Posted: 5/7/03

Forest Lakeís stately homes offer unique sights, tales

(Editorís Note: The following Reflections column was first published on November 14, 1985 and is reprinted here as part of the newspaperís on-going coverage during its 100th year. This column and future Reflections columns are in tribute to the author who died on Friday, Feb. 7, 2003.)

Elsie Vogel
Historical Feature Writer

In recent years, there has been a trend toward the restoration and preservation of older homes. It seems old stately homes are capturing the imagination and renovation energies of many younger people.

They are attracted to homes with a sense of history and they will go to great lengths to research not only the homes but seek out tidbits about the previous owners.

They will spend hours browsing in antique shops for just the right find; maybe it is a piece of stained glass, an odd-shaped table or a childís rocker. There is a lot of enjoyment for people seeking treasures at flea markets and garage sales.

Newcomers to our area have frequently asked me about some outstanding or historical homes in the Forest Lake area. I also have been intrigued by them and today we will visit three homes and steal a few glimpses into the lives and lifestyles of former occupants, many who are just past the turn of this century.

Ray Houle residence

This large, stately three-story, red brick house with its distinctive white porch railings, located at the north end of our city is perhaps the most admired home in the area. It is a home that evokes fantasies of a by-gone era.

Gracious family

Mrs. Houle (Myrrl) and I sat in the large sunny kitchen, with its gleaming hardwood floor, enjoying a cup of coffee while I listened to the history of the residence that has been home for three generations.

The home was built in 1912 for Joseph W. Houle and his wife, Ellen; they had one son, Raymond. Joseph Houle was a co-founder of the present Houle Grocery store in 1892.

Johnny Marsh, son of Capt. Michael Marsh, the first hotelkeeper in Forest Lake, built the home using local labor. Structurally, the house remains the same as when it was built.

Raymond brought his bride, Myrrl, to this home and in time the large house was filled with the noise and laughter of four children.

Main floor

Mrs. Houle invited me to view the entire house. Just off the kitchen there was a cozy sitting room with a fireplace, perfect for comfortable relaxation.

In the formal dining room the original, distinctive chandelier still shines down on the large Tudor style dining table which was the setting for the family dinners and dinner parties.

I found myself admiring the tall colonnades in the living room, the wide graceful stairway and the woodwork which has retained its original beauty. Leaded, beveled designs decorate the tops of the windows and there are bay windows on both floors. At one time a circular window seat filled the living room bay, but was removed to make room for a grand piano.

The Ray Houles were expert bridge players and the living room has been filled with many guests participating in bridge parties. During these parties the mischievous young children, supposedly in bed, would hide on the steps and peek down at the adults enjoying a party.

Second floor

The second floor contains four bedrooms, including a maidís room used during Mrs. J.W. Houleís time. Also during this period there was a special sewing room. The ladies wore many homesewn and handmade articles of clothing, including fancy and elaborate gowns. Beads, braid and feathers were popular trimmings.

The sleeping porches in the back were favorite quarters for the Houle children during summer months and the wide back stairway leading down to the kitchen was a favorite place to run up and down and play.

The third story remains a huge well-lighted attic for storage, but at one time it contained many more mementos and treasures that always find their way up to the attic.

Grounds around the home

Tennis was a favorite game in Myrrl Houleís family. Her father, Mr. Trueblood, one of our former depot agents, was instrumental in building the tennis court in our downtown railroad park. These courts were enjoyed by the townspeople for many years.

Because of their great interest in tennis, the Ray Houles built a court near the southeast corner of the Houle property, replacing a garden area.

Highway 61 change

In 1948, plans to build a section of double highway northbound out of Forest Lake, forced a whole neighborhood to make decisions to relocate. At this point it is hard to visualize the home sites that were there.

Three homes to the west of Houles were moved away, also two homes across 4th Ave. NE. In addition, three homes and Mattsonís Funeral Home, which were on the original portions of North Shore Drive (South of Houles) were moved across the street. How fortunate that this impressive Houle family home could remain on the original land.

Eugene Villaumes summer home

Across the street from the Ray Houle residence stands a large, yellow three-story house, the home of Bob and Betty Waltz. Even though the home was built by Dr. Danz, this was known for years as the Villaume house. Villaumes owned a Box and Lumber Company in St. Paul.

Through the years, remodeling and removal of the Victorian gingerbread trim has given the home a more modern look.

I contacted a Villaume family member, Christine Linsmayer, St. Paul, granddaughter of the Villaumes, and her vivid recollection of summers spent in this home and her parentís cottage by the creek makes you realize how wonderful it was for the city people to come to Forest Lake and completely enjoy the season. In Christineís words, it was ìABSOLUTE MAGIC.î

Christine remembers

The big house perched on a small hill had land extending to the lake. Decorative iron fencing framed the front yard and continued down the side street to the lake.

A large portion of the back yard was a garden tended by Mitt Simmons, a member of a local pioneer family. Christine recalls it was her job to dispense the garden produce throughout the neighborhood. The grapes growing on the fence never seemed to produce a good wine.

There was a large courtyard behind the house and in the corner was an octagon-shaped gazebo (one of three gazebos on the grounds).

