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Along the banks of the Manitowish River on Bensen Lake, J.W. Patterson’s Manitowish River Resort was in operation from 1946 until 1961. Tax records from Manitowish Water’s archives state that Patterson owned two boats, suggesting the resort was smaller than active nearby resorts such as Tichy’s Knotty Pine and Jones’ Lakewood Lodge.This resort was advertised in The Chicago Tribune. It was told that those who found this place would have fun, rest and great fishing. There was a lodge with rooms and cottages, and the resort ran on the American Plan. The cuisine was considered just plain good old fashioned home cooking. The Patterson family would close down the resort each fall and return to their home in Chicago.The site of Patterson's Manitowish River Resort is located on private property, which should be respected by all travelers to Benson Lake and the Manitowish River.

Patterson's Manitowish River Resort

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Small manufacturing continued to grow in the community of Manitowish Waters after World War II. Lyon Boats, Trueflight Feathers, RCM TV Towers were but a few who Hill's Archery joined as part of the small community of Manitowish Waters entrepreneurs. Recreational hunting, fishing, boating and the growth of summer residents provided important markets.Archery was a growing sport after World War II and Wisconsin's Northwoods was a leader from the earliest days. Roy Case from Racine, Wisconsin harvested the first deer with a bow on December 6, 1930, on Big Lake. Case demonstrated that bow and arrow hunting was humane and safe. 1934 marked the first bow season authorized by the Wisconsin Conservation Commission. In Manitowish Waters Trueflight Feathers created a special process for manufacturing feather for arrow fletching that still operates today. While Art La Haha ran his famous archery guide service out of the Bear Bar in Winchester.Ralph Hill worked at HI Case in Racine, Wisconsin where he also operated his archery business out of his basement. In 1951, Ralph and Francis Hill moved with their children Mary, Ronald, Nyla and Tom to Manitowish Waters. The Hill family moved to a vertical log summer home which provided little protection from a Northwoods winter. In the first winter, the Hill's children slept in bunk beds and occasionally woke-up with snow on their blankets that leaked through the vertical logs. Soon Ralph tightened the cabin walls and made several additions to their home. Hill also remodeled an old garage into his "new" factory to produce his innovative archery broadheads and points.Hill knew pioneer archer Roy Case, who helped Hill advance his business. The Hills were part of a growing archery community in Manitowish Waters area. Target shooting at a range next to the Oasis Bar (Smokey's) drew archery enthusiasts from several towns. Town chairman and husband to Mary (Hill) Hanson reports, that Ralph's wife Frannie was by far the best shot among the Hill family. The influence and recognition of the Hill's business was evidenced by the town naming the road to the hill property, Archery Road.In 1962, Ralph Hill sold his lakefront property to Ken Thies from St. Louis. Today, the workshop or factory for Hill's Archery Supply has been renovated into a year-round rental, operated by Jim and Emily Bokern. An old fire bell still stands in front of the old factory, marking an earlier era where families living on older properties communicated with fishermen to come home for dinner or to neighbors for help.

One of the greatest cottage industries in Manitowish Waters was Hill's Archery Supply on the shores of the Trout River inlet to Alder Lake. Ralph and Francis Hill moved to Manitowish Waters from the Racine area in the 1951 with their family. Manitowish Waters area was already hub for archery enthusiasts and manufacturing. Ralph Hill built his famous Hill's Hornet (3 blade) broadhead, 2 bladed broadhead, blunts and field points in a shop next his home. Today, traditional archery collectors prize Hill's craftsmanship and unique designs. Explore the images below and backstory that illustrates how a small lakeside business helped the evolution bow hunting.This site is on private property and is best viewed by water where the Trout River enters Alder Lake. The Wild Rice Lake boat landing is the closest access point. Private property rights should be respected and additional inquiries should be forwarded to mwhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.

Hill's Archery Supplies on Alder Lake

In April of 1934, while staying at Louis Cernocky’s Fox River Grove Inn in Fox River Grove, Illinois, Cernocky told the Dillinger Gang about a great hiding place in Northern Wisconsin. The Dillinger Gang was given a letter of introduction and directions to the lodge of Emil and Nan Wanatka in Spider Lake, Wisconsin (today, Manitowish Waters). They were told that this was a place where, “no one will ever find you”! Law enforcement was in hot pursuit of the gang, and they were running out of options of where to hide and regroup for more bank robberies. On April 20, 1934, members of the gang set out for northern Wisconsin and arrived at different times in four cars. John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Tommy Carroll, Red Hamilton, and Homer Van Meter along with Pat Reilly, Helen Gillis, Marie Mickey Comforti, Pat Cherrington, and Jean Delaney arrived for a long weekend. The gang paid $500 to stay at the resort, which was a great deal of money during the Great Depression. Nan Wanatka became alarmed by their presence and asked her brother-in-law, Henry Voss, to call in the Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The federal agents arrived by airplane the night of April 22, 1934, and had little time to prepare for the raid on the gang, especially when Dillinger decided to leave early. The agents staged the raid from Voss’s Resort right after arriving in Spider Lake. During the three-day stay, the gang was betrayed, the federal agents failed in their mission to capture the Dillinger Gang, and the weekend ended in carnage and escape. April 20-23, 1934 became legendary, and the lives of local residents, Civil Conservation Corps camp residents, and law enforcement were forever changed.

Little Bohemia Lodge is a present-day restaurant and bar with a history tied to John Dillinger and his notorious gang. The lodge is located in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin on Little Star Lake, one of the lakes on the Manitowish Waters chain of lakes. Emil and Nan Wanatka owned and operated the lodge where the Dillinger Gang sought refuge on the weekend of April 20-22, 1934. Tourists visit Little Bohemia today to enjoy excellent food, hear stories of that weekend, see bullet holes left in the windows and walls, and see part of the movie set left from the filming of the movie “Public Enemies,” starring Johnny Depp.

Little Bohemia Lodge

Eugene and Lela met in San Diego, California during World War II. Eugene had worked around airplanes all his life, and he was flying cargo planes to the Pacific Islands to deliver needed supplies to the military. Lela was living in San Antonio, Texas and inspected aircraft that were built there and soon to be sent to California. On one of the deliveries, Lela hopped one of the new craft being flown to San Diego and landed at the airport where Eugene was located. They fell in love and married. After the war, they built an airport together named La Pressa in Spring Valley, California. Airplanes and horses would become central to their lives in Manitowish Waters. For several years, Eugene managed the Manitowish Waters airport, while Lela and Darla ran the stables. If Eugene was at the stables and saw an airplane coming in, he would jump on a horse, grab the reins with one hand, hold a gas can in the other, and gallop across Highway 51 along the runway to meet the plane, make sure the passengers could get to their local destination, and refuel the plane. He would get back on the horse and gallop back to the stables.The first summer of the Flying “P” brought the purchase of 10 horses. They were bought in the Medford area from a mink farm, which sold the horses by the pound as they were either going to become saddle horses or mink food. The first horses were great trail riders, and the business was off to a great start. For the next nine years, additional horses were purchased from the mink farm. In the summer of 1956, Lela gave birth to the first little girl born in Dr. Kate’s New Hospital and named her Toni. Darla led her first trail ride at the age of five and worked her way through the years to running the stable as a teenager of 19. Her mother loved for teenagers to work at the stable, and as long as they worked, she fed them lunch, and they rode the horses. Darla grew up helping run the horse stables and enjoyed the social activities that drew young teenagers there to learn horsemanship and have fun times. Many of those teenagers were members of the Manitowish Waters Skiing Skeeters as well. The Flying “P” Stables became the horsemanship arm of Camp Jorn for many years, and the camp riders would come ride three days a week. Every summer, the stables would have moonlight trail rides and end up at Little Star Beach. There were campfires, and hot dogs and marshmallows were roasted. The horses always knew their way back to the barn along the dark wooded trails. One summer, a horse died under a large pine on the 12-acre property, and a bobcat climbed the tree and hollered all night. In the morning, the horse was untouched, and the bobcat was gone. They never had their horses injured by wild animals but saw many bears and deer on the trail rides. No one near the trails ever complained about the manure in the woods. As a matter of fact, Emil Wanatka, Sr. would come and collect manure to fertilize the pastures in front of Little Bohemia. It was said they were the greenest pastures in the Northwoods. Every fall, the family would close up the stables, store the saddles and tack, look at expanding the number of horses for the next summer, and enjoy most of September in Manitowish Waters. The daughters had the experience of attending the two-room school in Manitowish Waters and went back to California with great memories of that experience. Darla remembered that she could ride her horse Penny to school, and she was the most popular girl at school that day. She also felt that she learned her lessons well at school because there were only about 16 students in four grades, and along with the teacher, the older students taught the younger students. Darla and Toni would then return to California and finish the school year, eager to return each summer to the stables and summer in Wisconsin. The horses were boarded for the winter for many years at the Kassein’s Farm. One winter, illegal night hunters were spotlighting deer and shot one of Mr. Kassein’s work horses but didn’t get any of the trail horses. As the years went on, the stable grew to 25 saddle horses, and the memories of riding along the channel between Rest Lake and Stone Lake became vacation memories for many of the people vacationing in the community.

By Kay KransIn the early 1950s, tourists were becoming more and more interested in activities other than the usual up north experiences. Fishing and hunting were still the primary focus, but now more families were spending their vacations up north, and varied activities were welcome, paving the way for new opportunities for newcomers to the area. Eugene and Lela Poiron and their young daughter, Darla, traveled from California cross country to visit family in Pennsylvania. On the way, they stopped in Wisconsin to visit old friends. They learned of the treasured fishing and hunting place known as Manitowish Waters. They decided to visit the area and fell in love with the Northwoods. They purchased property from Jim Bart of Rest Lake Resort. Palmer Hanson (one of the town fathers) introduced himself to the couple and encouraged them to bring back the old riding stables and create a new tourist attraction for the community. The old riding stables were a perfect fit for Lela because she was raised on a farm in Texas and knew horses. Thus, in 1951, began the story of the Flying “P” Stables. The Poiron family began a lifetime of spending summers in Wisconsin, running the riding stables. The first summer was spent in a one-room shack, preparing the property to open the new stables. Darla spent that summer sleeping on a large shelf above her parents’ bed. As time went on, they purchased Campbell’s Resort and created the Flying “P” Guest Ranch with a 10-bedroom lodge. The Poirons bought horses and opened each summer from mid-June to Labor Day until 1970. The stables would become a destination for tourists, Camp Jorn campers, and local and summer kids who wanted to learn to ride and enjoy the trail rides that the stable had to offer.

The Flying “P” Riding Academy

Today’s Cozy Cove Tavern holds the annual Midsummer Bluegrass Festival where greats from the genre have performed since 1989. Jerry Florian purchased the property in 1988 with the dream of creating an annual music festival in the Manitowish Waters community. Over the years, Wisconsin bluegrass bands as well as world famous bands, vocalists and instrumentalists in the bluegrass genre have been featured at this festival.Originally, the property was built as a small resort with a tavern for gathering for meals and drinks. The land borders Highway 51 and the shoreline on Rest Lake. From the beginning, the property has had a history of great food and fun times. It also has a history of people who worked hard to create a business in the early years of the rise of tourism in the Northwoods.The first to own and develop the property was Carl C. Christensen, a carpenter craftsman who designed and built the buildings, which he named The Chateau. He was a local town constable for only one week when he was shot and critically wounded in 1934 by one of the most infamous public enemies of the 1930s, Baby Face Nelson.There are many stories about the series of owners who through their own personalities and business styles created their own version of what the tavern and cottages should be like. One of the owners was known for her beautiful singing voice, while other couples were known for their hospitality, humor and excellent cooking skills. Through the years, it was just a quiet bar for people to stop in and have a drink, eat wonderful ribs, have a good fish fry, meet a bunch of young adults, and party. Finally, it became the venue for the annual Midsummer Bluegrass Festival.The story of The Chateau begins on the weekend of April 20-22, 1934, when the John Dillinger gang came to Little Bohemia, a place where they believed “no one would find them.” Federal Agents were in a race to capture the gang, and the criminals had very few places left to hide and be protected. Christensen had recently been elected town constable and was busy that weekend running the Northern Lights bar with his wife Anne. She was a popular cook, and beer was again legal in Wisconsin. People from the surrounding areas liked to take a Sunday drive and end up for lunch or dinner at their establishment. Henry Kuhnert, owner of the Northern Lights Lodge and Resort, had promised to sell to the Christensens if they could make a good business at the bar.On Sunday, April 22, 1934, Special Agents Jay Newman and Carter Baum came to the Northern Lights bar and asked Carl to travel with them to show them possible escape routes from Little Bohemia, because the FBI believed they had the Dillinger gang trapped inside Little Bohemia Lodge. Carl told Anne to have lunches prepared for these men when they returned in about an hour. He was told to take his gun and ammunition with him. The three men were in a supped-up Chevy coupe that they had rented in Rhinelander. When opened up, the car could reach speeds of 100 miles an hour.They traveled down Highway 10 (51 today) and stopped at the FBI staging point at Voss’ Birchwood Resort. Another agent came out of the lodge before they had time to park and told them to go to Koerner’s Resort because Mr. Koerner had called to say a car was parked close to their house, and they could not recognize it. The men reversed the car in the dark night surrounded by the tall pines and traveled the short distance north across the bridge to Koerner’s home.As they pulled into the Koerner driveway, a group of men had just gotten into another car parked in front of the home. Christensen told the agents not to worry because the car belonged to a local. Newman rolled down his window and said, “Federal men here, identify yourselves.” In the other car were Emil Wanetka, Alvin Koerner, another Carl Christensen from Manitowish, and Baby Face Nelson. Nelson jumped from the car and ran up to the driver side of the law men’s car and put a gun in the face of Newman, saying “I’m going to hit you high, and I’m going to hit you low because I know you have bullet proof vests on.” He opened fire just as Newman leaned into his door to open it. Newman was grazed by a bullet to the side of his temple, and Baum was hit in the throat, neither having time to use their guns. Constable Christensen fell out of the passenger side of the car as Baum’s body rolled out on top of him. He pushed Baum off and tried to crawl away. Nelson came around the back of the car, putting eight bullets into Christensen. Nelson stole their car and raced off. Christensen laid there in the freezing night as he watched Baum breathe his last breath. Newman regained consciousness and rushed to find help. The men in the other car crawled off through the woods, fearing for their lives.Christensen received aid almost an hour later and was rushed to Runstrom’s hospital in Ironwood, Michigan. He was not expected to live through the night, but he did and spent weeks in the hospital recovering. One bullet was left in his hip until it was removed when he was in his late 80s.The federal government awarded Christensen $3,500 for his pain and suffering in his help with the battle with the Dillinger gang. In 1935, with that money, he and his wife built The Chateau on land they had purchased earlier for their homesite. They ran a very popular place, and he was known for his humor and pranks for the entertainment of his guests.In 1944, they decided to sell and bought a farm in Saxon. They later returned to their hometown of Racine, and he went back to carpentry, which brought him north during the Great Depression for work that had all but dried up in the cities.Walter and Norma Strum acquired the property from Christensen. Norma had a beautiful soprano voice and sang at special occasions. Her “Old Rugged Cross” rendition was very beautiful and powerful. In the 1950s, the Millers purchased the property from the Strums, who had retained the original name The Chateau. The Millers changed the name of their bar to Miller’s Bay. The Millers were city people but adjusted, and he supplemented his income by working for the town.Harel Miller was hit by a car in the 1950s and was unable to work, so his very beautiful wife ran the establishment for him. His wife met a customer, fell in love, and left Miller. The customer invented an innovative part for church organs and became very wealthy.While Miller owned the bar, it is said that he didn’t like strangers coming into his establishment. In order to be welcomed in, they had to prove that they would behave themselves at the bar. Harel was known to always wear a shirt with the sleeves rolled up. In 1966, he married a woman named Alice, and the place became well known for her excellent ribs. Alice had been very active in Wausau and ran bingo games there for many years. The place was nicknamed the “Wausau Pub” because so many people from Wausau came there for her ribs.During the 1960s, young people enjoyed going to Miller’s Bay. Miller eventually sold to Evie and Tommy Copeland, calling it Copeland’s Cozy Cove. Those young patrons also would spend time across the highway at The Highland Club and then return to the Cozy Cove. Evie was highly regarded as a wonderful cook as well. In the late 1970s, Jack and Joan Alonzo purchased the Cozy Cove from the Copelands.In 1988, Jerry Florian purchased Cozy Cove from the Alonzos. Florian named it on paper as the World Loppet Lodge, but publicly, it retains the Cozy Cove name. He and his father loved ice fishing and came to Vilas County on several fishing vacations. They liked to visit different bars and enjoyed thinking about having one someday. In 1988, Florian found the Cozy Cove, liked the place, and bought it. Forian’s passion was bluegrass music, and thus started a lifelong dream of having an annual festival, which he named the Midsummer Bluegrass Festival. The first year for the festival was 1989, and it continues today. A music enthusiast from Tomahawk helped Florian gather several bands for that first year. As the years went on, Florian decided this should be a festival that attracted the greats in bluegrass. It was hard for him to convince talent agents that this was a place to book their talent. Manitowish Waters was small and difficult to get to. However, Florian connected with and became friends with Dallas Smith and the Band from Shiloh. Florian talked about Bill Monroe and how he wanted him to be part of the festival. Smith told him that Monroe owed him a favor and that he could get him to come to Manitowish Waters. After Smith called in the favor, Monroe said he would come. When the agent called Florian, he said, “I don’t know how you did it, but put Monroe on the venue for the next Midsummer Bluegrass Festival.” Through the years, many of the bluegrass greats like Alison Krauss, Chubby Wise, the Osborne Brothers, the Dale Ann Bradley Band, the Georgia Rae Family Band, Vassar Clements, Larry Sparks, Amanda Cook, Rusty Ferrell, and Jimmy Campbell have entertained at the festival. The event is family orientated, and sometimes workshops are conducted on technique as well as music history. Jerry Florian has helped put bluegrass on the Wisconsin Northwoods map for over 30 years.

