Posted: 7/10/02

Once-flourishing resorts now a FL memory

(Editorís Note: The following Reflections column was first published on October 8, 1987 and is reprinted here as part of the newspaperís on-going coverage during its 100th year.)

Elsie Vogel
Times Correspondent

Newcomers to Forest Lake have undoubtedly heard the natives tell about the era when Forest Lake was a big summer resort town, but perhaps they have only heard about a few of the resorts that dotted the shoreline of our three lakes.

Because these businesses played such an important part in the growth of our city, Iíd like to replay the fun and lifestyle of our summer visitors, including the hustle and bustle of the business people from the 1930s through the 1960s.

Last week I wrote about the six resorts that were in place from North Shore Drive to the east shores of Third Lake. Today we will continue our trip and follow the crowds to the resorts on the south side of the lakes.

Stralstromís Pleasant View

The name Pleasant View seemed to be the right name. To find Stralstromís you turned off the lake road (presently TH-97), drove down a hill and there was a beautiful view of Third Lake.

The good sized store was the center of activity. The screen door opened and closed all day long as customers came in for refreshments, provisions and 3.2 beer. The resort had six modern cottages, a boat house for rental boats and spacious picnic grounds.

A typical day at Stralstromís might find families arriving about noon with their picnic baskets brimming with food. No doubt the mother was up early packing the potato salad, fried chicken or thick ham sandwiches, jars of home made pickles and, of course, cake, pie or homemade donuts.

Swimming suits and fishing gear had also been loaded in the car; there had to be something for everyone to do. The youngsters would have a great time making innumerable trips to the resort store for ice cream cones, pop and candy.

Too soon the carefree day at Forest Lake would end, and it was understandable if the youngsters were a little envious of the lucky people occupying the cottages, because they would be staying for a week or two, while the youngsters would have to return to the hot city. The 4th of July was the biggest picnic day at all the resorts because the parade and fireworks attracted thousands of people. This celebration continues to do the same today.

Pleasant View owners

Heinie Albrecht was one of the early owners, but the next 24 years this property would be owned by the Stralstrom family. Charles Stralstrom bought the resort in 1944, and from 1947-1968 his son Clifford and his wife Theresa were the owners. Their daughter Delores was also involved with the resort.

Theresa, now residing in White Bear Lake, remembers the hard work and long hours but she also talked about the enjoyable part. It was a pleasure to have the same customers come year after year, she said. These people became almost like family; they were even invited to some of their weddings.

During the later years, keeping up with progress, pontoon boat rental became popular and in addition to the cottages they made room for six to eight camper units on the hill near their house.

Pleasant View today

It might be hard to pinpoint the exact location of the resort as it existed in the past. The property was sold to a corporation and split up into lots. Several older cabins were torn down and the newer ones were sold, but the residents living in the homes along the stretch of good beach, still have a ìpleasant viewî of Third Lake.

Two resorts, side by side

The present Imperial Avenue, off of TH-97, was at one time a road shared by two resorts. In the very early days if you turned left off of the communal road, you came upon a small fishing shack owned by Jack York, one of the old pioneers. Jack spent his summers renting out his wooden boats and selling bait to the fishermen.

Al (Alphonse) Gervais and his wife Esther were familiar with Jackís business and in 1947 they bought his property.

Gervais Resort

As new owners naturally do, they changed things. Gervais built six cabins and a lodge with living quarters for themselves in the back. Another pioneer, Dick Sommers, became their valuable handy man.

Customers soon found the Gervaisís were serving excellent food. Chicken, steaks and hamburgers were on the menu and many times Al served a special breakfast of fried salt pork, fried potatoes and eggs that appealed to the fishermen.

Once-a-year-booya

When the leaves turned color in the fall, Lorraine Landgraver, Gervaisís daughter, recalls it was time for her father to prepare his savory booya. The recipe is a family secret that Esther still has but Iíll mention some of the ingredients.

Dick Sommers and Al would go along the lakeshore and snare big snapping turtles. Did you know there are seven different kinds of meat in a snapping turtle? In addition to the turtle there would be rabbit and foxtails, plus a large assortment of cut-up vegetables. A huge iron kettle held the booya mixture as it slowly cooked from four in the morning until about three in the afternoon. This delicious booya was sold by the bowl or a dollar a gallon to take home.

The Gervais resort was open all year and the long winter days were brightened by winter fishermen stopping in.

Jerry Mattson became the next owner of the Gervais Resort for a very brief time, and then the resort had new owners and a new name when Bill and Lucille Weiss purchased the property.

Weiss Resort

The resort pattern of hard work, long hours and enjoyment of meeting people continued with Bill Weiss Sr., there also was the pattern of family involvement. Bill Jr. and his wife, Marlene, presently associated with ERA North-Northeast Realty Company, remember their resort days.

It seems the oldtime Dick Sommers just sort of ìwent with the resortî as he did with Gervaisí. Bill enjoyed hearing Sommers talk about the early days when there was just a trail around the lakes and about the Indians that were around at that time. Sommers was a great fisherman, but he did not share his knowledge of where the walleye holes were, not even with Bill.

