By Kay Krans

The Northwoods called the sportsman of the Midwest and beyond to come and explore, fish and hunt. The draw was the wilderness, the abundance of game, and lakes that seemed to have an endless supply of fish, along with guides who knew the area. John Muir, naturalist and conservationist, called for a “National Law of Rest” and advocated that all Americans should have time off work and experience what the country was like. These sportsmen and tourists came before the timber was cutover, others came after, and generations continue to come now that the forest is restored.

In the post treaty era, Ojibwe families like the Devines participated in guiding. Irishman Dan Devine and his Ojibwe wife Kate Scott, along with their sons, became much sought-after guides in the Manitowish Waters area. Other Ojibwe offered carpentry skills and helped run and support resorts. These skills became important to the livelihoods of their families. Ojibwe hunting and fishing guides like the Devines and Basil DeCoteau knew the landscape and were instrumental in the development of quality guide services.

In 1902, an article in the Iron County Republican of Hurley stated of Wisconsin that “no state in the union offers to the winter or summer sportsman and tourist such splendid facilities for recreation and all that word implies by way of health and genuine sport.”

During the logging era, trains were scheduled to locations in Vilas County for the movement of timber and lumber to the urban areas of the Midwest. Urban passengers became an additional income for the lumber railroad transportation. During the summer, trains took passengers to resorts and made many more stops to accommodate passengers, so they could meet resort transportation for their buggy and boat transfers and later car transport to local resorts.

In 1889, The Chicago North Western traveled to Powell and Manitowish, bringing passengers to these two stops to meet their transportation to the resorts. By 1919, The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul Railroad created the “Fisherman’s Special” weekend service to Minocqua. This service lasted until 1948. From 1936-1956, the “Northwoods Hiawatha” created a luxury trip Minocqua from the cities. The “Flambeau 400” became the popular train to travel to Manitowish in the early 1950s. Train service demand declined as the highways improved and tourists preferred to travel north by car.

In 1925 and 1929, The Northern Highland and American Legion State Forests were formed to reclaim and conserve the forests, and in 1933 The Nicolet and Chequamegon National Forests were established, furthering the attraction to tourists and the need for resorts and accommodations.

To look specifically at the area’s resorts, we need to look back to before the Great Depression. Prior to that period, paid vacations were available mostly to professional businessmen and the top management of companies. Following the Depression era and World War II, unions and corporations began to see vacation as a priority to the rising middle-class workforce. The automobile industry as well as oil concerns saw promotion of travel by car as a great marketing tool. Northern resort owners began to work together to advertise and formed chamber of commerce organizations.

The fish and hunting camps drew the early, often wealthy adventurer to the Northwoods, first in rustic tent camps, then upgraded to small vertical or horizontal log cabins, and small white clapboard cottages. Soon, many of these fish camps expanded into resorts for families to come for a few short weeks or for the whole summer.

Examples of early fishing and hunting camps were LaFave’s Island Resort and Bucks Spider Lake Resort. By 1902, Bucks Resort even offered telephone service for the businessman who needed a connection to the city. “Nowhere else can the family have a better vacation than on the Manitowish and Turtle Waters.” Bucks Resort advertised that they had a “large and experienced corps of guides, and 50 boats to traverse the Manitowish Chain of Lakes and rivers.”

In 1909, Henry and Ruth Voss founded Voss’ Birchwood Lodge, which developed into one of the most elegant resorts of Northern Wisconsin. Fishing guides worked out of Voss’ and were hired by guests, so their fishing was successful.

By 1928, there were 108 resorts located in Vilas County. In addition to fishing, hunting and health as a focus in the early years, by the 1930s and 1940s, the resorts advertised that the Northwoods had fine swimming beaches, hiking, tennis, horseback riding, golf, and the most wonderful scenery and wildlife. In the early days of family tourism, the draw to a resort was that the cottages and rooms had mattresses with box springs, hot running water, electricity, and some cabins came with indoor fireplaces and outdoor fire rings. Many of the early resorts were American plan, which featured wonderful home cooking. Housekeeping cottages appealed to middle- and working-class families that came to enjoy their vacation on a smaller budget. Soon, resorts began to offer both options.

In 1949, Kuhnert’s Northern Lights Resort offered “convenience, comfort, and even luxury in a setting of wilderness beauty.” Koerner’s Resort was recommended by restaurant ratings pioneer Duncan Hines, who assured tourists of excellent food and accommodations.

The Manitowish Waters Chamber of Commerce was formed under the leadership of men like Roy Jorgensen, T.J. Koerner and Henry Voss. They produced booklets, first evidenced with the 1936 booklet, and went to the cities to promote Manitowish Waters at sport shows held to promote tourism statewide. The motto of the chamber booklets was “Manitowish Waters where vacation days are happy days.” Some resorts like Lakewood sent newsletters to former customers to create a return clientele. Wonderful promises of great fishing and hunting appeared with information about the resorts and the area. “It is possible to fish for weeks and months without hitting the same fishing spot twice.”  (1941 MW Chamber Booklet)

The Waukegan Lodge motto in 1957 was “the important vacation product is pleasure. The by-product is fish. We’ll guarantee the product but the by-product is up to you.”

Enjoy the stories of the resorts of Manitowish Waters!

Bibliography

American-rails.com

Fastcompany.com

1941 Manitowish Waters Chamber of Commerce Booklet

1949 Manitowish Waters Chamber of Commerce Booklet

1957 Manitowish Waters Chamber of Commerce Booklet

The History of the Bearskin Trail, Minocqua.org

Muir, John, Vox.com

Muir, John, vault.sierraclub.org