by Kay KransIf you were visiting the Manitowish Waters area in the 1950s and looking for a great daytime activity for your family, you might have taken a horse ride through the woods, courtesy of the Flying “P” Stables. Eugene and Lela Poiron, their daughter, Darla, and their horses brought summertime memories for many.

History of the Cozy Cove              

Beginning in the fur trade era, a practice of intermarriage between European traders and Ojibwe women developed. It started as a relationship to bind the economic interests among the two diverse cultures. After the regional collapse of the American Fur Company in the 1840s, trading continued in a different form, but the intermarriage tradition remained. In Manitowish Waters several pioneer families continued this tradition. Sarah Vance, an early Manitowish Waters pioneer, helped shape our community. She was noted for sharing Ojibwe culture. Local residents and visitors sought her Ojibwe traditional goods. Charles Smith Jr. recalled, "Dad would go over there, and we'd put our foot down and Sarah would put a line around it and she'd make us all moccasins. We had moccasins all the time." During a 1991 interview, Smith shared more about Peter and Sarah when asked if the Vances had a farm: "No, he didn't have much acreage back there if I remember and he did have the horses. Sarah got them for him and so forth and there would always be a little hay. I don't recall much of that, but he always had his deer because Sarah always had skins to make us moccasins every spring. She made the old sweetgrass baskets. Sweetgrass isn't around here anymore. You have to go way out into the West to find that old sweetgrass...It was the nicest smelling thing, and we got that nice basket made. You could smell that sweetness to it, really nice." Peter and Sarah Vance witnessed the Manitowish chain's evolution from a remote wilderness to a thriving Northwoods community.Peter Vance was also beloved by folks who settled in the Northwoods. His expertise and adventures made him a Northwoods legend. Fortunately, Paul Tarbel, writer for Forest and Steam Magazine, was a client of Vance and documented an 1899 fall hunting trip. Tarbell brought a city friend on the trip who qualified as a tenderfoot or greenhorn hunter. Vance and his good friend Joe LaVigine guided Tarbell's party on an amazing adventure. The Manitowish Waters Historical Society has recorded Tarbell's articles, In the Heart of the Wild Woods Parts I and II, as podcasts. Each of these podcasts are linked to this Clio entry for you follow the adventures and antics of Northwoods guides and their clients.Vance was extremely active into his later years. Charles Smith Jr. documented: "Pete was right in the middle of that, and he poled up the river from Manitowish up to his place on Dam Lake, now Vance Lake, which I'm pleased to see. That's upstream all the way and he was in his 80s then. He was quite a guy." Charles Smith Sr. and Vance collaborated on a sportsman film of Manitowish River: "Ed Taylor, the sports editor of the Chicago Daily News and Dad and Pete Vance, did a movie of the Manitowish River. No, this was the early 1920s because I saw it play in 1924 and 1925 at the Ashland Theatre." Sadly, when Smith tried to retrieve the films, he learned that the movie was thrown out just days before.As Vance aged, he continued guiding, and loved maintaining his garden on Vance Lake.

Peter Vance and his Ojibwe wife Sarah were among the first pioneer families to settle in what ultimately became Manitowish Waters. Changing the name of Dam Lake to Vance Lake, honors the site of their homestead and their historic contributions. Peter Vance claimed to have traveled up the Chippewa River in 1884 from Menominee, Wisconsin to the Manitowish chain of lakes. Peter Vance worked as a timber cruiser, trapper, guide and operated an early lodge until 1903. Sarah Vance maintained strong connections to her Ojibwe heritage and prove to be a strong partner for Peter. She was noted for sharing Ojibwe culture. Local residents and visitors were eager to buy her traditional Ojibwe goods. To view the site of the Vance Homestead, the dock in front of Angler's restaurant provides a great view from afar. Those who wish a closer view should put in at the canoe landing below the Pea Patch, and paddle into Vance Lake. The site of Peter and Sarah Vance's homestead is located on private property. Private property should be respected by all travelers to Vance Lake.

Site of Peter Vance's Homestead

The first mention of Bill and Valerie Mehl coming to the Manitowish Waters area is in a 1934 article telling of their two-month vacation at their cottage on the Manitowish River. In this article, it is reported that the couple is spending their winter at their home in Allentown, Pennsylvania. By 1947, their summer home is said to be on Vance Lake and their winter home is in New York.By 1949, an ad instructs deer hunters to make their reservations at the 30-30 Lodge where they can stay the entire deer season for $40. Thus was the beginning of the Mehl’s 30-30 Lodge. Early oral histories and some town residents claim the bar of the 30-30 Lodge was built around an old trapper’s cabin.The 30-30 Lodge became a popular spot for hunters and fishermen, and Bill was known as a great fishing guide. Valerie Mehl was known as a wonderful cook, and tourists chose the lodge as a great place for dining. Local families enjoyed the lodge as well and celebrated family events here. For example, in 1956, family and friends of Mary Brunner celebrated her 75th birthday at the lodge.During the 1950s, Mr. and Mrs. Mehl not only ran a resort and served great food and beverages, but they also both ran for public office in Manitowish Waters. Bill ran as a candidate for town supervisor against Henry Larson and Neal LaPorte. At the same time, he also successfully ran for Justice of the Peace, a position he held for many years. Valerie ran for and won the seat of Town Clerk.In the 1950s in the Iron County Miner, a Northwoods fishing fan wrote a poem dedicated to Bill and other guides of Manitowish Waters.“Our Guiding StarsI long to go fishin’Ever am wishin,’Up north on the lakes ‘mongThe pine,Where muskies and pike,Black bass and the like,Make sport at the end of your line.I long to go castin’No more am I askin’,‘Cept sure on my stringer are fish,The sport it provides,With far famous guidesOf the Waters of ManitowishBy CSS Judge: When I get lonesome, I try to cheer myself up by putting in rhyme my good thoughts about all you good lads who contribute so much to the popularity of our water.”As Justice of the Peace, Bill became very involved with cases involving game violations, and he worked hard to convict violators, confiscate their licenses, and take away their weapons. He was also active on the board of the Manitowish Waters Sportsman Club, and in the early 1950s, the club worked hard to protect the deer population.As a popular fishing guide, he often told his customers that the fish responded to the barometer as well as the wind, and he was often proven right in these predictions. He was featured in a newspaper article about ice fishing in the Wausau Daily Herald. During the 1951 Muskie Marathon, he was named the most successful Manitowish Waters guide in the contest. He believed in teaching children to fish, but to “hook” them to the sport, it was necessary to have them fish with a cane pole for pan fish which took the line quickly and kept the kids entertained.In the spring of 1961, the 30-30 Lodge was open for Easter dinner and served prime rib or roast turkey from 1 to 8 pm. Eight days later, Valerie Mehl died suddenly, and Bill was left to run the 30-30 Lodge as a widower.By 1974, Bill had spent 66 summers fishing the waters of the Manitowish region. He told his fishing customers of the 1970s that summer now brought more than fishermen. They were the minority on these lakes as the fast boats and water skiers were taking control of the waters. The avid fisherman of long ago was being replaced by the family man who fished a little and bought fast boats for family fun. Bill went on to retire in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and passed away in 1994.The next owners of the 30-30 Lodge were Dennis and Beulah Hughes. One ad promoted the lodge as the fun land of the north with fishing, hunting, water sports, and horseback riding. At this point, the Hughes seemed to be running a family resort. However, by 1972, the focus of newspaper ads showcased go-go and topless dancers. Stories abounded about the Hughes’ 30-30 Lodge, and it was no longer a family dinner location. Eventually, the business faded away, and the lodge was torn down.In July of 2005, there was action again on the 30-30 Lodge property as Denys Ray Hughes, son of the owners, returned to Manitowish Waters followed by federal law enforcement, which was aware of the potential threat of this man because of a car search in Kansas. The FBI and ATF sent agents to Manitowish Waters to search the Hughes family home. Homes in the immediate area were evacuated while agents determined the threat Hughes and the items he possessed were to the vicinity. He was arrested in Manitowish Waters on the threat of possessing explosives, illegal silencers, and bomb-making materials. His Arizona apartment also turned up similar items. He was not believed to be tied to terrorist organizations but claimed he was a militia man and survivalist. He was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison for trying to create a biological weapon and other bombs. In May 2011, he was being transported from a Colorado prison to a halfway house in Milwaukee by bus when he disappeared in Nebraska. His body was found in 2012 along the South Platte River in Nebraska. John Hanson, town chairman at the time of the raid by federal authorities in Manitowish Waters, was quoted as saying, “We haven’t had this much police presence since Dillinger was here.”Thus, an exciting, frightening and sad end to the legacy of a Northwoods establishment, the 30-30 Lodge.

The 30-30 Lodge represents several unique chapters in the history of Manitowish Waters. From humble beginnings, starting in 1934, Bill and Valarie Mehl built a resort and supper club that was a classic Northwoods establishment for more than 30 years. Fine food, good service and nice accommodations were the standard at Mehl's 30-30 Lodge. Bill Mehl was noted for community service and being an excellent fisherman. By the late 1960s, the Mehl's sold their business to retire.Dennis and Beulah Hughes took over the 30-30 Lodge and followed the Northwoods resort and supper club tradition for only a few years. By 1972, the Hughes 30-30 Lodge offered adult entertainment with topless go-go dancers. A few years after featuring risqué entertainment, the 30-30 Lodge closed its doors. Sadly, in 2005 Denys Ray Hughes, son of Dennis and Beulah, returned to their family's property on Vance Lake to advance his militia and survivalist's ambitions. ATF and FBI personnel captured the younger Hughes with explosives, illegal weapons, and base materials for a biological weapon. Federal authorities captured Denys Ray Hughes without incident by posing as utility workers working on electrical lines.To view the 30-30 Lodge, the dock in front of Angler's restaurant provides and great view from afar. Those who wish for a closer view should put in at the canoe landing below the Pea Patch and paddle into Vance Lake. The site of 30-30 Lodge is located on private property, which should be respected by all travelers to Vance Lake.

30-30 Lodge

The past can often fall into three categories in the Manitowish Waters region. The first is simple: the history is gone from the landscape. Time moves on, resorts and old buildings are replaced, and all that remains are old photographs and newspaper clippings. Sometimes the past can remain how it was with few changes, like Little Bohemia and Voss’s Resort. It can also fall somewhere in the middle, with the past being built on top of or altered slightly. This third category is where the Rest Haven resort would be placed. The Rest Haven resort has gone by many names like Rudy’s Rest Haven, Ehrich’s Bavarian Inn, Swanberg’s Bavarian Inn, Parkside Tavern and now Manny's Parkside, which opened in 2022. It is a location where we can still see the “bones” of history, with updates and changes built on top; modern restaurant aesthetics that pay homage to the resorts of the past.The Rest Haven resort has been around, in some form or another, for so long due in part to its geographic location in the region. Located on County Road W off Highway 51 and in the town of Manitowish Waters, this resort has been a destination for vacationers dating back to around 1925. The original resort in this location came around 1925-1926 under the ownership of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Shroeder. The resort was aptly named Schroeder’s Resthaven and was located roughly in the area that is Manny's Parkside and Koller Park now. The resort really came into prominence in 1943 when Rudy and Garnet List bought the property and rebranded the resort as Rudy’s Rest Haven. The List’s owned the resort from 1943 to 1966 when Rudy’s health worsened, and the couple relocated to Key Largo, Florida. Rudy’s Rest Haven became a highlight of the resorts and local community. The resort was known as “The House of Good Food,” with Garnet running the kitchen and Rudy tending the very popular bar that complemented the restaurant. People came to the bar for food and drinks, or perhaps to see the famous talking “Joe the Mynah Bird” who would greet customers at the door. From advertisements, it seems like Rudy’s Rest Haven prided itself in its restaurant and bar. For example, in 1951, winners of a local muskie competition were awarded a “dinner for two at Rudy’s Rest Haven.” The resort also had several cabins along “W” and Ilg Road, a beachfront and docks, and one gasoline pump. In 1970, Bill and Rita Ehrich purchased the resort and renamed it The Rest Haven, changing the name a few years later to Ehrich’s Bavarian Inn. Bill was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War and ran the resort with Rita for over 20 years. The name was changed to fit the then new German-inspired menu. An Ironwood Daily Globe advertisement from 1971 reads “Bavarian Specialities like sauerbraten, wienerschnitzel, etc. Imported German beers and wines.” The restaurant was open year-round, advertising for road trips in the summer and snowmobile adventures in the winter. The Ehrichs sold the property in 1991 and both passed away in 2009, months a part.Between 1991 and 2006, Eileen and Greg Swanberg owned and operated Swanberg’s Bavarian Inn. The Swanberg’s continued the success and good reputation of the previous owners as evidenced in 1998 and 2001 when the Wisconsin Restaurant Association Northwoods Chapter awarded the Swanbergs the Outstanding Restaurateurs of the Year. The modern iteration of this property as Parkside Inn seemed to emulate the past. But the restaurant moving forward as Many's Parkside will move into that first category as the building has taken on a completely new look, within the long-standing structure. While the resort has faded away in favor of the public park and waterfront, the reputation for good food and drinks lives on within the framework of the same building that has been a part of Manitowish Waters history for the better part of a century.

