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The Early Resorts of Minnesota covers resort development from the first ones along the lower Mississippi in the 1860s to the entire state in the late 1950s when resorts were nearing their peak in numbers. Resorts that were operating at the time of writing are listed if they began before 1960. If they were bought and sold several times within a decade, some owners names may have been missed.

Tom’s Resort on Cass Lake was one that I overlooked–even though it existed for fifty years. It was developed in the late 1950s and continued until 2006, shortly before I started writing my book. It began almost too late to be considered an “early” resort. It must have been a popular resort. According to the Bemidji Pioneer Press, of March 3, 2006, Tom Accardo, the owner, was a professional baseball player with the Chicago Cubs organization from 1939 to 1954. In 1956 he started Tom’s Resort and it became one of the largest in the area, with 30 cabins, a restaurant, a bar, a pool, and a harbor.Tom became known as a cordial owner, a fisherman, a guide, and a cook. He passed away in 2009 at age 86.

Tom’s Resort had a simple and straightforward name. It certainly was easy to pronounce and easy to remember.

But what makes a good name for a resort? If you had an imaginary resort, what would you call it?  Here are photos of four resorts with unique names (click to enlarge, click on the back arrow to return to this page).

(Note, highlighted names below are links to resorts that still operate, or are museums)

Some of the earliest camps and resorts used Native American words in their names: Be-Mah-Quart, Chik-Wauk Lodge, Da-Bo-She Resort, Kee-Nee-Moo-Sha, Camp Mishawaka, Camp Nebe-Wa-Nibi, Sah- Kah-Tay, Sha-Sha, Shingwauk, Wa-Ga-Tha-Ka, Camp Wah-Bona-Quat, Wa-Keya, and Wi-Wi-Ta.

Many of the early names conjured visions of hunting and wilderness, such as Arrowhead Lodge (started in the late 1920s), Bearskin Lodge (1925), Gunflint Lodge (1925), Call of the Wild (1920s), and Deer Trail Lodge (1932). Some had rugged names like Burntside Lodge (1914) and Cutfoot Sioux Inn (1916); or bright names, like Silver Rapids (1919) and Star Island Lodge (1923). And there were colorful ones, like The Rainbow Inn (1920).

Owners put extra effort into finding just the right name. Visions of sunsets and aromas of northern pine forests were always popular–names like Blue Spruce, Timberlane, and Sunset View, as well as names evoking fresh air and windswept lakes, like Cool Ridge and Breezy Point.

Some names were quite creative in portraying a sense of uniqueness and humor: Camp Kool and Camp Delight; Train Bell and Luck-E-Strike; Clark Gable’s Resort and Isle O’ Dreams are examples. Others included Margie and the Bear, and Jack the Horse; Duck Inn and Mosquito Heights; Empty Bar and Laf-A-Lot Cabins; Teepee Tonka and Kola Tepee Lodge; I-O-Way Motel and Oma-Hawe’s Cabins; Cee-Es-Ta and E-Z Duzit;  Igo-Inn and In-We-Go; Dunrovin, Dunwurkin, Do Come Inn, and Rest-A-While; Idle Hour Cottages, Picture Window Resort, Baker’s Acres, Ro-Be-Doe, the White House, and Back O’ The Moon–all having a certain lighthearted quality.

For others, just plain “Ole’s Resort” was fine, as was Leina’s, Dean’s, Louie’s, Joe’s, Andy’s, Otto’s, Hank’s, Peg’s, Ernie’s, Phil’s, Bob’s, Bud’s, Verne’s–and Tom’s.

I wonder–why would a new owner change a name that was well known? Some of course had poor or insulting names to begin with, and usually they were changed when sold. Others had family names, which obviously would change. But resorts that kept their names over time made their histories easier to trace. By retaining a stable name, resorts could change ownership without changing signs and advertising, thus providing past guests and future generations of tourists an easy reference. Maybe names change because people simply want their own identity, even if it means years of promotion ahead.

Tom’s Resort was sold and no longer operates as a resort.  The property is now called “Tom’s Harbor,” with individual lots for sale as part of a lakeshore association. Tom must have been a special person to have his ordinary sounding name continue under new ownership and in a new age. It would have been easy to change it to Silver Harbor, or Cool Harbor, or Pine Harbor. But the new owners kept his name. They probably knew he played a role too important in the resort’s history to allow it to disappear.

Hundreds of unique resort names can be found in The Early Resorts of Minnesota. If you know of an early one that “slipped through the cracks” and wasn’t mentioned in my book, click here to let me know. Perhaps send me some of its history or some photos. Check the maps on this website first. You might find it hidden under another name.