Gazebo

It was topped with an unusual bell-shaped metal roof. White lattice work provided airy shade for people seated on the oak benches that fit the octagon shape of the gazebo, in the center was an octagon table.

Two years ago, Lee Roy Osterbauer purchased this gazebo from the Waltzs. He dismantled it and reassembled it on a curve of the lake channel in front of his home; it is now painted Gloucester Grey.

Boaters, neighbors and the Osterbauer family enjoy the gazebo as did the Villaumes. Today it is a reminder of a slower-paced time in Forest Lake.

Good ideas

There was also a two-story barn and Christineís grandfather installed a gibbet which could raise the heavy iron lawn furniture to the second story for storage in the winter, and lower it in the spring. There was even a generator plant behind the garage.

Lakeshore

Today the Edgewater Condominiums and garages cover the gardens, grounds and also the boat house area which included a platform to roll the boats down to the water. There was always a big dock.

Christine remembers with amusement the big launch her grandfather had. It was really too big for the lake and much to his chagrin he frequently became stuck on the sand bars.

Letís go inside the home

Mrs. Villaume and Mrs. Joseph Houle, from across the street, were sisters and Christine remembers the ladies often conversing in French. The family cook, Anne Kordulka, prepared all the meals on a wood stove, completely ignoring the electric stove.

The inside of this large house had some interesting features, heavy sliding doors, bay windows, of course, and a balcony with an outside stairway. There was a narrow curving staircase from the lower level to the third floor, but perhaps the most unusual room is the tornado shelter, which is still in use today.

Tornado shelter

When you open a door in the west wall of the lower level you walk into a good sized white painted room. This is actually built under the front lawn. A few years ago, my dog and I took shelter with our neighbors, the Waltzs, during a tornado alert. This must be the safest place in our city.

During the time when people were urged to build bomb shelters, young Tim Waltz brought his school class to see this natural bomb shelter stocked with water and food as we were all urged to do.

New owners

Tom Simmons was the next owner, followed by Andrew Olson and the present owner, Bob Waltz. The large house was becoming too hard to maintain as a single dwelling so two apartments were made out of the second and third floors and with considerable remodeling on the lower level, the Waltzs made their own apartment.

Governor Wm. R. Merriam - 1889-93

There was quite a chill in the air the afternoon Cathy Carsberg and I drove to the big yellow house built on a knoll overlooking North Shore Drive.

Marjorie Groman welcomed us inside and instantly we heard the crackling of the fire in the huge fireplace.

Entering the beautiful large living room could be compared to peeking at the last page in a novel to learn the ending.

This room and the area above was at one time a part of a 28-room summer home of our 11th Governor... Governor Wm. R. Merriam. This portion of the house was moved to its current site from the former Governors Estate by the new owner, M.D. Munn.

Fireplace

The focal point of this room is the fieldstone fireplace. The Munns photographed and numbered the stones before they were moved. This effort resulted in an exact duplication of the original when the fireplace was rebuilt. The fireplace is about 10 feet across and approximately 8 feet high.

Governor Merriamsí family used this livingroom as the ballroom and then later it was used as the game room for billiards and cards.

One must admire the original ceiling beams and appreciate the preservation of many interesting conversation pieces in the room. For instance, if you twist the antique doorbell, it rings. There are built-in seats on both sides of the fireplace. Out of the ordinary leaded, beveled glass, which can be found above and on the sides of the door, reportedly came from Germany.

At one time a stairway at the far end of the livingroom led to the Governorís Library, which was upstairs.

There is still a visual reminder of the location to the entrance to the vast, Governorís Estate, as we view two stone gate pillars at the Donelly Trudeau property, which is across the road and about two blocks north of Gromans. The road through the gate extended to the Merriam house which was in the vicinity of the present home of Dr. McCain on North Shore Trail.

Today, Marjorie Groman shares her lovely and historical home with four residents and several day care adults. Owners who came before Groman included the M.D. Munn and Len Halboun families.

M.D. Munn farm

Governor Merriamís estate later became well-known as the Munn Farm. The Munn family with two daughters also enjoyed this beautiful home in the summer months. Munn was a former Chicago attorney.

Mrs. Harold Waldo recalls the era during which her late husband worked at the Munn farm, starting as a 15-year-old youngster. Munn had prize Jersey cows and Harold exhibited them at fairs. Munn also sold cattle to Japan.

Waldo always stressed the importance of this farm. In time the National Dairy Council along with Munn, used it as an experimental farm, researching the effects of oleo margarine and butter on rats. The Munn farm could be a complete story in itself.

A Mr. Boughlett followed Munn as the next owner and the outbuildings such as the cook house and bunk house were sold and moved away for developing the property.

The Munns had always wanted to live on a knoll and they found this lovely setting even with the creek nearby, for the portion of their former 28 room home that they painstakingly preserved and moved.

In June 1940, Len, Edith and Charlotte Halbohn found the Munns beautiful grounds, with a garden, and the unusual home just what they were looking to buy. In 1974 the house was sold to the present owner Marjorie Groman.

Next weekís story will feature more homes from our early history.

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