Imagine walking into a lakeside restaurant to be greeted by a wolf-whistle or "I'm Joe" from a mynah bird. That is one of many fantastic stories from this fun and historic location. The Rest Haven resort has gone by many names like Rudy’s Rest Haven, Ehrich’s Bavarian Inn, Swanberg’s Bavarian Inn, Parkside Tavern and now Manny's Parkside, which opened in 2022. It is a location where we can still see the “bones” of history, with updates and changes built on top; modern restaurant aesthetics that pay homage to the resorts of the past.The Rest Haven resort has been around, in some form or another, for so long due in part to its geographic location in the region. Located on County Road W off Highway 51 and in the town of Manitowish Waters, this resort has been a destination for vacationers dating back to around 1925. The original resort in this location came around 1925-1926 under the ownership of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Shroeder. The resort was aptly named Schroeder’s Resthaven and was located roughly in the area that is Manny's Parkside and Koller Park now.

Manny's Parkside

In 1922, the Win-Mar opened under the ownership of Marie Zimmerman and Winifred (Winnie) Johnson Young. The business started out as a supply post building, measuring 8’ by 8’ and made of canvas and birch poles used to support the canvas roof. Over the years, Win-Mar expanded into a resort with cottages, a restaurant with a dining hall, a gas station, a grocery supply, and a boat livery. It began as a lake side/roadside stand and evolved into a full-service resort. They were known for their great food and hospitality. They advertised their hamburgers as one of their best specialties.In 1928, Winnie and Marie and the Wisconsin Automobile Insurance Company sued Frank Milavetz over a car collision between Winnie and Milavetz. The crash happened between Mercer and Manitowish. Winnie was awarded $1,117 for property damages and $256 for personal injuries. This award may have helped with improvements on the resort. By 1934, the resort was still expanding, and ads for waitresses and hired hands were seen regularly.Tragedy struck in 1934 when Steve Smith, an employee of the Win-Mar store and restaurant, drowned after his canoe capsized by the Rest Lake Dam. He was standing in the canoe on his approach to the Win-Mar landing when the canoe capsized. Several local men and 20 members of the CCC Camp Mercer 660 helped the Mercer Fire Department search for the young man.By 1935, what was known as the Win-Mar sandwich shop had been expanded to include a new dining room that overlooked the lake. The new dining room was large enough to have live music and dance parties. By the early 1940s, Marie and Winnie were spending their winter months in either Florida or California. Ads in The Chicago Tribune in the 1940s described clean home-like housekeeping cabins with electric lights and gas stoves. The resort ad also highlighted proximity to stores, train and bus service.Tragedy again struck in the 1940s. In 1944, Marie had not been feeling well and suffered a heart attack that was serious enough for her to be hospitalized in Rhinelander. At the end of March 1945, the Win-Mar main structure was destroyed by fire. The lady proprietors were awakened around 4 a.m. and were able to escape from the fire. A new stock of items for the tourist season and all else were lost in the fire. The damage was estimated at $15,000 with only partial insurance coverage. The fire truck was dispatched from the Mercer Ranger Station and rushed to the scene, and upon arrival, only the icehouse could be saved.In 1954, it is interesting to note that an Evansville, Indiana newspaper travel log article of where to stay in Wisconsin, the two resorts mentioned in Manitowish Waters were Voss’ Resort and the Win-Mar. By 1955, Winnie and Marie sold the Win-Mar to Richard C. Hill of Milwaukee. Hill changed the name to the Blue Spruce Resort and promised a carefree vacation in beautiful Manitowish Waters. He warned that spring was the time to book for the best accommodations.On April 27, 1961, Charley and Inez Pea came to Manitowish Waters from California and purchased the resort. Charley and Inez’s story before arriving in Manitowish Waters is worth noting.Charley and Inez had met in Memphis, Tennessee, while he was stationed nearby with the Navy. They would wait to marry until after World War II. In 1942, Charley was on the aircraft carrier Lexington when it sank from torpedo hits in the Coral Sea. He was lucky as he was retrieved from the water by a destroyer.Charley was a native of Oklahoma, and Inez was from Mississippi. Charley had just retired from the Navy and wanted a second career. He had heard about the possibility of owning the Blue Spruce from his brother-in-law who worked locally at Little Star Garage. Charley and Inez bought the resort and tavern without having ever seen it. It must have been quite an experience to come to town right as an April blizzard dumped snow on their new purchase.Neither had ever served a drink and knew little about running a bar and resort. Inez said that they read lots of books, trying to figure out bartending and resort care. Charley remembered the first time a customer asked for a “screwdriver,” and he went right to his tool chest and got him one. They hired Jerry Wonderling as bartender, and he taught them the ropes.They rented out seven cottages and did all the work themselves. For meals, they began serving ham sandwiches, then hamburgers, and later added pizza. A 1962 ad describes the modern housekeeping cottages with innerspring mattresses, gas heat, and reasonable rates. Fishing was considered fine.They renamed the place the Pea Patch Resort and Tavern and declared that their resort had “the best fishing in Northern Wisconsin by a Dam Site.” They were active community members and loved the Northwoods. Charley was a member of the Manitowish Waters Fire Department for 25 years and became an EMT. They were members of Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, and Inez always raised money for the Eagle River Cancer Society. By the late 1970s, they began to dream of moving to Mississippi to be close to Inez’s family. They sold the tavern in 1978 and the cabins in 1979. Six of the seven cabins were torn down by the early 1980s.The Pea Patch was leased by Carol McClellan’s mother and sister. For a short period of time, it was known as Fast Eddy’s.Jerry and Judi Schmidt moved to Manitowish Waters, and Judi worked in real estate for Ed Hunter in Boulder Junction during the summer of 1982. She opened her own real estate office in late 1982. They purchased the Pea Patch and turned the living quarters into a real estate office. In 1984, Judi established Schmidt Haus Reality.At first, Judi and Jerry worked the bar by themselves. Judi met a lot of real estate customers over that bar. They ran the Pea Patch as a full-service restaurant, and they coined the slogan “The best hamburgers sold on a Dam Site.” On Saturdays, they served salted shelled peanuts, and everyone threw the shells on the floor. Other nights, free appetizers were served to the joy of their customers.They had three managers over the years: Gary Wallschlager, Kurt Potter and Judi’s sister Patti Norman, who became known as “Pea Patch Patti.” Patti was a barber in Madison prior to moving to Manitowish Waters. She brought her barber chair to the Pea Patch and gave haircuts to customers in the bar room. She was also remembered for serving “Upside Down Margaritas” in the barber chair.For many years, during the opening of fishing season, a group of fishermen from the Sheboygan area would stay at the Pea Patch and take over the place. On Friday, the kitchen was turned over to them, and they made a fish fry with their catch and served a free fish dinner to the customers.Unfortunately, Jerry was killed in an automobile accident in February, 1986. Judi would later marry Bud Arnold, and Judi and Bud built the motel at the Pea Patch. A 2004 article in The Los Angeles Times stated that the Pea Patch Motel and Saloon accommodates tourist with 11 motel rooms and kitchenettes with doubles for $48.Judi and Bud spent their winters in Florida, and in the winter of 1996-97, they received a call from Barry and Lisa (LaPorte) Hopkins, asking if they were interested in selling the Pea Patch. Judi and Bud talked it over, decided that the Hopkins would run an excellent bar, and the rest is history.Today, the Pea Patch is an outstanding business with great hospitality, quality food, and owners who contribute so much to the community. Throughout the years, Barry and Lisa have created wonderful activities at the bar as well as in the community. Music in the Park was established by Lisa and Barry, becoming one of the most popular Sunday activities in Manitowish Waters and the surrounding area as people travel from neighboring towns to attend. Their generosity and concern for the community has enriched many lives.

Whether you are on a pub crawl, hike, kayak/canoe trip, on a snowmobile, a bicycle or, of course, driving, be sure to stop in and enjoy, "the best drink by a dam site."In the early 1920s, the Win-Mar opened under the ownership of Marie Zimmerman and Winifred (Winnie) Johnson Young. The business started out as a supply post building, measuring 8’ by 8’ and made of canvas and birch poles used to support the canvas roof. Over the years, Win-Mar expanded into a resort with cottages, a restaurant with a dining hall, a gas station, a grocery supply, and a boat livery. It began as a lake side/roadside stand and evolved into a full-service resort. They were known for their great food and hospitality. They advertised their hamburgers as one of their best specialties.On April 27, 1961, Charley and Inez Pea came to Manitowish Waters from California and purchased the resort. Today, the Pea Patch is an outstanding business with great hospitality, quality food, and owners who contribute so much to the community. Throughout the years, current owners Barry and Lisa (LaPorte) Hopkins have created wonderful activities at the bar as well as in the community. Music in the Park was established by Lisa and Barry, becoming one of the most popular Sunday activities in Manitowish Waters and the surrounding area as people travel from neighboring towns to attend.

Pea Patch Motel and Saloon 

The site of the Manitowish Waters Fish Hatchery was just north of the Pea Patch Saloon and an important historic Manitowish Waters destination.Northwoods fishing continues to attract thousands of tourists each year to Manitowish Waters and the surrounding region. Even before highways, sportsmen and sportswomen would travel by rail to their favorite fishing destination. Some of the trains were actually called, "the Fishermen Special." As hard times fell upon America during the Great Depression, Northwoods' communities competed for scarce tourist dollars.The town of Spider Lake (becoming Manitowish Waters in 1940) took the initiative to reach out to the Wisconsin Conservation Commission and enter into a public/private partnership to establish the Manitowish Waters Fish Hatchery. This effort was likely spearheaded by conservation activist and resort operator Alvin Koerner. Locals, working with Wisconsin Conservation Commission staff, would collect the eggs from fish in the spring, hatch the fish fry, feed the fish in rearing tanks or ponds, and ultimately release the fish into the Manitowish chain of lakes.Posts below the Rest Lake Dam remain and outline the old fish hatchery.A few years after the success of the Manitowish Waters Fish Hatchery other communities began to construct their own hatcheries with the support of the Wisconsin Conservation Commission. The Civilian Conservation Corps also began to construct new hatcheries and rearing ponds to propagate different species of fish and allowing fish to grow throughout the summer. Circle Lily Creek, Rice Creek, Plum Creek, Fish Trap Dam and Lake of the Falls represent Northwoods' Depression Era fishery sites.The entire town celebrated as the fingerlings would be transported in large milk containers to selected lakes. The milk containers held just enough oxygenated cool water to keep the fish healthy. Boats would move the fish into deeper water to release the fish, dispersing the new fish and protecting them from shoreline predators like blue herons or sea gulls.Today, area anglers are challenged by declining fish populations. Groups like Walleyes For Tomorrow use their fundraising networks to recreate the magic of the 1930s municipal fish hatcheries that all began below the Rest Lake Dam in Manitowish Waters.

Discover how the first municipal fish hatchery in Wisconsin helped Manitowish Waters survive the economic collapse after the stock market crash of 1929.During the Great Depression, the Wisconsin Conservation Commission was short on cash to stock area lakes. Manitowish Waters stepped up, raising $1000 to construct a fantastic fish hatchery just below Rest Lake Dam. Tourism was the lifeblood of the local economy, and back in the 1930s, fishing was the big attraction. The Manitowish Waters hatchery's success inspired other municipalities like Mercer to follow our model. The hatchery operated into the late 1940s or early 1950s before it closed. Today, the conservation group Walleyes For Tomorrow conducts similar operations and helps stock Northwoods' lakes.

Manitowish Waters Fish Hatchery

The most defining feature in the community of Manitowish Waters is the Rest Lake Dam. Discover the origins of the Rest Lake Dam and the large river drive lumber camp that was located at the inlet to Vance (formerly Dam) Lake. In 1902, the sprawling lumber camp was the site of the largest river drive ever conducted on the Chippewa River. Imagine 150 "River Pigs," drinking to celebrate this historic event before ushering millions of board feet of logs to Chippewa Falls. From the Army Corps of Engineers' surveys of 1878 until today, the location and operation of the dam has been debated. For over 130 years, dams between Vance Lake and Rest Lake have created one of the finest Northwoods impoundments for both early logging and long-term recreation.

Mississippi River Logging Camp and Rest Lake Dam 

“Supreme Comfort in a Wilderness of Beauty”As seen on a map in the 1957 Manitowish Waters Chamber of Commerce Booklet, the Northern Lights Resort was located on a point extending into Rest Lake. Between the years of 1931 and 1958, travelers would have taken Highway 51, across the Rest Lake Dam to the resort (today that road is Country Road W). “Situated on U.S. Highway 51 on the shore of Rest Lake, one of the famous Manitowish chain of 14 lakes. Overnite from Chicago on the C. &amp; N. W. Ry,” states an advertisement from the 1936 Chamber of Commerce Booklet.In order to stand out amongst the many other fantastic resorts on Rest Lake, the Northern Lights Resort had to advertise its amenities, which provides an insight into what vacationers sought out in the Northwoods during that time period. For example, many newspaper advertisements during the 1930s boasted Northern Lights’ “fireproof” and “modern” cabins with heating and bathing systems for guests. These amenities seem basic now, yet back then they would have been a great draw.During the 1940s, specifically during World War II, the resort displayed its patriotism by having a “Deluxe Victory Dinner,” which included fresh fruit; choice of chicken, steak or fish; potatoes; chef’s salad; and dessert. Meals like that would continue to be featured in advertisements for the resort in the 1950s along with an emphasis toward families with young children. “Give mother a workless holiday too!” shouts an advertisement from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from 1953. “Sandy bathing beach safe for children!” exclaims the advertisement in the Manitowish Chamber of Commerce Booklet of 1952. As America entered the baby boom generation, family vacations and road trips became the staple of summer.Regardless of the decade, the Northern Lights Resort consistently flaunted the Manitowish chain’s exceptional fishing. An advertisement from The Racine Journal Times in 1931 states, “Finest Muskie Waters in Wisconsin” as others state the abundance of muskie, bass, walleye, pike and trout for visitors to fish. In fact, Manitowish Waters hosted a Muskie Marathon in 1952, with the first muskie prize being a one-week free vacation at the Northern Lights Resort. All of these amenities and advertisements came from ownership that changed hands but never lessened the quality of care being provided. The resort was originally run by Otto H. Oestreich, who was born in Milwaukee in 1893. He was a mason and building contractor in Milwaukee before moving to Manitowish Waters where he ran the Northern Lights resort for some years. The resort at this time was one main lodge with a dining room, 10 bedrooms, and a bathroom with hot and cold running water. The resort grounds also included eight cabins around the main lodge. Next, the resort was owned and operated by Henry A. Kuhnert and his wife Sophie. Henry was born in Caledonia, Wisconsin in 1873. In 1927, he purchased about 57 acres of land around Kathan Lake in Oneida County for a five-log cabin resort. Sometime between then and 1931, he sold that property and purchased the Northern Lights Resort. The earliest mention of the resort is an advertisement from 1931. Kuhnert was a part of the Manitowish Waters community, working as a local guide and chairman of a committee that handled the local fish hatchery in 1935. Also of note was Kuhnert’s run-in with John Dillinger’s gang whose member, Tommy Carroll, stole Kuhnert’s Packard sedan on the night in 1934 when the gang had a shootout with federal authorities at the Little Bohemia Lodge.Evidence suggests that around 1940 ownership of the resort shifted to Albert and Ida Zigray, and the name of the resort was branded Zigray’s Northern Lights Resort. According to The Rhinelander Daily News in 1958, “Zigray said he sold the resort two years ago after operating it for about 15 years and moved to Florida.” This information would put the ownership change at 1940 with Zigray closing the resort around 1956. Also, an advertisement in the Ironwood Daily Globe touts Zigray’s Northern Lights “Our Ninth Season” in 1949.The last chapter for this vacation destination ends in 1958, as it is the last mention of the resort. In 1958, newspapers reported the former Assembly Speaker Mark Catlin Jr. was granted a beer and liquor license for the Northern Lights Resort. The reports say that Catlin, an attorney from Appleton and friend of Zigray’s, had leased the resort from Zigray, who could not hold a liquor license due to his residency being in Florida. However, what became of the resort after that is unclear as this story in The Rhinelander Daily News reports in 1958, “Catlin will not operate the resort. Zigray said that he would manage it and a bartender would be hired.”The resort business on Rest Lake was always competitive. Owners had to know how to sell the experience of a vacation on the Manitowish chain of lakes and then deliver that experience. Given the Northern Lights Resort’s reputation and longevity, it is clear that this resort and its owners were successful in bringing out the best the Northwoods has to offer.