The resort was in the Weiss family until 1965 when it was sold to Fred Tohmke.

Fred and Marcyís Resort

Eventually there would be a drastic change on this land. One night the firemen responded to a fire call at Fred and Marcysí but it was too late to save the resort. Today private homes have replaced this well-known resort area that started with Jack Yorkís fishing shack.

Bill and Ellaís

Driving down toward the lake on Imperial Avenue, I mentioned the road split. The resort on the right was an attractive log cabin tavern-store and cottages built in 1936, known as Bill and Ellaís. A photograph reminds the older residents of the familiar landmark on Third Lake, although it has had several different names since that time.

Shady Oaks

Jerry Haselbaurer, Forest Lake, is retired now but I have his description of the resort when he and his late wife Irene were owners from 1948-60. They called it Shady Oaks.

Imagine owning 700 feet of lakeshore today. At that time it was large enough for 10 cottages and their own living quarters (built by Bill and Ella). The three Haselbauer children were kept busy cleaning the spacious grounds, which was a big job considering there were 39 picnic tables in the picnic area. Haselbauers added two 2-story cabins that would sleep 12 people each, with family groups or city school classes, usually all girls.

Light groceries, 3.2 beer, hamburgers and french fries were popular items in the store-tavern. Another busy department was renting out their 30 boats. On chilly or rainy days, customers relaxed as they gathered around the crackling fire in the beautiful big fireplace.

Local folks as well as the summer people joined friends as they patronized the resorts around the lake, therefore there was continuity in the fun at Shady Oaks when the well-liked Haselbauers sold to Ken and Connie Olson, another popular local couple.

Ken and Connie Olson

The big weekend crowds enjoyed the casual atmosphere and with the juke box playing the popular music of that time, they even found room to dance a little.

I recall a personal experience when Shady Oaks was a ìport-in-a-storm.î We had invited friends for an evening supper on our pontoon boat. A sudden vicious storm came up and we headed for the nearest place for shelter. As we fought the driving wind and rain to dock our boat, we were assisted by many Shady Oak patrons.

Even though we were dripping wet, the Olsons graciously invited us to eat our pontoon picnic dinner in a big booth and guarded our pontoon boat until the next day.

The Olsons divided the property and sold off a good portion of the land and cottages. Shady Oaks had a succession of owners, Bob and Millie Bumgert, Vandervelts and with owners Joe and Delores Farley the name was changed to Shoreline Lounge. Joe Pillis had the business until 1986 when it was purchased by the present owner, Eric Nelson.

Canary Cottages

My information is very sketchy about the Canary Cottages. If you traveled down a narrow road to the lake (near Third Lake Inn) you would find this six-cottage resort which was popular in its day.

Fishermenís Home

During the summers of long ago, car after car turned left off of present TH-97 on Ideal Avenue to go to Fishermenís Home on Second Lake. The first impression the guests would have was a spacious picnic area, five neat housekeeping cottages, a store near the waterís edge and a big boat dock large enough to tie up 30 boats.

The guests soon met members of the Martin Hoekstra family and meeting Martin himself was a happy experience. He always had a twinkle in his eye and loved to tease his customers with jokes and pranks.

All family members helped with the resort, especially their young daughter Toots (Raduenz). Toots remembers one hard chore, cleaning out the boats, it wouldnít do to have grubby worms or dead minnow stuck to the inside of the boat. The big lawn was cut with a push lawnmower and Toots did the pushing. With family resorts everyone pitched in on all the work.

Martin started his resort in 1925 and in 1960 for health reasons he sold his last boat and ended his resort. In my column of April 10, 1986 I wrote about the devastation to the resort when it was struck by the tornado of April 5, 1929.

The Store-tavern is still standing near the waterís edge. Today it is used as a cottage for family members. Friends who are invited for a social visit are fascinated by the memorabilia that still line the walls. It is almost as though a special time has stood still as you still admire Martinís hand carved ships and see his sign on the back bar. Even the minnow tank is used, except it is now a flower planter.

At this point I will mention Wylerís Point Resort between First and Second Lakes, Rosengrenís boat landing and Frank Krienerís boats and cottages in the bay.

Last but not least in our ìsurrounderî around lakes we had Lakeside Cabin Court. The present Hardware Hank store and condominiums on the lake have replaced the cabins that were extremely popular for overnight tourists or weekly rentals.

The three-story West Bay Condominiums have the beautiful beach and lake view that Ranís cabins had when they were in place.

Writing down the resorts of Forest Lake makes one realize again the attraction and importance the resorts had as a business stimulant and what they contributed to the growth of our area. They were also important to the winter sports of ice fishing and snowmobiling.

Remaining resorts

It is almost unbelievable that only two resorts remain. We have Willow Point, owned by Judy Wilcox since 1984. Judy still has a full resort with cabins, boats, good food and entertainment.

Shoreline Lounge, under Eric Nelson is presently undergoing redecorating. He offers live bands and a short order menu. Both resorts are open for the ice fishermen and snowmobilers.

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