Category Archives: Minnesota History

Lutsen Resort History

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News broke yesterday that Lutsen Lodge was destroyed by fire. As an ode to this iconic MN resort, I’m posting an article entitled “Lutsen Resort: A Rich Heritage of North Shore Hospitality” from the December 2011 issue of Tonka Times magazine.

Do you know how many other devastating fires have occurred at this site and the name of the architect who designed the lodge? Answers are provided in the article. Enjoy!

Tonka Times is no longer in print; the publisher had previously given me permission to share articles I authored. Apologies for the sub-optimal quality; this is a scan of hard copy pages that were larger than 8.5 x 11.

Lutsen-Resort-Article-Tonka-Times-Dec-2011-1Download

Robin Baker Blueberry Hills Trails Systems

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Robin BakerIn December my uncle Robin Baker received a special honor from the Itasca County Trails Task Force (ICTTF) and the Deer River City Council. They approved a motion to add his name to all of the city’s ski, horseback, ATV and snowmobile trails, which will now be known as the “Robin Baker Blueberry Hills Trails Systems.”

Continue reading →

Brooke the Sun Goddess

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Cemeteries are filled with interesting stories. Some of them are triumphant, many are tragic. My sister and I stumbled upon the latter the other day when we wandered through St. Fridolin Cemetery. We were almost to the end of our meander when we spotted the grave of Brooke Elizabeth Thompson. She was born in 1980 and died at age 22. A plastic container stood next to her grave. It had a notebook inside, tucked within a resealable plastic bag. The note on the container invited visitors to leave a message. “Open it up,” I said to Kris. “Let’s see what’s inside.” Continue reading →

Apple Wizard of Gideon Bay

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We take it for granted that people can grow tasty apples in Minnesota, but that hasn’t always been the case. Early settlers missed this fruit so much that some of them used to soak potatoes in vinegar to try and replicate the taste. After 15 years of toil and thousands upon thousands of failures, a Lake Minnetonka settler named Peter M. Gideon finally came up with an edible Minnesota apple. He named it Wealthy to honor his wife (that was her first name) and to symbolize all the hardships they had been through. Gideon had a reputation as an eccentric man with a colorful personality.

If you’d like to read the entire story about this historical figure for whom Gideon Bay on Lake Minnetonka is named, click on the link below. Enjoy!

The Apple Wizard of Gideon Bay. Tonka Times, Sept 2010.

Published version of the story posted with permission of the publisher of Tonka Times magazine.

A Little History on Big Island

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Big Island, Lake MinnetonkaWhen I started writing for Tonka Times magazine in 2010, one of my first stories was about the history of Big Island on Lake Minnetonka. This island has undergone many transitions over the past century, ranging from a Dakota Indian maple syrup site to a bustling amusement park hosting up to 15,000 daily visitors. Today, the western portion of the island is divided amongst numerous property owners, and the eastern 56 acres comprise a passive recreation park managed by the City of Orono. If you’d like to learn more about Big Island’s colorful history, including tales from the Scheftel family and their mother, Marge, who became known as The Queen of Big Island, click the link below to read the story. Enjoy!

Wetutonka: A Little History on Big Island. Tonka Times, July 2010.

Published version of the story posted with permission of the publisher of Tonka Times magazine.

Munsingwear – A Brief History

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We’re easing into December this weekend with 50° temps, which is above average for Minnesota. I skipped the long underwear today, but I’ve already been wearing them for the past couple weeks. I found some great wool blend garments at Costco that have me reminiscing about George Munsing. He’s the guy who invented a way to plate silk onto wool, giving us cozy and itchless wool undergarments. The company he helped found in 1886 eventually became known as Munsingwear, and it was a big part of Minneapolis history for more than 100 years. I wrote about this history for the September 2011 issue of Tonka Times.

Click the link below if you’d like to read the story. Enjoy!

MunsingwearMunsingwear: A Brief History. Tonka Times Sept 2011

Published version of the story posted with permission of the publisher of Tonka Times magazine.

Ice Follies Story Wins Gold

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My Ice Follies feature story, originally published in the January 2012 issue of Tonka Times, won gold at the Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association 2012 Excellence Awards. One of my best memories about working on this story was meeting Jean and Joan Pastor, twin sisters who were bubbling with excitement to talk about their experience skating in the Ice Follies. This family-friendly entertainment show got its start in Minnesota in the 1930s.

Click the link below if you’d like to read the story. Enjoy!

Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies: A Minnesota Class Act. Tonka Times, January 2012

Published version of the story posted with permission of the publisher of Tonka Times magazine.