The previous blog, “Early Resort Fires–Part One” mentioned some of the causes of resort fires. Part Two will list some of the early resorts that have been destroyed or damaged by fire.

The numbers of early resorts and lodges lost by fire are difficult to calculate, since many were not rebuilt and information has been lost. With today’s sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and modern fire fighting equipment, resorts which have escaped fires have a greater chance to continue as working examples of a Golden Age of family resorts. If you have other examples of resorts affected by fire, contact me and I’ll update this list.

Souvenir photograph favor from the Lafayette Hotel

Photos show some of the resorts before they were lost or damaged by fire. They have been rebuilt and are operating today. Click on any image to enlarge it, and the back arrow to return to this page.

Layfayette Hotel (James J. Hill), Lake Minnetonka. 300 rooms. Built in 1882, burned in 1897.

Hotel del Otero, ca 1909

Hotel Del Otero, (James J. Hill) Lake Minnetonka. Built in 1885, burned 1945.

St. Croix Hotel, Marine on the St. Croix. Burned 1892.

Chateaugay Hotel (Oriental Hotel), White Bear Lake, burned in 1910.

Battle Lake House. Battle Lake. Built near 1900. Burned in the 1920s or 1930s.

Fairview Inn (Koronis Lodge), Lake Koronis, Paynesville. Built in 1902, burned in 1920. Rebuilt in 1925 as the Lake Koronis Hotel. Remodeled as a home in 2001.

Mississippi Lodge. Mississippi River, St. Cloud/Sauk Rapids. Established 1941. Became Pirate’s Cove Supper Club. Burned in 1998. Plans pending to rebuild.

Geneva Beach, Alexandria, 1907

Geneva Beach Hotel, Lake Geneva, Alexandria. Established in 1883. Burned in 1911. Rebuilt, then destroyed again in 1942. Rebuilt and demolished in 1971. A new Geneva Beach offers a lodge, townhouses, and suites.

Blake Hotel, Lake Carlos, Alexandria. Burned in 1919, rebuilt in 1921. Demolished in 1970.

Rocky Reef, Lake Mille Lacs, Onamia. The main lodge burned in 1939. The resort continues today.

Breezy Point Lodge. (See “Early Resort Fires–Part 1.”) Burned in 1959. Cause of the fire was not determined. Rebuilt as a premier resort and time share complex.

Velvet Beach, Pelican Lake, Merrifield. Built around 1900. The lodge burned in 1969.

Bar Harbor 1950s

Bar Harbor Resort and Nightclub, Gull Lake. Built in 1938. Destroyed by fire in 1968. Rebuilt following original design in 2003. Remodeled in 2012 as a premier restaurant, Bar Harbor Super Club.

Madden’s Inn. The original burned 1964. Rebuilt as a premier complex becoming the largest resort in the state.

Inwood Lodge, Gull Lake, Brainerd. Built around 1925, burned in 1958.

Olson’s Resort, Big Mantrap Lake. Built 1937. Home burned in 1993 killing Carl Olson.

Parkview Resort Store (Schneider’s), Itasca Park. The store was originally the Wegmann Store at Itasca Park. It was moved in the 1940s to the Parkview Resort when the state bought the Wegmann property. The store burned in the 1960s.

Headwaters Inn, Itasca State Park. Built in the 1920s. Explosion in 1938 killed a park employee. Acetylene gas for lighting might have played a part, or possibly an unmarked container of white (unleaded) gas placed with kerosene containers. Resort was intact, but was demolished around 1950 for park expansion.

Woodland Store & Cabins, Lake George. Built 1931, burned 1939. Rebuilt and is operating today.

Island Lake Tavern and Cabins. Park Rapids. Built in the 1930s (estimate) Burned in 1951, killing William Richards, the owners’ son. Not rebuilt. Cabins remained along with a country store, but none remain on the site today.

Little Mantrap Camp (now Wilderness Bay Resort), Little Mantrap Lake, Park Rapids. The log lodge burned in 1989. Rebuilt as a home and store with cabins.

Weir’s Landing, Little Mantrap. The lodge burned sometime in the 1920s or early 1930s. Not rebuilt, but cabins remained and a store was built along U. S. Highway 71. (After several name changes, the buildings were removed or demolished.)

Fish Hook Hotel (became Rainbow Inn in 1920). Fish Hook River, Park Rapids. Burned in the 1960s. Not rebuilt.

Nob Hill Resort, Potato Lake, Park Rapids. (Later it was renamed The Shipwreck, then New Potato Lake Lodge, and finally Cowboys and Chrome.) Burned in 2007.