Starting in 1931, the Northern Lights Resort succeeded in spite of the Great Depression. The beautiful views of Rest Lake were complemented by the sound of rushing water over Rest Lake Dam. The sprawling shore north of the dam also included a bar across the road.After the Northern Lights closed around 1958, the property was lent and later leased to the Skiing Skeeters water ski show starting in 1962. The Skiing Skeeters performed on the grounds of the old Northern Lights until the property sold in 1988. Condos and lakeshore development now occupy the resort's footprint.The bar across the street soon became a restaurant and a series of owners have offered amazing food to locals and visitors. The current restaurant pays tribute to the Northern Lights legacy with the name Aurora Borealis, delivering fantastic food accompanied by the rhythmic sound of pounding water crashing at the base of Rest Lake Dam.

Aurora Borealis Restaurant

The land was an important site for the Ojibwe and those that came before them. It was an ideal location to set up camp for gathering food resources and farming. The earliest known use of site of the Camp Jorn area was by Indigenous people as a summer camp. It was a great strategic point for raising crops, gathering berries and plants, fishing, and watching who would be passing on the lakes. It was also a great stopping place between Lac du Flambeau to the rice fields between Big Lake and Round Lake. It was a great location for the important work of summer harvesting and gathering in preparation for the long Wisconsin winters.As westward expansion moved pioneers further into Native Americans lands, non-native property owners were investing in land for the harvest of the natural resources that the forest provided. As early pioneers discovered the vast, mature forests, they moved to prepare this place for the harvest of the virgin forest. Land speculators, timber companies, mining interests, and homesteaders moved to own this land and the rest of the forest. After the white pine were harvested, there were land sales, and the railroads moved in for the harvest of the red pines and hardwoods, as evidenced by several lumber companies owning this property.Land ownership is documented as early as 1855 with a Florida war contract from the U.S. Congress. Through time, various lumber companies such as Chippewa Log and Boom Co., Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Co., and G.F. Sanborn Co. owned this place. One family attempted to create a ginseng farm, and eventually, it was owned by the State of Wisconsin.At the turn of the 20th century, fishermen and tourists began discovering the rich waters of this cutover land. Fishing was world class, and the next phase in the property’s history began.In 1924, Charles and Jessie Nash purchased the property and created the summer estate “Rest Camp.” The Nash family enjoyed their summers on Rest Lake for the next 23 years. In the autumns, he and his wife, who he referred to as “the general,” would make trips to Detroit to visit family and then spend their winters in Beverly Hills, California. Charles Nash had founded Nash Motor Company in 1916 after having served as president and general manager of Buick Motor Company and later as general manager of General Motors Corporation. On Rest Lake, he built a beautiful lodge and many smaller sleeping cabins and outbuildings. In 1925, Nash donated the money needed to build the log cabin lodge at Camp Manitowish. In 1926, he purchased a sawmill, store and many acres of land in the Winchester area. In addition, he purchased Fox Island on Rest Lake. Many family barbeques were cooked by Nash on a massive outdoor fireplace located on the island. The island known as Fox Island is the site of one-time Native American farming. H.E. Fox, a dentist from the Gogebic Range, bought the island, built a cottage, and entertained friends on the island on Rest Lake. The island is used today by Camp Jorn, and many people stop for a swim on its sandy beach.Recently, the lodge at Camp Jorn was remodeled and is a beautiful place for gatherings. Imagine the Nash family bringing their servants, chauffeur, nanny and nursemaid, and spending the summers from the 1920s to 1947. Think of the beautiful Nash cars that traveled to Rest Camp through the years. The Dengel family began vacationing in the Northwoods in the 1920s and started the tradition of staying at Voss’ Birchwood Lodge. Many fun summers were spent “Up North” by generations of the family, especially enjoying fishing, swimming and boating. Jack Dengel was told that the Nash estate was for sale, and one of his summer friends declared, “Why don’t you buy it?” And, soon thereafter, he and his wife did just that. In 1947, Jack and Dorothy Dengel purchased the Nash estate and created Camp Thunderbolt.The boys enrolled at Camp Thunderbolt were given a summer experience of a lifetime. “Where summer vacation helps build the men of tomorrow” was the motto in their brochure. Camp was a success, and boys came from all over the country. In 1949, General Dwight Eisenhower made a visit to camp while on a fishing trip to the Northwoods. In 1952, Camp Thunderbolt was sold to the Lake County (Illinois) Family YMCA and opened as Camp Jorn in 1953. Today, Camp Jorn is an independent YMCA camp. The property still sports the main log cabin and other family quarters, including the Nash playhouse for their children. Camp Jorn supports the local community with a day care center and summer day camp. The resident camp has a great reputation, and many campers return, and some become counselors and even members of the Board of Directors today.

By Kay KransImagine an indigenous summer encampment on a peninsula overlooking a water route of people traveling from place to place to gather wild rice, fish, or forest foods. At camp people are tending gardens and drying fish or making canoes. Later visualize a wealthy family and servants enjoying the summer sun. Move forward in time and listen to the voices of boys and eventually girls enjoying the camp experience. The property known today as Camp Jorn has an important history and legacy in Manitowish Waters. From Indigenous people to farm land to the Nash estate to Camp Thunderbolt and now Camp Jorn, this property has a vast history.

History of Camp Jorn

Winchester residents Frank and Lucie Laundrie purchased the property at the corner of Highway 51 and County W and in 1927 opened a filling station and refreshment stand known as Tower Inn. The 26' X 30' building was made of cedar logs on the round, peeled and varnished, and furnished accordingly.  In May 1928, Lucie was appointed to manage a new post office known as Rest Lake that opened in the Tower Inn, with mail delivered by a special carrier from the Manitowish Post Office. In 1926, Frank had been appointed as Vilas County Sheriff when then Sheriff Bowker resigned. In 1928, Frank decided to run as an independent Republican candidate for Vilas County Sheriff and sold the business in October of that year to Arthur and Josephine Zermuehlen from Two Rivers.The Zermeuhlens changed the name to The Tower Tea Room, moved the existing 26' X 30' log structure to a new location on the property, and built a large two-story frame structure to house a general store and lunchroom. A $2000 soda fountain was featured in the lunchroom and a lighted tower was constructed on the roof of the building. The new business opened in 1929.Oscar Hantke from Hurley, who managed the soft drink parlor, was the victim of a shooting in August 1930. At 11:15 p.m. on a Sunday evening as he was closing, two men approached and shot him three times, then drove away. Severely wounded with bullet holes in his left hand, right arm and right side of his chest, he walked three and one-half miles to the Matt Plunkett farm and was ultimately driven to a hospital in Ironwood, Michigan. No motive for the attack was known and Hanke recovered from his wounds.Between 1930 and 1944, The Tower Tea Room was owned by the Zermuehlens but for several years was operated as George Bazso’s Tower Cocktail Bar and Dining Room.  William Garber became the new owner of The Tower Bar and Resort in July 1944. For many years, the Garbers opened their resort seasonally, offering rental rooms, meals, Standard Oil gas pumps, and a tourist information center. The Tower was the venue for many civic club meetings, wedding receptions, fund raising events, church social events, and private parties.Pat and Ken Jastrop owned The Tower Bar during the 1970s and 1980s, often hosting the men’s and women’s pool leagues. Subsequently, in 1988, The Fireplace Inn remodeled the building and offered a supper club environment for many years. The Fireplace was run by Nick Grevan, who ran the front of the supper club, and his wife Honey, who provided amazing food from the kitchen. Patrons paid extra to have their names placed in the bar counter under layers of spar varnish. The property transitioned between owners for a few years under the names of Changing Waves and the historic name, The Tower Bar. Today, Angler's Fine Food and Spirits offers year-round fine dining and a cocktail bar. A separate outdoor bar and grill is available during the summer. The original log building still exists, the main building has been enhanced once again, the roof top tower is gone, and the tradition of hospitality is alive and well.

Business has flourished in this location since 1927 when Frank Laundrie, a former Vilas County Sheriff, built a filling station and refreshment stand at the busy intersection of what was then U.S. Highway 51 and County Trunk W. it was called the Tower Inn as it stood in the shadow of a 55-foot fire tower owned and operated by the Wisconsin Conservation Commission.In May 1928, the first local post office was located within Tower Inn. The property changed hands several times with new owners always expanding and improving service offerings to keep up with growing tourism demands. The Zermuehlens, Garbers and Jastrops were each subsequent owners of The Tower Tea Room, Tower Bar and Resort, and The Tower. Later businesses existed with the names of The Fireplace Inn and Angler's Fine Food and Spirits. Today, that intersection is now County W and Tower Road, and Anglers is still an anchor of downtown Manitowish Waters commerce. Sadly, the fire tower no longer exists.

Angler's Fine Food and Spirits

The Rest Lake Ranger Station and Fire Tower was part of state forester E. M. Griffith's plan to deliver effective fire control and forest management to the new forest reserve. Rest Lake was the western most forestry station that proved effective in building a fire prevention infrastructure and having teams of fire fighters ready to respond quickly. The ranger station was removed by the early 1920s, but the Rest Lake Fire Tower and a smaller ranger cabin remained until the 1950s.In 1912, the original fire tower at Rest Lake was a 55-foot windmill tower with a makeshift cab placed on top. In the winter of 1933-1934, Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees from Camp Mercer dismantled the old tower and built a more modern 100-foot observation tower. By the early 1970s, the Rest Lake Tower was dismantled and moved to Harrison Hills, Wisconsin. The footings for the fire tower are still visible on the hill next to Angler's Fine Food and Spirits.The Rest Lake Ranger Station was first operated by forest ranger Herman Kruger in 1912. Kruger and his family live in the ranger cabin, while additional forestry workers resided in the nearby bunk house. Shortly after 1915, the Rest Lake Ranger Station was downsized because automobiles and trucks could more efficiently transport fire fighters and forestry workers, allowing consolidation of forestry staff closer to the Trout Lake forestry headquarters. Improved roads and a new bridge between Spider and Manitowish lakes dramatically improved response times to fires. Still, ranger cabins remained on the property closer to the fire tower.One of the unused forestry buildings was quickly repurposed as the Rest Lake School for children who lived nearby. The Rest Lake School operated in rented forestry buildings until the mid-1920s. By 1925, the Rest Lake forestry property along Highway 10 (Tower Road today) was subdivided to accommodate the Tower Inn and a satellite post office from Manitowish, Wisconsin. A few years later, the larger Tower Tea Room (tea was legal to serve during prohibition) was added to the subdivided land where the ranger cabin once stood.Rangers continued to live on the forestry property near the fire tower until the 1950s. Unfortunately, the iconic Rest Lake fire tower was relocated in the early 1970s. Today, the town bike trail follows the curve of the hill that once helped elevate the fire tower above the tree line. Cyclists, hikers or folks having refreshments at Angler's can make the short climb up the hill to see the two geological marks and old footings for the CCC tower. The view of a red pine canopy is still pretty nice.

The Rest Lake Ranger Cabin and Fire Tower were one of the four original outposts created by the Wisconsin Department of Forestry in 1912 to stop the vicious forest fires that plagued the Northwoods.Like spokes in a wheel extending from the Trout Lake Headquarters, new ranger stations could spot fires from 55-foot towers and report back to Trout Lake on new phone lines where Trout Lake rangers triangulated a fire’s location and coordinated fire responses. Rangers also utilized specialized firefighting tools and portable phones cached throughout the forest reserve to resupply and get fire updates from Trout Lake. Ranger stations also had bunk houses to maintain a corps of men for fire suppression, fire watch and building telephone lines, roads and fire lanes. Remote patrol cabins and auxiliary fire watch towers were later built to improve coverage and response time during fire season. Over time, new ranger facilities improved forestry employees’ response to critical needs within the forest reserve.

Rest Lake Ranger Station 

Ethel Powell’s Fern Lodge was unique to Manitowish Waters as the only State Forest Reserve Lease resort. Using the state lease program, Powell could operate her resort for as little as $25 a year. Improvements on the property had to follow state guidelines, and Powell was responsible for all building and maintenance on the property.This lodge remains a bit of a mystery, but in 1916 and 1926, Poole maps from the Wisconsin Historical Society collections clearly illustrate the location and existence of Fern Lodge. Town records from 1928 also identify the Powells running a resort on Vance Lake. Fern Lodge also appeared in a circa 1936 promotional map and brochure of Manitowish Waters, offering both American Plan and housekeeping accommodations. Powell passed away in 1944, which seemingly marked the end of Fern Lodge’s operations.In 1927, Ethel Powell's brother Cliff was arrested for moonshining and sent to prison for three months. Since the resort was called "Powells" in the 1926 Poole map, Cliff may have been supporting his sister's enterprise on Vance Lake. Manitowish Waters resorts and taverns tended to ignore the Volstead Act that enforced Prohibition and made sure guests had all the comforts necessary to enjoy their stay in the Northwoods. In 1932, Ethel Powell was convicted of hunting deer with a spotlight and spent 30 days in jail for her offense.In October of 2004, famed Manitowish Waters historian Michael Dunn recalled: “…a lady named Ethel Powell ran a little American plan resort, a very humble one, and after her death an auction marked the end of her little business. Afterwards, the state turned part of the property into camping sites. The period when the old women had the resort would have come to its end in the late Thirties or early Forties, and apparently the closing came suddenly when she took ill or died. Her resort was named Fern Lodge.”Today, the site of Fern Lodge is on a spur trail of the North Lakeland Discovery Center’s Manitowish River loop trail. An old foundation just before the DNR campsite picnic table, some day lilies, and lilac trees are the only remnants of Fern Lodge. Into the 1950s, a boat landing was maintained just north of Fern Lodge and likely served as the access point to Vance Lake for the resort, too. In the 1957 MW Chamber Guide, the old Fern Lodge property was listed as Vance Lake camp sites and state owned.The road leading to Fern Lodge was originally built to access an old river drive logging animal yard that supported the logging efforts of the Mississippi River Logging Co. and the Chippewa Lumber and Boom Co., both of which were located at the lower parking lot of the Pea Patch next to Rest Lake Dam.A short hike from the bike trail will lead you to the DNR canoe campsite on Vance Lake and the former site of Fern Lodge. The hike is not to be missed. Moving east through the forest canopy toward the Manitowish River, you will encounter large red and white pines, and some maturing hardwoods. The view from the terrace of land that supported Fern Lodge is lovely, and informed hikers sometimes bring appetizers and drinks to enjoy at the DNR picnic table.Be sure to visit this site in the winter by hiking or snowshoeing. Due to the fast current from the Rest Lake Dam and the Manitowish River exiting Vance Lake, swans frequently gather in the open water during the coldest days of winter. Hikers are often treated to up-close views of swans while hiking along the river and lakes. Sunset is the best time for viewing as swans fly to open water as the sun retreats over the river.Cheers to Ethel Powell, who ran her business for at least 28 years on Vance Lake!

