I received a note from KMS on Traders Bay Lodge. I looked back through my posts and I can't believe that I haven't made a post on Traders Bay Lodge. So here you go!
Traders Bay Lodge sat on the southeast corner of Traders Bay. It is a beautiful spot. I have been told that it was built in the 20's and 30's. They had great grounds, beach, harbor. When we stayed there, the cabins had been beautifully updated. After the resort closed in the fall of 2017 or 2018, it fell into disrepair and was vandalized very heavily. The cabins were eventually torn down. It's always a sad day when I see resorts go this way. The grounds are empty now and the harbor is mostly filled up with sand. I don't know what plans if any are on the horizon for that property.
I actually stayed at Traders Bay Lodge in 2001 at Christmas on a vacation with my family. My two children were very young and TBL was one that had cabins open in the winter. It was a great time. It snowed lightly every day. No wind or blizzards, just light snow falling through the trees, just like a movie. The harbor at TBL had a hill on the south side and the owner scraped a path on the harbor ice so my kids could sled down the hill and across the harbor. That was so nice of him and my kids had the best time. They were 11 and 7 at the time. The owners were so great to us.
I would love to hear stories or see pictures of your times at Traders Bay Lodge. I can tell you that I thought it was a beautiful place and I loved staying there.
There is still a Facebook page for Traders Bay Lodge. I have attached a few pictures I have found here and there on the Facebook page. Another personal note, the red cabin at the top of the pictures is the one we stayed in at TBL.
Here is the post from KMS. If you want to respond to him it is on the home page of the blog:
From 1970 to around '84, my parents Don and Joan Medici owned Traders Bay Lodge. It was a great place to grow up. As a kid, I didn't realize how lucky we were, it's only as an adult that you know most kids DON'T grow up on a fishing resort!
The resort is gone now and has been for a few years. All the cabins torn down. Many of them were pretty old when we bought, built in the 20s and 30s.
Everything changes but we're lucky enough to still have a home on the north end of the lake (Steamboat Bay) and have a couple of really nice resorts as neighbors. Anderson's Cove and Hiawatha Beach are still going strong!
From the Walker Chamber of Commerce map from the late 50's early 60's:
TRADERS BAY LODGE - Leech Lake. Modern housekeeping cabins individual showers. Level grounds, excellent beach, lawn games. Personal dock, fish cleaning. Guides, tackle, groceries. Duane and Marguerite Ogle, Walker, Minn. Tel. KI 7-1031
