Walker Bay Resort

 Walker Bay Resort goes back a long ways.   According to the maps, it was just north of Walker on 371.  It is a beautiful place on the lake.    

I have a couple of connections with Walker Bay Resort.  As a kid, we visited there because a friend of my dad KC Johnson operated his launch out of Walker Bay Resort and lived in a trailer house at the back of the resort property if my memory serves me correctly.  My Friend Roger Sasse used to stay at Walker Bay Resort until it closed.

Anderson's Cove bought some of the cabins from Walker Bay Resort in the mid to late 90's.  I'm not sure exactly when it closed, but it had to be in the mid 90's or near that time.

It is a beautiful picture and the grounds look fantastic.  I hope some of you out there will have some great stories to tell about your time at Walker Bay Resort.  I'll post any updates as I get them.

From the Walker Chamber of Commerce map from the late 50's early 60's

Modern family resort.  Beach, shady lawn, playground.  Harbor - cement ramp - individual docks - private lockers - deep freeze - guide service.  Jim and Nadine Livingston.  Walker, Minn.  Tel. KI 7-1567. 

Lake View Resort

A beautiful picture of Lake View Resort.

Renae Geving gave me the following information about Lake View Resort. 

Tom and Blanche Barker built Lake View Resort in 1938 and operated it along with his business, Barker's Jewelry & Gift Shop in Walker until 1941 when he sold the resort to Thomas Coleman in November.

Coleman sold to  Elos and Mary Ray in 1944.   

Fred and Gesina Turner bought the resort in 1953 and they sold to Paul and Gertrude Bantz in 1956.  

Fred Turner, Sr. returned to operate the resort in 1956 while he and his wife also operated the Sportsman's Grill in Walker at the location of the Outdoorsman Cafe. 

Paul Vantz and his son Bob became owners in the 1970s and they sold a portion of the resort to Walker Bay Resort. Harold Bruns, owner of Walker Bay resort moved half of the cabins to the Walker Bay resort in 1978. 

The postcard picture that is posted here was from this time when the Bantz's owned the resort.  I'm not sure if they sold it to Mr. Turner or if he just operated the resort.  

Anybody out there with some stories about Lake View Resort?   I'd love to find out more.

To anybody reading this post, Renae is writing a book about the old and new Leech Lake Resorts.  I can't wait for the book to come out and pour over it!  I believe that it will be out next year sometime.  

This resort wasn't listed on the Chamber of Commerce map that I'm looking at now. I will use some of the other maps that I have and list that information when I get it.

Paradise Point Resort

Here is another resort that was gone before we started spending much time on the west side of the Lake.  As I noted, we spent our time up at the lake on the west side near Brevik.  We didn't get on the lake at all on the west side, just got to Walker a couple of times while we were up there. 

These pictures are fantastic.  When I look at pictures like this, I wonder who the people were that were in the picture.  It looks like they had a launch at the resort as the boat on the right had the resort name on it.  Then the rental boats on the left and a guy in one of them.  All wood boats of course, I've driven a few of those wooden boats with a 5 1/2 horse motor on it!

I wonder what the stories about the resort and the people that are that are in the pictures.

I have been told that a lot of the pictures that were on these old post cards were just taken by the owners or someone that did it for them and they sent them in and had post cards made.

Paradise Point Resort was of course located on Paradise Point in Shingobee Bay.  There is nothing on Paradise Point now.  There is one white garage near the water to the north of the point.  It looks like it could have been a part of the resort.

I would love to hear anything that you might know about the resort.   The pictures look like the 50's I'm guessing.  I might be off, but that would be my best guess. 

Sigh.  What I wouldn't give to travel back in time and see all of these places.  I'm not sure when they tore it down, but I'm sure it was a sad day when the last owner closed the doors for the last time and they tore the cabins down.

Info from a Walker Chamber of Commerce from the late 50's early 60's

On sheltered waters of Shingobee Bay, leech Lake.  Modern, ultra-modern cabins.  Playground equipment equipment, swimming float.  A variety of fish.  Mervin K Johnson, Walker, Minn.  Tel. KI 7-1229.

North Star Camp

North Star Camp was located on the north tip of Portage Bay on Leech Lake.  It is closest to Bena and Federal Dam.

I have been to the site before, it is really beautiful and had a great beach.  I have had some other posts from people wondering about North Star Camp.  One post thought it was on Lake Winnibigoshish.  I'm not sure if there was a North Star Camp on Winnie or on Cass, but there was one on Leech!

Beautiful pictures.  Looks like it was a nice place.  I hope to hear from any of you that may have stayed there or near there.

Island Motel and Resort on Shingobee Island

Hello!  It has been a while since I posted.  I'll try to do better!

This is an interesting place.  The building is still standing and in use on Shingobee Island.  It looks really neat!  The back side sits right on the lake, almost overhanging over the lake. 

I don't know if there are many of you out there that stayed there, but if you still go to the lake, you can drive by it!

Bayside Resort

Bayside is an old resort that is still operating today.  It is on Agency Bay and here is it's website.

http://www.baysideleechlake.com/

I have often driven by on the lake and looked at this resort.  It is a really nice looking, very clean resort.  The yellow cabins look great!

I have a few older pictures from postcards that I have bought, including the back side of an old postcard when it was Heinie's Bayside Resort.  A postcard from another era(1955), it says write for reservations!

From the late 1950's early 60's Chamber of Commerce map:

Agency Bay.  8 houskeeping cabins.  Modern.  Supplies.  Surfaced road.  LeRoy and Martha Vang.  Tel. KI 7-1350. Walker, MN.

I would love to hear your stories from the Bayside Resort!

Sugar Point Resort and Herman's Resort

I have been to Sugar Point Resort a couple of different times just to cruise through and check it out.  It has been a few years ago and the resort has changed hands since the last time I was there.  I remember that it is a beautiful piece of property on the east side of Leech and they have a lot of great cabins.

I emailed the current owners, Christie and Jamie and Christie responded with a little bit of information about the resort:

"Sugar Point Resort was once comprised of 2 resorts,  one of them being Herman's Resort. The owners were Herman and Florence Storhaug. 

There is certainly a lot of history in our neck of the woods!

We took over in 2015. The previous owners were here 34 years. They are going to put together some resort history to share with us."

Thanks for that Christie.  I thought I would post the following information for Sugar Point.

The address and website for Sugar Point Resort is:

10125 Sugar Point Dr. NW
Federal Dam, MN 56641

http://sugarpoint.com/

I'm looking forward to hearing more from Christie and Jamie.  

From the late 1950's early 60's Chamber of Commerce map for Herman's Resort.  There were no listings for Sugar Point Resort:

Herman's Resort - On beautiful Sugar Point.  Sheltered harbors, launch, guide, fish filleting, freezer, groceries, snack bar, TV.  Cement ramp, motors, bait, gas, tackle, playground, swimming.  Herman and Florence Storhaug, Federal Dam, Minn.  Tel. 645-3155.