Imagine operating a lakefront Northwoods resort on the Manitowish chain for $25 a year! Using the Wisconsin Conservation Commission's state lease program, Ethel Powell did just that for 28 years.While riding on our amazing bike trail or exploring along the Manitowish River hiking trail, be sure to take the time to discover Powell's Fern Lodge. Today, the site of Fern Lodge is a DNR campsite that overlooks Vance Lake with a nice view of Angler's Fine Food and Spirits and Dixie's Coffee House. The camp site is at the end of a spur trail, which is part of the North Lakeland Discovery Center's Manitowish River loop trail. For best results, use the AllTrails link below to navigate the bike and hiking trails. The beautiful river and lake views along the trail illustrate why Fern Lodge was a special Northwoods destination.

Powell's Fern Lodge

From the earliest days of logging exploration, the Vance Lake logging site stood out as a key location with great promise. In 1878, the Army Corps of Engineers selected this site as the best location for a 25-foot high Rest Lake Dam. In 1880, the dam height requirement was lowered to 15 feet, and the Rest Lake Dam was built further upstream to what is now the outlet of Rest Lake. In 1887, the Mississippi River Logging Company immediately built a large logging camp next to the Rest Lake Dam. This logging operation initially operated in the winter months. Logs were cut, and then skidded or hauled on sleds by oxen and horses. Keeping large numbers of livestock near the logging camp created significant animal waste and watering requirements, and camp animals needed grazing lands during the warmer months. The Vance Lake logging site was close to the Mississippi River Logging Company and provided many advantages for tending to livestock. First, the Vance Lake logging site was at the outlet of the Manitowish River where the current was swift enough to remain ice-free all winter. Evidence of barbwire growing into the middle of a large white pine by the river suggests loggers cleverly allowed animals to water themselves year-round, thus sparing laborers the need to dig wells and/or haul water. The logging site and berms are atypical because the structure is quite large, on a significant slope, and has no root cellar or dugout area. Investigations of dozens of area logging camps reveals structures were constructed on level ground or built level into a hillside. At the Vance Lake logging site, dirt for the berms was excavated in a way that the ground in between the sloped berm was level without holes. This level and sloped ground would facilitate animal waste to move more easily into the river, where it would dissipate in the current.The area between the berms is mostly devoid of trees, compared to the surrounding forest. After at least 115 years to recover, the soils are unable to support normal forest growth, suggesting that some trauma affected the soil, leaving it less fertile. Animal waste driven into the ground by hoofs would be a logical explanation for diminished vegetation in what was likely a large bermed animal barn.The Mississippi River Logging Company would have required a large structure for the animals needed to support logging operations. By 1905, most river drive logging had concluded on the Manitowish River. By 1916, the property was owned by the State of Wisconsin and leased to Ethel Powell, who ran Fern Lodge for at least two decades.Fern Lodge is also a cultural site recorded in the Wisconsin Archeological Site Index and protected by state statute form any disruption or collecting of artifacts. These sites in the same space illustrate a multi-use cultural site, which is typical throughout Wisconsin’s Northwoods.

The river drive logging era challenged loggers to make large camps in remote areas to harvest the white pine timber of the Northwoods. There were equipment and animals for skidding logs that needed to be hauled to pineries. And there was a need to feed hungry lumber jacks. The Vance Lake logging site is atypical and seems to be a stand-alone building site dedicated to sheltering livestock. A large bermed area, mostly devoid of trees and barbwire, marks this cultural site. Berming was a practices loggers used to seal the outside foundation of a structure with two or more feet of dirt.Today, the Vance Lake logging site is on state forest land and can be accessed from North Lakeland Discovery Center’s Big River Trail Loop at interpretive sign 13 or the bike trail that follows the Manitowish River. It is illegal to dig, metal detect, take artifacts on public lands without a permit from the DNR Archaeologist and State Archaeologist. The Vance Lake logging site is a cultural site recorded in the Archeological Site Index and protected by state law. Observing, taking photos and sharing stories around this exciting destination are encouraged.The Vance Lake logging site is about 135 years old and visitors being good stewards will ensure others can enjoy this unique cultural destination for generations to come.

Vance Lake Logging Site

In 1878, the Army Corps of Engineers conducted a series of surveys along to the Chippewa River to facilitate dam construction mostly for phase 1 river drive logging and flood control. Captain Charles Allen led these surveyors, but his assistant Mr. J. H. Dager led the survey for the Rest Lake Dam. Dager and his men proclaimed the Rest Lake dam site as excellent, able to hold back 25 feet of water. Interestingly, after extensively researching and documenting a 25-foot head of water at the original dam site located a few meters downstream of the outlet of Vance Lake, the U.S. Congress changed the height of the dam to 15 feet in 1880. Ultimately, the dam was moved upstream to its present location at the outlet of Rest Lake, likely because a local resident like Peter Vance might have suggested the goal of a 15-foot dam could be achieved at the modern Rest Lake outlet site with a fraction of the construction. Early surveys suggest that river drive white pine logging began in the Manitowish Waters in the 1860s.. These logging operations were likely conducted by wildcat loggers without formal property rights, committing timber trespass. Small teams of loggers cut logs close to rivers and lakes, created crude dams, and drove logs down the Manitowish River to mills along the lower Chippewa River. Smaller logging operations continued to log the Manitowish Waters area until Fredrick Weyerhaeuser's "syndication” of lumber and log driving corporations built the Rest Lake Dam and logging camp. Other legitimate river drive logging groups did conduct honest lumber operation and drives, but required Weyerhaeuser's large reservoirs to move their white pines to market.Pressure from the lumber interest expedited government hydrology studies, Army Corps of Engineers projects, and authorization of dam construction. The resulting dams created new impoundments or reservoirs throughout Wisconsin. These impoundments proved to be vital to all phases of logging in the Northwoods. Phase 1 river drive loggers need the water to drive millions of linear feet of timber down Wisconsin rivers to be processed and sold. Phase 2 railroad logging benefited less but still used reservoirs to float timber like red pines to railroad hoists. While Phase 3 pulpwood logging sometimes used waterways to drive logs, the reservoirs proved vital to control water flow to the new pulpwood mills that lined Wisconsin's rivers.Today, folks in Wisconsin often refer to these old logging reservoirs as "flowages,” providing amazing recreational benefits. These legacy flowages have added to the many natural lakes that define the northern part of the state. Turtle Flambeau, Chippewa and Willow are but a few of the remnant flowages that provide spectacular outdoor recreation and huge opportunities for commerce. The Department of Natural Resources has worked to create a property designation of Scenic Waterways to preserve and manage several of these impoundments. Importantly, these modern waterways began with early dams for logging.

Exploration of documents from a 1878 Army Corps of Engineers survey reveals that the Manitowish Waters chain of lakes was to be much larger! Today, the modern Rest Lake Dam raises water levels about eight feet above the above the original water level, but the Army Corps of Engineers had designed a dam for Rest Lake that would hold back 25 feet of water. Most residents and visitors are unaware of this plan and have a difficult time imagining lake levels being 17 feet higher than today. 19th Century river drive loggers required dams to facilitate driving white pine logs down stream each spring. The Rest Lake dam site on what is today the outlet of Vance Lake was considered to be among the best dam sites on the Chippewa River watershed. Ultimately, a different dam site was selected just up stream, which held back a maximum of 16 feet of water and required much less labor and materials.

1878 Army Corps Of Engineers Rest Lake Dam Site

Most logging practices used in Wisconsin were developed in New England. Logging companies and logging families followed the timber west along the Great Lakes. Wisconsin's dense and far-reaching stands of timber were prized by land companies, speculators, loggers and even universities. Most folks do not realize that much of New York's Cornell University was initially paid for with profits from white pine logs along Wisconsin's Chippewa River. The Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862 gave agricultural universities (like Cornell) land to help develop agri-science programs. Cornell used shrewd business tactics to acquire 499,000 acres of prime white pine lands that stretched up the Manitowish River.Modern scholars divide logging and lumber industries into three different phases:1) river drives of white pines2) railroad logging and harvesting the remaining white pines, red pine, hardwoods and other trees; and3) post-WWI small logging camps, using trucks and tractorsThe log boom on Sturgeon Rapids was created to facilitate Phase 1 white pine logging. Log drives were notorious for losing logs along the drives. White pines, sometimes referred to as "cork pines," were the only Northwoods species of trees that would float through the entire downstream journey. Even experienced log drivers, called "River Pigs," lost at least 10 percent of their logs along the journey. Log drives ranged from small family operations to huge corporate projects. Frederick Weyerhaeuser and his syndicate of corporations dominated river drive logging along the Manitowish River. In April of 1901, the largest log drive ever on the Chippewa River began at the Rest Lake Dam under Weyerhaeuser's leadership. That drive saw 150 River Pigs and support staff push 75 million feet of timber downstream. Imagine the challenges that Sturgeon Rapids and the doglegs in the river posed. It took the winters of 1900 and 1901 to cut and stage the white pines.By 1915, river drive logging had become rare, and railroads were mostly in charge of moving timber to market. The DNR removed the old remnants of the logging boom from the Manitowish River by the 1970s. Logging heritage is strong in the Manitowish Waters area representing all three phases of Wisconsin logging. Sturgeon Rapids remains a unique logging heritage site that is easily accessed by water or trail.

Just above Sturgeon Lake, the Manitowish River narrows into a shallow rapids that proved vexing to river drive loggers from the 1880s until about 1910. Each spring. the mighty force of the waters behind Rest Lake Dam were released to move white pine logs hundreds of miles to massive sawmills. After the ice melted in April, paddle boats rafted logs to just above Rest Lake Dam, and when the sluices on the dam were opened, millions of feet of fresh cut timbers were sent down stream. Unfortunately, the first mile of the Manitowish River below Rest Lake has several dogleg turns and rapids that frequently created troublesome jams. Ultimately, logging companies installed a log boom on Sturgeon Rapids to easily separate white pine logs before they jammed; otherwise, dynamite on a stick was the typical solution..This important site can be accessed by water or on state land to the north of the Manitowish River. The land to the south of Sturgeon Rapids is private, which should be respected by all travelers. The North Lakeland Discovery Center maintains a trail under a DNR Land Use Agreement that connects hikers, bikers, skiers and snowshoers to the high bank right above Sturgeon Rapids. In the winter, the water stays open and attracts eagles, swans and other wildlife. Evening hikers following the trail downstream can also enjoy the sunset.

Log Boom on Sturgeon Rapids

Neal LaPorte moved to the area in 1902. He was a fishing guide, carpenter and WWI veteran. In the 1930s, he and his wife Eva (Loveless) built the Veterans Inn tavern and motel, also known as “Mom LaPorte’s.” There is a great story of Neal’s war buddy Charles “Cap” Smith enjoying an evening at the tavern in 1948, lighting cigarettes with $1000 bills. A group of American Legion friends arrived to intervene, convinced Smith had gone daft. Prankster Smith had the last laugh, however, as the $500,000 pile of bills was Chinese currency worth exactly $.66!CCC project supervisor Ray Pripps rented a cabin from LaPorte in 1935. Getting around in the winter was tricky business in the 1930s. Veteran’s Inn was just a few miles from Camp Mercer, an administrative CCC camp for much of northern Wisconsin. Typically, Pripps stayed in Springstead and manned the fire tower, and he also directed projects at the Pine Grove CCC sub camp. Laporte’s rental allowed Pripps and his family to winter in Manitowish Waters until the spring thaw.Ted and Clara Koehler purchased the business in April 1955 and re-named it Pine Air Inn. It was a gathering place for many locals and the location of many civic events. The Mercer Lions Club often held “Turkey Shoots” at Pine Air in the early 1960s. This event was a trap shooting contest with frozen turkeys or ducks awarded to the winners. In 1965, the Manitowish Waters Lions Club held their first organizational meeting at Koehlers. By the early 1970s, the business name was changed to Koehler’s Lounge and Motel.John and Gloria Ernst were the next to purchase the property in 1973. They operated it under the names Ernst’s Inn &amp; Restaurant and later John Ernst’s Supper Club. The Ernst’s only owned it for a few years and sold to Marv and Bernadine (Bernie) Wemken who changed the name once again to Trails End. Snowmobiling was becoming a significant winter sport and tourism draw. As a snowmobile trail was built in close proximity to the tavern, this business became a pit stop for those out riding the trails, a great boon to year-round income.By 1983, Sonny and Joanne Laffin took over ownership of Trails End, and in the 1990s the business was owned by Lee and Lisa Johnson.In 2014, Craig Vanark purchased the property and established Ye Olde Shillelagh, an Irish pub and eatery. Guests can enjoy traditional Irish fare such as corned beef and cabbage or shepherd's pie along with a cold Irish brew. An Irish Fest celebration is held each summer. It’s also a great place to watch your favorite sports team on one of the many large TVs or listen to the frequent live music indoors in the winter or on the outdoor stage when the weather is nice.

Scattered area resorts, a CCC camp nearby, and the original route of Highway 51 from the Manitowish train depot to the Manitowish Waters chain of lakes makes this a perfect location for a tavern and a small motel. Built in the 1930s by Neal LaPorte, this tavern has been known by several names--Veterans Inn, Pine Air Inn, Koehler’s Lounge and Motel, Ernst’s Supper Club, Trails End, and now Ye Olde Shillelagh.Friday night fish fries have been a staple here for many years, but a major attraction is stopping in to view the deer through the large back windows. Visitors always hope to see an albino. Don’t miss the link chain made from bottle caps that has been decorating the tavern since the 1950s!

Ye Olde Shillelagh

One of the most flamboyant descriptions of Big Rapids comes from an 1890 hunting and fishing journal found in Shields' Magazine. The Shields' group was one of the first adventure-seeking outdoorsmen groups that utilized the new train depot in Manitowish. After spending the night at the Mississippi River Logging Co. camp next to the Rest Lake Dam, they departed for the Manitowish depot before dawn. As they approached Big Rapids, Shields observed:"...the rushing, roaring, frightful rapids and cataracts of the mighty Manitowish; the picturesque figure of the stalwart guide as he stood up in the canoe, pole in hand, and steered her with all the skill of an Iroquois, through the boiling, foaming torrent safely into the pool below; how his bronzed face took on a look of deep anxiety and his eagle eyes searched through the intricate windings of the stream for possible hidden dangers..."Shields' hyperbolic narrative would make modern kayakers and canoeist proud, as they navigate the same rapids with relative ease.Big Rapids remains ice-free year-round and provides important spawning grounds for several species of fish in the spring. Historically, Big Rapids has been an important spawning habitat for sturgeon, and this part of the river is closed to anglers during spring fishing. But, those who want to see spawning fish should use the bike bridge for a perfect viewing platform.In the fall of each year, the dam releases three or more feet of water based on an operating order with Excel Energy. The water flow becomes much stronger, and the rapids on the river rise dramatically. Some anglers actually use drift boats common in the western United States to fish the rapids and tight river bends. The last week of September into early October can provide paddlers a more thrilling ride and lovely fall colors.At the very least, folks should walk to the bike bridge and possibly bring a snack and drink to relax at a picnic table.