Roy Lake Lodge. Built in the 1930s (estimate). Burned in 1995 killing one person.

Lakeside Hotel (Minnesota Hotel), Detroit Lakes. Built around 1884, it burned in 1916.

Chase on the Lake Hotel, Leech Lake, Walker, 1930s

Chase on the Lake, Walker. Built in 1922, partially destroyed by fire in 1997. Rebuilt in 2008 with premier hotel rooms, lakeside condos, restaurant, and year round activities.

Birchmont Beach Summer Hotel, Lake Bemidji. Lodge burned in 1920. Rebuilt and became Ruttger’s Birchmont in 1939. Continues today with a premier lodge with 22 cabins and year round activities.

Andrusia Lodge, Lake Andrusia, Cass Lake. Burned in 1954. Replaced, but deteriorated in the 1960s.

Cottage Inn, Star Island, Cass Lake. Built in 1910 and burned in 1912. It was rebuilt as the Star Island Inn in 1912. Replaced in 1923 when the Star Island Lodge Resort was built. Demolished in 1972.

Lutsen, Lake Superior, ca 1930

Lutsen Lodge, North Shore. Burned in 1948 and 1951. Rebuilt. Continues today as a premier resort with classic lodge, cabins, condos, and townhomes.

Aztec Hotel, North Shore at Illgen City. Burned in 1958.

Illgen City Motel. Became Whispering Pines in 1956. Burned in 2009. Rebuilt and operating today.

Paine Hotel (later called Tourist Hotel). Grand Marais, North Shore. Built before 1915. Burned in 1932.

Gunflint Lodge, Grand Marais, 1928

Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Lake. Burned in 1953. One person died in the fire. Rebuilt and is operating today.

Northwoods Lodge, Poplar Lake, Gunflint Trail. Built in the 1920s. Burned in 1937. Rebuilt and burned again in 1965. Big Bear Lodge, with a classic log lodge and five cabins, was built on the site and operates today.

Gateway on Hungry Jack Lake (Hungry Jack Lodge), Gunflint Trail. Built 1924. Burned in 1931. Rebuilt 1932. Burned again in 1972. Burned a third time in 2008. Rebuilt in 2009.

Windigo Point Lodge (now called Poplar Haus), Sea Gull Lake, Gunflint Trail. After it was moved to Poplar Lake, it burned in 1974, and again in 1991, killing seven persons, including an owner, Vince Elkroot. Rebuilt.

Chik-Wauk Lodge, Lake Saganaga, ca 1940

Chik-wauk Lodge on Saganaga, Gunflint Trail. Built in 1931, then rebuilt in 1933 nearer the lake. It burned. A third was built of stone. It was closed in 1972 and became the Gunflint Trail Historical Society Museum in 2010.

American Point Resort, Penasse, Lake of the Woods. The lodge burned in the late 1960s or early 1970s.

More information and sources can be found in The Early Resorts of Minnesota.

One of the worst fears in operating any resort must be to one day see flames coming from a structure. If a plan of action was in place, it might be saved. If not, the owners would see the fruits of their labor go up in smoke, similar to so many other early resorts that suffered devastating fires–some occurring more than once. It seems odd that so many great resorts burned to the ground when most were located near vast amounts of water available to stop the fires. But losing control of a fire might easily happen if a fire was not discovered early, or if those present lacked training or extinguishers to act quickly. If water was not available immediately through reserve tanks or pumps and hoses, the nearby lake water would be useless.

There were many causes of resort fires. Historically, resort buildings have been constructed of logs and lumber, providing ideal fuels for fires. Heating systems were often dependent on wood stoves which could easily overheat or create dangerous levels of flammable creosote in chimneys. Fireplaces added northern charm, but flames, hot ashes, and sparks posed a constant danger. Gas or kerosene lamps and lanterns could easily ignite material if tipped or placed below shelves or near ceilings. Unattended kitchen stoves ignited food and grease, and careless use of cigarettes and pipes created fires in beds and sofas. Stick matches were common and were easily ignited by children. Generators used for creating electricity meant transporting highly flammable gasoline, and early electrical wiring was often installed without proper materials or training. Finally, there was always the danger of a lightning strike from a summer storm, or a careless person accidentally igniting a nearby pine forest.

Resorts today are much safer and less likely targets for fires, due largely to tougher fire safety standards, fire resistant materials, and modern fire fighting equipment. The 911 universal emergency telephone number is an advantage, but if the fires’s location is too far from the nearest fire station, the fire’s damage may be too great to save a structure.

