Merit Lodge

Merit Lodge was one of the most beautiful resort settings on Leech Lake without a doubt.  The lodge building is a great old building that has been taken care of through the years.

Merit Lodge sat on the south side of Leech Lake right to the west of Huddle's.  Most of the old cabins are gone now, but the lodge is still there and is used as a restaurant by Trapper's Landing.  They are building upscale time share condos where Merit Lodge cabins used to be.  The Merit Lodge resort was owned for a time by Huddle's(a great old time family resort) but was sold sometime after 2000 I believe.

The Merits originally used the resort to entertain guests of their business that they ran and then I believe that it eventually morphed into a resort.  

Merit Lodge was a beautiful resort.  I hope that someone will find this and share a story with us.  The color picture is more as I remember Merit Lodge.  Although I think that they were painted a dark red at some point in time after this picture was taken, they were the red color at the end of Merit Lodge's life as a resort.  Anybody out there stay at Merit Lodge?  Tell me about your experience!



I have an update.  I bought this on eBay a few years ago and I'm trying to date it by the names of the owners.  I left my copy of The Early Resorts of Minnesota by Ren Holland at the lake, so I'll post it here until I can get up there again.  

A very interesting thing on this lighter is they refer to it as Merit Lodge the Exceptional.  I've never heard that tag line on Merit Lodge.  Of course about the same time I've seen Forest View the Beautiful on a lot of things from Forest View in that era.

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

Merit Lodge - AAA American and housekeeping Plans.  Family resort an convention catering.  Boat Harbor, launching, safe beach, meals, movies, water-skiing, guides, launch, playground.  Al and Jean Schwarz, Walker, Minn.  Tel. VE 6-2321 

Brindley's Harbor Resort

My good friend Doug Clough is going to be my guest blogger on his memories of Brindley's Harbor Resort.  It will be nice to have a professional writer on this site!  Please read the comments for this post below.  They are great stories from Doug.  Well worth your time.

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

Brindley's Resort - Trading Post By Pine Point.  New, completely modern housekeeping cottages.   Individual showers, hot water, heater, gas heat, recreation room, safe sand beach.  Bernice and Joe Brindley Tel. KI-7-1721

Paul Bunyan Land

Probably one of the coolest parts of my vacation time when we went up to Leech Lake was a trip to Paul Bunyan's Vacationland in Brainerd.  We didn't go every year, but it was great when we went.  Everyone that has been in Minnesota, knows the story of Paul Bunyan and we loved going there as kids.

I was lucky enough to be able to take my kids here before it was moved.  We all have good memories of this place.

The coolest thing was when Paul would raise his right hand and say hello to the kids as they came in the park.  It was always a mystery to the kids how Paul knew their names.  Just a little information as you went into the park took care of that.

It used to sit at the intersection of MN State Highways 371(the new bypass) and 210.  It was relocated to This Old Farm off of Highway 18 just minutes away from Brainerd, MN sometime in the early to mid 2000's.

Here is a link that describes the move and Paul's new digs:  http://www.brainerd.com/news/archives/paul-bunyan-land.html

Also the link to Paul Bunyan Land site:  http://www.paulbunyanland.com/

They have a bunch of really cool stuff there besides the refurbished Paul Bunyan Land and you can find a brochure at their site.

I have to be honest, I haven't been to Paul Bunyan Land since they moved, but I think I'll have to make the trip again soon.

I'd love to hear anyone's memories of their trips to Paul Bunyan Land.

Up North at the Cabin

I think I will post this, although it isn't really about resorts, but about my time at Leech Lake.  Actually, it would apply to everyone's time at any lake if you went as a child or if you took your own children.

This may be one of the best books I have ever read.  My mom bought it for our family as a Christmas present when our children were first born.  It is listed as a children's book, but as I read it to my son and daughter many times as they were children, it always made me smile as I thought about my own childhood memories and the people, some of them gone now, that were central to those memories up north at the cabin.  And not only my memories as a child, but my memories of my own children as they have grown up now, they were always so excited to go.   Grandma and Grandpa, Mom and Dad, my wife and children, my siblings, Augie and Mettie, the VanWerdens and the Ottos, the Crandels, the list is way too long to put everyone in there.  I'm sure you all have your own memories.  We continue to make memories at the lake each year.

The book Up North at the Cabin can be bought just about anywhere, ebay, amazon, etc.  If you ever spent any time up north at the cabin, you have to get this book.  Take my word for it.  It was written by Marsha Wilson Chall, pictures by Steve Johnson.

Bear Island View

Bear Island View was an old resort that is long gone on the east side of the lake near Brevik.  It was owned by a family named Coleman.

They had a big long harbor that was cut into the land, and the cabins pretty much sat around the harbor that I remember.  I don't know if any sat on the lake.

I can remember as a kid that they had plywood cutouts of bears around the harbor and if I remember some of them had things written on them.  I always thought that it was very, very cool.

Anybody out there have a clearer memory about this resort?  It closed down as a resort quite some time ago and as the fate that befell many of the resorts on Leech, it now is private cabins.

I don't have any pictures.  Anybody that knows, please feel free to comment.  If you have any pictures, send them to me and I'd be glad to post them.

These pictures are from Skearth of Bear Island View.  See his posts below to get some great history of the resort.  Thanks Skearth!

Twin Port Resort

Twin Port resort was located on the southeast side of Leech Lake near Brevik.  I don't remember much about it, as it closed when I was young.   There are private cabins on it now and it is run as an association.

There were three different things that I remember about Twin Port that made it distinctive.  Of course, it had two harbors.  Thus the name Twin Port.  Also, it had a little store that if I remember right, was on the point near the harbor.  I can't remember for sure as it has been closed for a long time.  The last thing that I remember was it had a silver quonset hut that was rented out as a cabin.  It is still there.

I haven't been down there for quite some time now, but last time I was there, the old Twin Port mailbox was still there.  That is quite a thing as it has been closed since the 70's or 80's least I believe.  I could be wrong about that.

I would love to hear more about Twin Port.  Anyone out there that stayed there or knows more about it?

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

Twin Port Resort - Partridge Point.  Five houskeeping cabins.  Modern.  John K. Parker, Longville, Minn  Tel. Walker VE 6-2236

Silver Springs Resort

Silver Springs Resort was a resort on Kabekona Bay of Leech Lake on the west side of the lake.  Although I never stayed or even went to Silver Springs, I came across a site put up by Mr. Bill Van Dyck about his family's history at Silver Springs.  I did get a chance to talk to Bill in person.  He loved his time at Silver Springs.  There is one cabin he thought that is left.  Although it has been remodeled several times and isn't recognizable as a resort cabin.

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

Silver Springs - Kabekona Bay on Leech Lake.  Housekeeping cabins.  Modern plus refrigerators and gas ranges.  Good 18 ft. wood boats.  Children's playground.  Wayne and Edith Legg, Walker, Minn.  Tel KI 7-1646