Big Rapids on the Manitowish River is one of the most iconic scenes in Manitowish Waters. Both Highway 51 and the Heart of Vilas County Bike Trail cross just above the head of the rapids, providing impressive views. Historically, the Manitowish River was the main "highway" into the Northwoods for thousands of years. Indigenous communities, fur traders, timber cruisers, loggers, surveyors and pioneers relied on the river for transportation and trade.Access to Big Rapids is easy because all the land surrounding the rapids are public. A gravel boat landing just off of Highway 51 allows visitors to park and access the river as a put-in or take-out for paddling trips. Travelers can also access the bike trail or rugged trails along the banks to see Big Rapids.

Big Rapids on the Manitowish River

For thousands of years, sturgeon played an important role for Indigenous communities. More than a super-food source, sturgeon was part of Ojibwe cultural identity, specifically cited in clans, totems and stories. Sturgeon was mostly harvested in the spring, during spawning season. Part of the processing of sturgeon included gathering fish oil, described as "the Indian's butter," which was prized and was a high-valued trade good. Sturgeon air bladders, called 'isinglass," were also traded like furs. Sturgeon weighed in excess of 200 pounds on the Manitowish River and delivered an enormous amount of oil-rich meat. A single sturgeon would provide the meat equivalent of several deer once dressed out.The Ojibwe name for sturgeon is "Nahmay." Traditional stories celebrated sturgeon being so thick during the spring run that rivers looked purple. Other stories suggest the bravest Ojibwe would jump on spring ice flows, because the Nahmay would bump and push the ice. Ojibwe adventures sought the thrill of riding the ice on the back of a big Nahmay. Culturally, the Ojibwe made sturgeon or Nahmay a unique totem that identified family groups and clans. In 1848, the Trout Lake Band of Ojibwe, just upstream from Benson Lake, sent a petition endorsement to the U. S. government to secure regional reservations. In the 1851 lithograph by U. S. Army artist Seth Eastman, the Trout Lake Band's petition endorsement included, "Number 5, Ok-wa-gon, or the neck, a warrior of the Sturgeon totem," illustrating how important this prehistoric fish was to the Ojibwe culture and identity. This lithograph is included in the images below, and a link to a AccessGenealogy website explains all the clans and totems. See this entry's sources and links.Les Jacobson lived on the west side of Benson Lake and was a determined advocate for sturgeon preservation. He worked with the DNR and other groups to preserve the sturgeon fishery on the Manitowish River. During the early spring sturgeon migration to the rapids just above Benson Lake, Les would be on his pier counting and sometimes naming the sturgeon. He would remark to passing spring canoers, "seen 5 this morning, the big one with a white spot above its eye was paired with a smaller surgeon." Les helped the DNR net sturgeon to strip eggs and gather milt for the Wild Rose Fish Hatchery. In the 1990s, Manitowish River fingerlings were released into the Turtle Flambeau Flowage, and those efforts proved fruitful as we see small sturgeon breeching from reintroduction efforts today.Benson Lake residents Greg Holt and Justin Schultz have shared some helpful insights regarding sturgeon breeching and Benson Lake natural history:<ul><li>Sturgeon breech mostly from spring (June) through the early autumn (September, maybe early October), but the months that seem to have the most breeches are July and August.</li><li>The time of day that sturgeon breech is a little tougher to determine, but you can check all day and even into the night. While out at night in a canoe watching for comets or star gazing, sturgeon have been heard breaching.</li><li>Sturgeon breech sightings during a day range from zero to maybe two dozen or more during daylight hours. Greg and Justin report hearing/seeing several in a one-hour period many times, sometimes two or three within a couple of minutes.</li><li>The lake is small enough and the fish are big enough, that if a person is out there and it's quiet, it is impossible to not notice the breeching.</li><li>Just as the river enters Benson Lake from the upstream direction, there is an eagle nest on the right, high up in a pine that is very easy to spot. The nest has been there since at least 1994. The nest is somewhat smaller than it has been in the past, but up to six eagles have been spotted on that tree--either on or near the nest or in some of the lower branches, but seeing one or two is much more the norm.</li><li>Also, a great place to see spawning action in the spring is roughly from the Highway 51 bridge through both sets of rapids leading into Benson Lake. The redhorse spawning is in the hundreds, with a single fish or groups of 20 or more swimming together in place against the current. And when they are spawning, the eagles are present and feeding. This should be where the sturgeon should be spawning as well, but the conditions have to be ideal. With the refilling of the chain, if the water temperature is right, the volume and speed of the water often is not. There is a "Sturgeon Watch" initiative by the Mercer DNR that was started before Covid, has not resumed yet, and may resume in the future.</li></ul>

One of the special Northwoods experiences few residents and visitors witness are sturgeon breeching out of the water. On Manitowish Waters Historical Society tours, breeching sturgeon is the most popular wildlife behavior guests witness. Trouble is, we have no certain method of determining where or when a sturgeon, which date back to prehistoric times, will fly out of the water and slam back on the surface. The Manitowish River joins the Flambeau River to feed the Turtle Flambeau Flowage, which is a 13,000-acre body of water. The stretch from the Rest Lake Dam to the Turtle Flambeau Flowage Dam is good sturgeon viewing. Benson Lake is small and has a concentrated sturgeon population that provides the most "predictable" sturgeon breech viewing in our neck of the Northwoods.The best way to access Benson Lake is by river. Whether launching upstream at Rest Lake Dam or on Highway 51, paddlers can easily access Benson Lake. Depending on water depth, there are some rapids on the river that make motorboat use between Highway 51 and Benson Lake impossible but fun for those in kayaks or canoes. For those who wish to access Benson Lake, use the Benson Lake boat landing on Benson Lake Road. This very rugged boat landing is also marked by the "Sturgeon Breeching on Benson Lake" pin on this Clio entry. Large motorboats will unlikely be able to launch at this landing. Moderate-sized boats will also struggle to launch and/or land their watercraft on this landing, which is best suited for kayak and canoe launching or small carry-in boats. Benson Lake boat landing is on public land and no fee is required.

Sturgeon Breeching on Benson Lake

Benson Lake has a unique geomorphology, marking the transition of the Manitowish River as a stream running through a highlands with many lakes to a meandering stream with more lowlands and sedges. The inlets of the Manitowish River into Vance, Sturgeon and Benson lakes all show the impacts of rushing water and erosion from river drive logging. In Benson Lake's inlet, a large sandbar was pushed into the lake. For context, well before the Rest Lake Dam, A. B. Gray in 1846 described the lakes and Manitowish River, "although the stream curved around in every direction, occasionally opening into small and picturesque lakes, surrounded by high land, with excellent pineries, and narrowing again to a width barely sufficient for the passage of a canoe." Today, the river channels are much larger on Benson Lake due to logging practices.Early historians suggested river drive logging around the Manitowish chain began in the late 1870s or early 1880s. But, the 1862 land surveys documented white pine ready for market at the inlet of Rest Lake and the north shore of Benson Lake near the outlet: “There is in this township a large amount of pine timber much of which is valuable and will very soon be taken to market by floating down the streams which are sufficiently large and are well adapted to the running of lumber.” Since this land survey was ongoing, the timber cited by the surveyors was most certainly plundered. Before surveyor documents could be recorded with the government, private timber cruisers had previously conveyed to clandestine loggers the rich timber resources of our community. Importantly, Manitowish Waters’ excellent river driving conditions for Phase 1 logging were obvious to early explorers. Even more notable, the alleged trespassing and timber stealing occurred while the United States was shifting human resources to fight the Civil War, limiting enforcement of timber trespass laws. These timber abuses did not go unnoticed by anxious land agents, speculators, logging interests, universities and out-of-state (absentee) capitalists. In 1865, a land office agent cited, “One third to one half of the best pine lumber on the Chippewa had been cut off by trespassers wherever it was most accessible.” The timber along the Manitowish and Benson Lake was very accessible.During Phase 2 railroad logging, Manitowish Waters transitions to a secondary logging area that was only accessed by tertiary rail routes and logging spurs. Access rail lines to Manitowish Waters were near or at the very end of distant railroad lines. 20th century logging first depended on the Chicago Northwestern Railroad (C&amp;NW) to reach the spur to Benson Lake. The rail line through the Powell Marsh area to Little Star Lake was owned by Flambeau Lumber Company, which owned several spurs off of the C&amp;NW Ashland Division main line. It was contracted by the federal government to the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation, although the company had timber located off of the reservation as well. This rail spur would ultimately connect to Benson Lake. Numerous other logging companies like Brooks and Ross paid to use the rail spur to remove timber.

Benson Lake is located on the western most part of the Manitowish chain and flows into the Flambeau and Chippewa rivers. A mix of public and private land surrounds the 28-acre lake. The inlet of Manitowish River is wide, shallow and sandy due to repeated logging drives from over 100 years ago. Original survey notes from 1862 suggest that Benson and Rest lakes were logged during the Civil War. River drive logging remnants rise out of the 15-foot-deep lakebed and are still visible as deadheads. Just up the hill of Benson Lake's southern shore marks the termination of a railroad logging spur operated by the Lac du Flambeau Lumber Co. Red pines and hardwoods were moved to mills by numerous logging companies using that railroad spur.

Benson Lake's Logging Traditions

The beautiful property was first sold to Ed Hunter Sr. in 1934. Hunter wanted to create a Northwoods lodge for his family, and he named it Hunter’s Camp O Woods Lodge. He built the compound for his family, and the cottages only had sinks and toilets. There was a shower house for bathing.Hunter was a lawyer and became District Attorney for Oneida County. He had an office in downtown Minocqua. Later, he went into real estate, and the business became a three-generation enterprise. His son, Ed Jr., became a guide for many of the Manitowish Waters area resorts, and later joined his father and opened a real estate office in Lake Tomahawk.The property included six cabins (Chickadee, Turtledove, Cricket, Skylark, Brown Thrush and Oriole), an icehouse, shower house, garage and the main lodge. Unfortunately, the main lodge has since been torn down and a private home was built on the site. Renee Dwyer, a guest years later, believed that they may have used the original fireplace in the home. Fortunately, the six cabins, though many include renovations, are in their original state.In 1946, Hunter sold the resort to Harland and Lorraine Jones of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Harland (1913-1990) and Lorraine owned and operated Lakewood Lodge from 1946 until 1990. They rented out all six of the cabins and resided in the main lodge. The main lodge also included single rooms for rent.Prior to owning Lakewood Lodge, Harland was employed as a truck driver in Kenosha. He worked for a trucking company owned by Elaine and Laurence Glerum. The Glerum family had been introduced to the Northwoods and spent time in Hazelhurst. Now, they were excited to stay at the resort in Manitowish Waters.One of six children, Renee Dwyer, daughter of Elaine and Laurence, recalls timeless memories of Jones Lakewood Lodge. The children would enjoy spending time outdoors doing activities such as using rowboats, catching frogs on the river, and spending time at Little Star Beach. Other summer activities might have included watching the bears at the Manitowish Waters dump and experiencing the thousands of stars of the Northwoods night sky. As the kids got older, they knew if they rowed out into the middle of Benson Lake after 10:30 p.m., the mosquitos would be gone, and they could watch the shooting stars.The Glerum family would spend four to six weeks each summer at Lakewood Resort. When they first started coming, many meals were prepared by Lorraine Jones. Later, Renee’s mother and grandmother did cook from their cabin. Renee and her siblings would explore the woods around them and putter in the river. One sister declared that there could be pearls in the clams, and the game was on. Finally, that sister actually found a small pearl, and all became believers.The upstairs of the garage had a great playroom with lots of things for kids to do, and so children were rarely bored. Harland built a shuffleboard court, a horseshoe pit, a firepit and picnic area for the guests. The Jones often joined their guests for a picnic on the point.Renee, and other annual guests Jim Cody and Barbara Mitchinson, all remember knocking on the kitchen door at the lodge, and Lorraine would sell the kids ice cream. They also remember making s’mores and watching Harland fish off the point at night.Harland would scold the kids if they did something wrong but always told them they could make up to him by doing something good. According to Jim Cody, Harland would give them little resort jobs to do, and they really enjoyed helping him. Jim shared, “One time I cut up a door that didn’t need to be cut up, and he didn’t get mad. He just said we would figure out a good way to use the wood.”Although Harland and Lorraine did not have any children of their own, they cherished memories of their annual guests and treated those families and children as if their own. Their property clearly exuberated a family-oriented atmosphere where guests felt Lakewood Lodge was their home away from home. The Glerum family and other annual guests such as brother and sister Barbara Mitchinson and Jim Cody were fortunate to have stayed at this resort for many years. Both families yearned to come back every summer. The Cody family felt like the Jones just took them under their wing, and they kept coming back each summer. Harland and Lorraine truly admired their guests and loved northern Wisconsin.Harland was a great fly fisherman and could cast out of a rowboat, and the boat never moved. The front of the property had a lot of sturgeon. Guests loved to watch as the sturgeon leaped out of the water. One time, a guest caught one, and it was so strong that it just towed the boat down the river.Harland supplemented their income by working at Trueflight Manufacturing Co. as a manager. He was civic-minded and served as a director on the Manitowish Waters Chamber of Commerce. In later years, they spent their winters in Kenosha or Altamonte Springs, Florida.In 1990, Harland passed away, and the resort was sold. The Glerum, Cody and Mitchinson families had developed a deep love for the place, and when the opportunity arose, they were able to purchase the very cottages that sheltered them in that special place of childhood memories. Harland and Lorraine really wanted the place to be protected and left to those who loved the resort, and for the natural setting not to be disturbed.When Jim Cody bought his cabin, he used materials from the torn down lodge to remodel the inside of his place. He used everything he could from the lodge to keep what part of it he could.The lodge and land around it were sold to a Mr. Dibble, and he built a new home. The largest cottage was sold and turned into a home by the Butlers. The rest of the cabins still maintain the look of the old resort. When asked what this place and these people meant to her, Renee said, “They opened up their place to us to experience the Northwoods. They gave joy to us as children and helped us open our hearts and minds to the beauty of this place we call Manitowish Waters.”

Located on the banks of Benson Lake, there has been speculation that Lakewood Lodge was initially built by the men of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) at Camp Mercer. Ed Hunter Sr. built this impressive property as a family compound. As an attorney and District Attorney for Oneida County, he was able to gather the resources to construct many buildings during the Great Depression. Ed Hunter Jr. later joined his father in the Hunter Reality business. In 1946, the property was then sold to Harland and Lorraine Jones who operated Lakewood Lodge for over 30 years.The site of Hunter's Camp O Woods Lodge or Lakewood Lodge is located on private property, which should be respected by all travelers to Benson Lake and the Manitowish River.