Pictured below is one of the largest log resort structures to be destroyed by fire, Breezy Point Resort on Pelican Lake, north of Brainerd.

Breezy Point Lodge, 1940s (Click on picture to enlarge, click on back arrow to return to this webpage)

Breezy Point Resort

Wilfred Hamilton Fawcett, publicist and owner of Fawcett Publishing, acquired land in 1921 to build Breezy Point Resort on Pelican Lake. His building program in 1925 included the construction of a log lodge, one of the largest in existence at the time. It had seventy-five rooms. Advertising from the Ten Thousand Lakes Association indicates that it could accommodate 350 guests in 1925. Through Fawcett’s personality and contacts in the publishing and motion picture industry, Breezy Point Resort attracted the rich and famous, including Tom Mix, Clark Gable, and Carole Lombard. In 1926 Herbert Hotaling, Minnesota’s tourist commissioner and executive secretary of the Ten Thousand Lakes Association, stated that Breezy Point Lodge was “one of the finest log structures ever erected in the United States.”

Breezy Point burned on June 20, 1959, killing two guests. It was reported that the telephone system was destroyed before the fire was discovered, thus delaying notification to the fire department. When it arrived, it was too late to save one of Minnesota’s greatest lodges.

After many owners and changes, Breezy Point Resort has become a large modern resort and time share complex. Fawcett’s personal mansion was spared from the fire and is available for renting.

The next blog, “Early Resort Fires–Part Two” will summarize some of the resorts that were destroyed by fire. More information and sources can be found in The Early Resorts of Minnesota.

(If desired, click on any image shown to enlarge it, then click the back arrow to return to this blog.)

Douglas Lodge, Itasca State Park, ca 1914

The Rustic Style of Architecture played a significant role in the building designs of Minnesota’s tourist related facilities, first in our state parks, then in private lodges, resorts, and lake cabins. It was characterized by structures made of native logs and stone that blended with their natural landscapes (as opposed to refined lumber and nails, or bricks and mortar). The style’s beginnings can be traced first to the chalet architecture in the alpine regions of Europe, then to the Adirondack style of architecture in New York in the 1850s. It spread westward with the early railroad hotels in Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Canyon National Parks. Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone Park was built in 1904. The following year Douglas Lodge at Itasca State Park was built, which is considered the first example of the Rustic Style in Minnesota. It was designed by Clarence H. Johnston, Sr., a state architect who designed numerous buildings for colleges, correctional facilities, and hospitals, as well as private residences. The lodge was constructed by Thomas and Samuel Myers of Park Rapids.

Forest Inn, Itasca State Park

The style had universal appeal, since each region of the country could incorporate its own features of culture, terrain, surface materials, and vegetation in structural designs. While local materials for buildings had traditionally been used by pioneer settlers since the beginning of our country, those early buildings were usually simple and sometimes crudely built due to economic necessity. The Rustic Style introduced thoughtful design and aesthetics, working in harmony with the natural landscape.

Basswood Lodge cabin, ca 1949

Idlewild, ca 1930

After 1920, the National Park Service and National Forest Service adopted a policy to use rustic design in park and national forest structures. In Minnesota, resorts which received permits to build in the Chippewa National Forest have many Rustic Style buildings from this period. Other resort owners followed the examples by using the Rustic Style in constructing their lodges and cabins, especially in the northern regions of the state.

Scenic State Park CCC campground, ca 1930s

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the labor intensive Rustic Style was incorporated into the federal relief programs in state and national parks and forests. In this period some of the most beautiful rustic structures were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Fireplaces, gates and fences, picnic shelters, stairways, incinerators, comfort stations, pump houses, drinking fountains, bridges, benches, and signs–all became subjects for the Rustic Style. Private sector lodges emphasized open beams and split-rock fireplaces, with interior furniture made from tree gnarls, branches, logs, and willow. Antlers and mounted heads, furs, and leather were used in lodge and cabin decor.

Forestview lounge, Leech Lake, 1940s

After World War II, with more visitors traveling to parks, the National Park Service moved toward a more efficient and economical type of architecture, and the pure forms of the Rustic Style were discontinued. Modern construction practices, increased labor costs, and new materials and equipment became factors in forging a new style of rustic design.

Van Vac store, Burntside Lake, Ely, ca 1940

While we can still find beautiful original examples of the Rustic Style, they are becoming rare because of fires and deterioration. New structures in the old Rustic Style are still being built, but not in national or state parks, and on a much smaller scale in private sector resorts.

In a later blog entry, we can look at some of the more recent modern rustic design in resort buildings.