Hunter's Camp O Woods Lodge or Lakewood Lodge

Advertising in the Manitowish Waters Chamber of Commerce guide described their cabins as modern rustic housekeeping cabins. There was a central building for showers and a laundry room. The resort had a coffee shop with a grille and was considered to have great food. Frank Tichy advertised home-cooked meals with a “Northwoods breakfast” that was considered excellent. Tichy advertised a safe beach and children’s playground looking to attract family vacationers.Tichy was involved in the Manitowish Waters Chamber of Commerce, and he participated in a men’s version of a beauty pageant at Koerner’s Resort in August 1950, portraying Miss Dam Lake during the show. This pageant was first performed for the Miss Wisconsin party held in June of the same year.Knotty Pine cabins used classic early 20th century architectural style of screen porches and vertical log cabin. In an era with little or no air conditioning, visitors were lured to the Northwoods during the summer months to enjoy moderate temperatures, lakes and streams perfect for swimming, and cool breezes that made porches the perfect place to relax. Some folks made sleeping porches or placed beds on porches to enjoy cool nights and fresh air. Vertical log construction was a logical step after all the large trees were removed during the cut-over era. Using abundant smaller second growth trees, builders could easily move logs and put them in place. Some mills cut the logs in half, milling a smooth finish on the flat site of the cut for the interior, while leaving the half-log look for the exterior. Some mills even put tongue-and-grove on the edges of the milled logs so they they could be fitted together without gaps. Other builders used round logs and closed the gaps between the vertical logs with mud, plaster or other chinking materials.

Tichy’s Knotty Pine Resort, located just past Bensen Lake on the Manitowish River, was an active resort beginning in 1946 and operated until 1974. Manitowish Waters municipal tax records have on record that resort owner Frank Tichy possessed six rowboats, indicating the resort’s popularity. Photographic evidence indicates that the resort peaked at a minimum of six cabins.Knotty Pine Resort has a unique vertical log architectural style that emerged before WWII. Vertical log properties like Knotty Pine Resort are being replaced by modern construction as folks rebuild on older lots. Fortunately, many vertical log homes are still in pristine condition on both the Manitowish River and the chain of lakes.Tichy’s Knotty Pine Resort is located on private property and best viewed by paddling on the Manitowish River. Private property should be respected by all travelers on the Manitowish River.

Knotty Pine Resort

Louis Laffin was born in 1893 in the town of Hewitt, Wisconsin. He served his country in World War I. In 1922, he married Clara Hahn, a teacher in the towns of Hewitt and Texas, Wisconsin. He served as a constable in Hewitt in 1924. However, it was his main career as a logger that brought him to the Northwoods. By 1930, he built Circle Lily Lodge (first known as the Wayside Inn), located along the shore of the Manitowish River. The Laffins land also bordered Circle Lily Creek and covered 40 acres.The Great Depression and Prohibition brought hard times to the area, and Louis Laffin was charged in 1932 with violating the national prohibition laws, specifically with possession and sale of moonshine whiskey and wort beer. He never was sent to jail but faced a heavy fine. Clara and Louis had two sons, Loyal and Warren (Sonny). During World War II, Warren was a high school student in Wausau, while Loyal studied at Ashland College. In 1943, Loyal joined the military while attending Texas A &amp; M and served his nation stateside.Louis and Clara ran the resort and lodge from 1930-1950. During this time, they worked hard at building a well-known resort, raising their two sons, and serving wonderful meals and experiences for their guests. The Circle Lily Lodge was built as a hunting and fishing lodge and soon hunters brought their families for vacations as well. There were six cabins, and many of them were along the Manitowish River. In the 1930s, during deer season, hunters could stay at the lodge for $2.50 a day. Louis extended hunting trips for guests and friends by taking them on Canadian moose hunts. In 1937, his party brought back two moose, one weighing 1,200 pounds fully dressed for display for all in the area to see.The lodge became one of the most important community gathering places for families from Spider Lake (which became Manitowish Waters in 1940), Manitowish and Mercer. The American Legion Northern Lakes Post 424 met there often, and Louis served the legion in many capacities such as commander and service director. Clara was very active in the American Legion Auxiliary, and many of those meetings were at Circle Lily Lodge. For example, during the 1944 season, an Armistice Party was held at the lodge followed by a turkey shoot. People from miles around could bring their guns and enter the contest by shooting targets or trap to win their Thanksgiving turkey. Circle Lily Lodge hosted a “March of Dimes” party sponsored by the Auxiliary to raise money to fight polio in 1945. Many wedding parties and birthday celebrations were held here as well.Louis gave of his time to help out at Camp Mercer CCC Camp 660 in the 1930s. For example, he refereed a Sparta District boxing match at the camp in 1937. In 1939, he and others met at Circle Lily to form a local athletic club. Louis was very involved in conservation practices as well. He served on the Iron County Fish and Game Committee. In 1945, he worked very hard to close the deer season in Northern Wisconsin because there were so few deer. Through the hard work of this family, the Circle Lily Lodge became a tourist destination as well as a welcoming gathering place for those who lived and worked in the area.In 1950, Clara and Louis sold their place on a land contract to Ray and Virginia Newbold. Right after taking over Circle Lily, the lodge was designated as a place for dinner for a group of Wisconsin beauties. Miss Milwaukee, Miss Green Bay, Miss Neenah-Menasha, Miss Madison, Miss Kenosha and Miss Waukesha had dinner there, and then went on to an “old-fashioned shindig” that was held at the Manitowish Waters’ town hall. Miss Milwaukee, Gloria Lange, went on to become Miss Wisconsin in 1950.The Newbolds ran a successful business until 1955 before unforeseen changes altered the property. Highway 51 was built right through the 40-acre property. The quiet hunting and fishing family resort was no longer the same, and business was affected greatly. The Newbolds continued the tradition of wedding receptions and parties as well as the everyday service of the lodge. By 1962, the Newbolds had to default on the land contract, and the alcohol license reverted back to the Laffins. The Laffins had built a home on Spider Lake in Manitowish Waters, and Louis worked on the highway project through his job with Koshak Construction in Park Falls. The Laffins were no longer interested in owning the place.In 1963, Marge Feht and her friend Lois Fink bought and operated the Circle Lily Lodge. Marge was considered a “wonderful cook,” and Lois ran the bar and did odd jobs around the place. It is said that she always had her tool belt on unless she was bartending.In 1967, the friends sold the establishment to Edward and Carol Dimmick who owned the business until 1975. The Dimmicks ran the Circle Lily Lodge as a bar, restaurant, and country and western dance destination. Cribbage was the rage in the bar circuit of the Manitowish Waters area, and many a cribbage match was played here. Line dancing was very popular at the time, so country and western bands like “The New Rebels” performed at Circle Lily to large crowds of dancers. Birthday parties were still held like the one for their son Michael, and the guests were served a great meal along with fun in the restaurant.In 1975, the Circle Lily was sold to Roy and Cheryl Beranek. They had two young children, and they worked very hard at the business. The place was open seven days a week, and nightly specials were served Wednesday through Sunday. In January of 1976, disaster struck the family as a fire totally gutted the building and all of their possessions. The community rallied and helped through donations and fundraisers. A 1977 Iron County Miner article noting a dinner held by Art Laha at Circle Lily Lodge demonstrates that it was quickly rebuilt.In 1998, the Circle Lily Supper Club burned to the ground again, and when fire fighters arrived, there were flames rising to the treetops surrounding the building. It was believed the fire started in the kitchen. The owner at the time was Kurt Potter.Hawks Nest Outfitters built a new building on the site and ran their business for many years. They rented kayaks, tubes and canoes for trips on the Manitowish River. People enjoyed the day trip adventures until the location was closed around 2016-2017.River’s Edge Lodge and Outfitters, established in 2019, is the present business on the site of the old Circle Lily Lodge along the shore of the beautiful Manitowish River and the recently developed Heart of Vilas County bicycle trail. Owners Chris and Renae McMurray have family ties to the area since mid-1936. River’s Edge is a full-service outfitter, renting canoes, kayaks, tubes and bicycles. In addition to lodging on site, they also serve a unique selection of wines and beer in a cozy Northwoods atmosphere.

In the early 1930s, Louis and Claire Laffin began their business along Circle Lily Creek and the Manitowish River. Opening the Wayside Inn along Highway 51 (currently the bike trail), they offered travelers a place to rest and enjoy a meal. In 1932, Laffin was arrested for possession of moonshine and beer. Shortly after the arrest, the Laffin's changed the name of their business to Circle Lily Lodge. In 1933, Circle Lily Lodge had the good fortune to have CCC Camp Mercer constructed just west of their business, meaning 100 to 250 men would be in camp from 1933-1942, providing a nice customer base just as Prohibition was lifted. The Lafflins grew Circle Lily Resort into a lodging and dining destination. After the Laffins, several other proprietors ran Circle Lily Lodge until it burned 1998. Today, Chris and Renae McMurray operate River's Edge Lodge and Outfitters on the same site.River's Edge Lodge and Outfitters is open to the public, and travelers should check the website below for hours of operation.

River's Edge Lodge and Outfitter, formally Circle Lily Resort

Camp Mercer or 660th Company S-79 operated along the banks of the Manitowish River from 1933-1942. Camp Mercer utilized the rail depot at Manitowish, Wisconsin to logistically support the development and maintenance of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp one mile west of the Iron and Vilas county line. 660th Company stands out as a larger regional administrative CCC camp. Historically, some area residents confused the site of the North Lakeland Discovery Center as the site for CCC Company 660th. The Youth Conservation Camp, known as Statehouse Lake in Manitowish Waters, was created in 1962 as a separate state program, with a mission that paralleled that of the earlier CCC.A trail features 23 interpretive signs, and a 3.5 mile hike will guide visitors through Camp Mercer and other cultural sites. Check web links below for further details. Paper trail maps are available at the trailhead, bike trail bridge, and trail gate by the Highway 51 wayside.It is illegal to dig or take artifacts on public lands without a permit from the DNR Archaeologist and State Archaeologist. Camp Mercer and other cultural sites like logging camps are even more protected because they are recorded on the Wisconsin Archaeological Site Inventory. Observing, taking photos and sharing stories around Camp Mercer are encouraged.

Camp Mercer 660th Company S-79, a Civilian Conservation Corps Camp

Earlier river drive era logging camps are also present on the Camp Mercer trail. Michael Dunn, Manitowish Waters’ historian, documented, “George LaPorte and his dad logged in 1910-1911 as contractors on 3 forties-- camp where CCC camp was in the 1930. They put the logs into the river, boomed them to Manitowish, loaded them on rail cars to go to Scott &amp; Howe, Ironwood.”  Berms along the logging road west of the old baseball field corroborate the claims of Dunn and mark the site of the LaPorte camp. Members of the LaPorte family were ambitious itinerate loggers who had been in the area since the late 1880s. As river drive logging was coming to a close, the LaPortes settled near the Manitowish River. Dunn further reports that the next year, “George [LaPorte] in 1911-1912- logging -built camp 1 mile west of Manitowish in fall 1911.- one big building 50 feet long with root cellar at one end and a 16 foot addition at on end for sleeping quarters.” The LaPorte camp has an interpretive sign marked 21 that overlooks the main cabin.The LaPorte's logging camp and log drive was the last on the Manitowish River, and it was much shorter than the earlier log drives that pushed logs 200 miles or more to large mills near Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire and even as far as the Mississippi River. The earlier logging camp marked as 25 on the trail map would have operated around 1880-1901. The blacksmith shop and small cabin suggest a smaller logging crew and operation. This logging group would have operated in the winter, felling timber in the woods, skidding logs with horses or oxen to deck logs along the banks of the Manitowish River, and waiting for April when the Rest Lake Dam released its water.Research revealed the land for Camp Mercer and the two logging camps were purchased by Cornell University under the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862. Interesting, railroad land grant property is also noted on the plat map just a mile down river from Camp Mercer and the logging camps. Cornell University acquired 499,000 acres of Wisconsin pine lands on the Chippewa River and its tributaries, like the Manitowish River. Railroads acquired even more land in Wisconsin than universities to offset their construction costs. In Wisconsin, UW Madison, UW River Falls and UW Platteville were land grant colleges promoting agri-sciences.

Two different river drive logging camps are located along the Camp Mercer Interpretive Trail. Logging camps are marked on the trail map as signs 21 and 25. The LaPorte logging camp is located at sign 21. The LaPortes were among the earliest pioneers and noted for their logging expertise. Louie LaPorte lived in the cabin after the logging job was completed in 1911. The logging camp located at number 25 has no sign because scholars are still debating the status of the camp. The camp located by number 25 is on a trail loop and very easy to identify. Sadly, some of the cabin structure and most of the blacksmith shop have been looted by modern treasure hunters. It is illegal to dig or take artifacts from public lands without a permit. Camp Mercer and other cultural sites like the logging camps are even more protected because they are recorded on the Wisconsin Archaeological Site Inventory. Observing, taking photos and sharing stories around the logging camps are encouraged.The logging camps are on public land and can be accessed by river or by the bike trail and the Manitowish River Access Road. Following the markers on the Camp Mercer Trail maps is the most efficient way to get to these sites.

River Drive Logging Camps

The discovery of features marked on the Camp Mercer Interpretive Trail map as 23 and 26 has sparked a good scholarly debate. The features do not fit logging era or CCC traditions. Some have suggested they were ice houses, but Camp Mercer located its ice house well away from these features, according to a 1934 map. With the knowledge that Louie LaPorte lived in the old LaPorte logging camp in close proximity to each feature, along with LaPorte's role as both a moonshiner and a bootlegger, serious consideration of moonshine logistics became a plausible explanation for the mysterious features.An onsite hike with an historian experienced in military logistics produced several helpful insights. The story of LaPorte's moonshine operation begins at Grant Lake at the still or "production facility" hidden deep in the woods. LaPorte could then move his moonshine either by road or the Manitowish River to the larger "wholesale" cache (feature 26), also hidden far from roads. The moonshiner could then move a smaller amount of moonshine a short distance down river to the smaller cache or "retail" site (feature 23), which happens to be next to an old two-track road just 1/4 of a mile from where Highways County G and State 51 merge. From feature 23, vehicles could be loaded in a matter of minutes and enjoyed many escape routes when leaving the cache.The Town of Manitowish is between the Grant Lake still and the likely moonshine cache sites along the Camp Mercer Interpretive Trail. In historian Robert Gough's book, "Farming the Cutover, A Social History of Northern Wisconsin, 1900-1940," he suggests that moonshine activities were rampant along the railroads, too. Gough shared that during prohibition, the Chicago Northwestern train that crossed the Northwoods was referred to as the, "Whiskey Northern." Logistically, the rail stop in Manitowish was easy access for LaPorte and his moonshining contemporaries. Explore the news clippings above and discover that LaPorte and Andrew Johnson were arrested on the train between Manitowish and Mercer.More research and debate needs to be conducted to confirm that these features are truly moonshine caches. Lacking other plausible explanations for features 23 and 26, the moonshine cache explanation seems to be probable.

Two mystery features along the Camp Mercer Interpretive Trail were discovered in 2020, using LiDar imaging. These features are marked on the Camp Mercer Interpretive Trail map as 23 and 26. No interpretive signs have been created because of the ongoing scholarly debate between project historians and archaeologists. Several logging experts have reviewed these features and have no examples of comparable sites. The story that unfolds centers around Louie LaPorte, living between each of these features at the old LaPorte logging camp. LaPorte was a noted moonshiner who was indicted by a grand jury in 1924 for prohibition violations. Like many Northwoods moonshiners, LaPorte shrugged-off law enforcement trouble as an expected expense that comes with business.It is illegal to dig, disturb or move cultural artifacts on public land without a permit from the State Archaeologist. Features 23 and 26 and other cultural sites like the logging camps are also protected because they are recorded on the Wisconsin Archaeological Site Inventory. Visitors are welcome to observe, explore, take photos and share stories around the features 23 and 26.The logging camps are on public land and can be accessed by river or by the bike trail and the Manitowish River Access Road. Following the markers on the Camp Mercer Trail maps is the most efficient way to get to these sites.

Probable Moonshine Cache Sites

County Highway G was an important route for travel and represents one of the earliest automobile routes linking several Northwoods communities. From 1889 to roughly 1915, railroads provided the bulk of the transportation to the Northwoods, and local livery services using horses or mules would move visitors and supplies from railroad stations to their destinations. Stagecoach routes were cited on early maps linking the Manitowish Station to destinations like the Divide Resort in Winchester. With the introduction of numerous automobiles to the Northwoods by the early 1920s, road building began in earnest. Early Northwoods roads were made of mostly sand, pit-run fill and gravel.County Highway G operated from 1927-1939, before being rerouted from Powell to the town of Manitowish on county trunks F and G. Ultimately, this route became Highway 182 around 1948. Interestingly, 1927 marks both the year County Highway G became operational, and State Highway 10 became Highway 51. During County G's existence, Northwoods commerce and transportation was shifting to accommodate new demand. Tourists and travelers were less dependent on railroads and began to travel by automobile to the Northwoods. New roads and business began to line these routes to facilitate car travel. Tourists were no longer tethered to resorts on the American Plan, which included both accommodations and dining. Roadside diners, gas stations, motels, auto repair shops, and other businesses began to appear in greater frequency in the Northwoods. With a better route established to the town of Manitowish around 1940, the bridge was taken out for scrap to support industry during World War II.Camp Mercer CCC enrollees would have used County Highway G often for work details and traveling to Lac du Flambeau for athletic competitions. Resorts, camps and new roadside businesses all benefited from this new route. Logging was transitioning from railroad logging to truck and tractor logging, and County G would have helped local loggers transport timber to area mills and railroads.County G would have also linked moonshiners from Lac du Flambeau and Springstead with operations along Highway 51. Prohibition arrests in 1932 at a Manitowish "soda parlor" and the Wayside Inn (River's Edge Lodge and Outfitters today) were linked to a Lac du Flambeau bootlegger named Mary King. Cliff Powell of Manitowish was sentenced for selling moonshine in Lac du Flambeau in 1927. Powell would have most certainly used newly constructed Highway G to bootleg his goods. Clearly, moonshine was moving along Northwoods roads on a regular basis.

While paddling down the Manitowish River, many question the concrete structure across from the Highway 51 wayside boat landing. Back in the 1920s as automobiles began to operate within the Northwoods, county and local roads were constructed to connect communities. County Highway G, was in operation by 1927 and connected the communities of Springstead and Powell to the towns of Manitowish and Mercer. Selecting the easiest route between Powell and Highway 51, road builders did not follow the more swampy railroad route. Instead, they crossed the swamp at its most narrow point and jogged the road east, crossing the Manitowish River just before old State Highway 10. The southern County G bridge concrete support wall remains at the boat landing at the wayside park and kayak landing as a reminder of the early days and automobile and truck traffic.The old Highway G bridge is located on public land and has excellent parking near the river. The site is easy to locate...just follow the Department of Transportation wayside signs. Whether traveling by car, bicycling on the trail, or paddling down the river, travelers will discover a scenic site with a great story.

Old County Highway G Bridge

Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Plunkett homesteaded their farm near Manitowish, beginning in 1891 when Iron County was part of Ashland County. They originally were from Quebec and arrived in Manitowish through Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The farm was a subsistence farm, and Matt supplemented his income as a timber cruiser and woodsman. They had four children, three sons and a daughter. Matt died in 1904, and Mrs. Plunkett passed away in 1931. The daughter married E. Wysocki and raised potatoes near what is today Manitowish Waters. Some of the sons continued on the homestead after the death of their parents.During the early years of Manitowish, young people managed to lead a great social life by entertaining groups at various homes. Sleigh rides and skating parties were frequent outings. After a brisk sleigh ride, young people as well as their parents enjoyed card games by the warm woodstoves necessary for a cozy home during the winter. Picnics were a group gathering in warmer weather. The Plunkett’s home seemed to be a popular place for gatherings. By 1912, some of the Plunkett children were attending dances. Many of the dances were held at homes or a section house, a community gathering place likely near the Manitowish railroad station, as well. Many young men of the Northwoods heard the call to enter World War I. In 1917, James Plunkett and Tom LaFave enlisted in the 10th Engineer Corps, Co. 23 of Jefferson Barracks and were transferred to Washington D.C.  By the 1920s, Matt Plunkett, Jr. entered local politics, and in 1922 and 1927, newspaper accounts show Matt Plunkett, Jr. serving as assessor for the Manitowish Township. In 1930, there were no candidates for county surveyor in Manitowish Township, and 121 people wrote in a name, and 77 people voted for Matt Plunkett, Jr. for the position. On August 2, 1930, toward midnight, the Plunkett farm became a refuge for Oscar Hanke, the operator of the soft drink parlor at the Rest Lake Dam. He was shot three times by unknown assailants who fled the scene and left Hanke to fend for himself. Wounded and bleeding, Hanke walked to the farm, and one of the Plunketts rushed him by automobile to Runstrom Hospital in Ironwood, Michigan. In 1937, one of the Plunkett sons and his wife escaped fate when they hit a car that was stopped in the middle of the highway with no lights on. It was not a clear night, and they never saw the car until they slammed into it near Pine Lake while returning to their farm. Both had to go to the hospital and suffered severe bruises and cuts. The driver of the other car was drunk, and the car had stalled on the highway.During the 1940s, tragedy hit the family homestead. In 1942, the Mercer Fire Department was called to control a fire at the Plunkett farm in which a tool shed and icehouse burned. The family pulled together and recovered their losses. They also saw the need for more tourist accommodations and began the Plunkett Resort. By 1945, the Plunkett Resort acquired a telephone line to their Resort.

By Kay KransEarly on, it became a necessity for families to create subsistence farms in northern Wisconsin. The Plunketts were early pioneers and had a young family to raise. They needed food for the family, and supplies were not readily available without traveling a long way by horse and wagon. While Matt Plunkett worked in the lumber camps during the winter, his wife and children needed a store of food and wood to keep them safe.

Plunkett Farm

The Chicago Northwestern Railroad created the town of Manitowish. As a logging boom town, Manitowish grew as commerce spiked. Immediately, tourists wanted to experience the great Wisconsin Northwoods. Loggers, trappers and timber cruisers also acted as guides, connecting clients with trophy fish and game. Resorts sprung up immediately, first as tent camps and later as cabins. It was not long before stylish resorts were the primary destination for not only outdoor adventure seekers but entire families. Rail service to Manitowish slowly began to decline after World War II. Summer trains and Christmas trains continued to be very popular. Historian Michael Dunn recalls that the Christmas trains over the holidays of 1970-1971 marked the end of more than 80 years of rail service to the of Town of Manitowish. In 1983, the old Chicago Northwestern rail line ceased operation.The community of Manitowish built their first school in 1892. Sadly, it burned down in 1908 and was rebuilt at the same site. The old schoolhouse is still standing and is owned by Russ Sleight, who is related to the first schoolteacher in Manitowish. Long distance telephone service was added to Manitowish in 1914. Automobiles emerged on the Manitowish scene by 1915, with Roy Buck's garage and livery service. An auto livery ride to Mercer, Winchester or Rest Lake Dam cost $2 from Manitowish.The big business in early Manitowish was logging. Ironically, much of the early logging was river drive white pine and not railroads. Railroads did facilitate the transport of river drive loggers, equipment and animal feed. Animal feed of hay and oats allowed loggers to switch from oxen to horses to move logs to the lakes and rivers for the spring drives. Fredrick Weyerhaeuser and his syndicate of corporations controlled much of the river drive logging on the Manitowish, Flambeau and Chippewa rivers. By 1905, river drive logging of white pine was in decline. Railroads had been moving logs since 1889, but railroad logging expanded dramatically in 1900. As white pine logging declined, railroad logging focused on remaining pines and hardwoods like maple, birch and oak. Railroad logging declined in the 1920s.In the 1890s, business in the Manitowish were competing with the growing town of Mercer, just three miles to the north. The 1895 Wisconsin State Gazetteer identified early Manitowish business as: W. Kleckner, postmaster and Railroad Express Agent; A. R. Andrews Lumber; F. Buck boat livery; H. Fouks, proprietor of Manitowish House; Wm Johnson, proprietor of Murry House; A. LaFave boat livery; P. Vance Riverside House; E &amp; H Staples Lumber and shingle mill; and E. Vaughn boat livery. By 1911, Calvin Doriot and H. J. Stone were also running competing general stores in Manitowish. The 1921 Wisconsin State Gazetteer further evidenced the strong connections between Manitowish and Manitowish Waters business, auto transport and supplies. In 1923, early pioneer Richard Sleight Sr. created a subdivision of ownership in Manitowish, extending south along Highway 10 (today Highway 51) south of town.During the period of Prohibition, an underground economy of moonshine and bootlegging also flourished in Manitowish. In 1924, Manitowish resident Louis LaPorte was indicted by a grand jury for moonshine violations. During Prohibition, the Chicago Northwestern train that crossed the Northwoods was referred to as the "Whiskey Northern." Not surprisingly, LaPorte was captured with two, two-gallon jugs of moonshine in his backpack while traveling on the train from Manitowish to Mercer. LaPorte was only one example of many violators of the Volstead Act. A funny reference amongst Northwoods communities emerged, claiming that moonshiners and bootleggers in jail were "off to college."Many pioneer families have roots to the earliest days of Manitowish. The Andrews, Sleight, LaPorte, Doriot, Buck and Nutter families are just a few who trace their Northwoods roots to Manitowish.One of the many early destinations for Northwoods visitors was the State Department of Forestry leased land sites. The Chicago Northwestern Railroad enthusiastically supported the state lease program and advertised the cheaper tent site opportunities. Cottage leases cost between $10-$70 per year, but lessees enjoyed 300 to 500 feet of lake frontage on one to five acres of land. Families built tent sites, cottages and memories for generations on leased lands. These leased sites dotted the Northwoods for generations but were terminated by the DNR in the 1960s and 1970s.Manitowish was actually featured in a 1909 fictional novel, The King of Nobody's Island. Set in the late 19th century, a Chicago investor flees to the Northwoods to escape the toil of urban life only to discover a family living remotely that befriends him. From their wilderness enclaves, the closest point of modern contact was the town of Manitowish. A PowerPoint explaining how to access this novel from the Library of Congress is linked below. Printed copies are available at the Winchester and the Koller Library (Manitowish Waters).The headline reads, "Horse Delays Train." In 1914, the Iron County News documented another chapter of Louis LaPorte's Northwoods adventures. Turns out that LaPorte had a stubborn horse that blocked the train at Manitowish for over an hour by standing on the tracks. The story that follows is most amusing and attached above as an image in this Clio entry.

In 1889, the Chicago Northwestern Railroad tracks crossed the Manitowish River and established a modest rail stop. By 1890, loggers, trappers, guides, sportsmen and pioneers rushed to the Manitowish rail stop as a launching point into the mostly untouched Northwoods wilderness. The rail stop at Manitowish grew quickly and had a hotel and store by 1890. Early on, the town of Manitowish was a regional hub for transportation until about 1905 when Mercer added a rail line to the towns of Winchester and Winegar (Presque Isle). Population patterns in Manitowish were noted in Wisconsin Gazetteers: 1895 population 50, 1911 population 100, and 1921 population 35. In the 1937, the Works Progress Administration sponsored the recording of Iron County's history, which did not recognize the Town of Manitowish.Manitowish became the homes of many pioneer families. The Manitowish School was a point of pride for the entire town. Today's Manitowish Waters was strongly coupled to the Town of Manitowish. The Manitowish rail stop was the primary source for supplies that had to be moved over seven miles by wagons or trucks to the Rest Lake Dam and beyond. Tourists most often used the Manitowish rail stop to access Manitowish Waters. Manitowish even provided postal service to Manitowish Waters until 1940. The Manitowish Post Office was discontinued in 1968, and mail then was routed through Mercer.Today, Manitowish appears to be a crossroads of Highways 47 and 51, but careful examination of history reveals a deep and rich chapter of Northwoods heritage.Travelers can easily access Manitowish by car, the Mercer Bike Trail, or paddling on the Manitowish River. Property around Manitowish is mostly private, with the exception of The Lazy Ace and Ullman's Ding-A-Ling Supper Club. Private property should be respected by all travelers.

Town of Manitowish 

In the year 1892, G.C. Bardwell the first postmaster appointed from Washington D.C. at Manitowish, Wisconsin. In that same year the Manitowish School was built, and it burned ten years later. In 1908, it was replaced by the building that still remains just off the bike trail and is now a private home. The home still has the look of the original schoolhouse. The first teacher at the school married into the family who owned the land upon which the school resides. In 1919, there were less than twenty students enrolled in school.Teachers who taught at Manitowish School must have been young unmarried women for the most part as they didn’t seem to teach for very many years.Miss Lamielle-1897-1998Miss Elliott-1904Miss Prideaux-1905Mable Hawn and Margaret Morris-1910Phyllis Andrews-1926Catherine Whithington-1932-1933Eileen McCauley-1934-1935Florence Lamont-1935-1936Jennie Savoldelli-1937Hazel Wagner-1938-1939By 1932, Manitowish School was part of District No. 1 Town of Mercer and designated as a rural school while the school in Mercer was designated as a First-Class State Graded School. By 1937, there was considerable consolidation discussion, and it appears it was very hard for the citizens of Manitowish to give up their school.  Mrs. Doriot even stated that school examinations showed that Manitowish School students faired better on these tests. It was voted to remain opened but in the next several years the school would close, and students were sent to Mercer for their education. The school was a gathering place for the Manitowish Community and parents would often help the teacher by preparing parties for special occasions during school hours. The parents would also raise money for the school by entertaining community members with card parties at school, the students performed for the community through school presentations, the children would raise money each year for the Red Cross and Easter Seals, and community dances were held as well. In the late 1930’s CCC enrollees at Camp Mercer 660 would continue their elementary education through Manitowish School with many earning their eighth-grade diplomas. A WPA project allowed music lessons for fifteen students during the Great Depression. Students under the direction of Gerry Andrews studied piano and performed piano recitals every Friday to show their progress.

Manitowish School was the first regional school along the Iron and Vilas county boarder. The Chicago Northwestern railroad usher families to the region and pioneer families built a school just three years after the railroad crossed the Manitowish River. Manitowish School quickly became a hub of community activities and place of community pride. As the town of Mercer grew, Manitowish School realized declining enrollment, consolidation became inevitable around World War II.Travelers can enjoy a limited view of Manitowish School by car, the Mercer Bike Trail, or paddling on the Manitowish River. Property around Manitowish School is private, and travelers can look from Highway 51 or the bike path. Private property should be respected by all travelers.

Manitowish Waters Heritage Tour

Patterson's Manitowish River Resort

Introduction

Images

Sources