TMLA History Tidbits

Rail Stops - by Sue Eikenberry, Fall 2006 

The Cass County Pioneer of March 24,1899 showed these stops on the afternoon schedule of the Brainerd and Northern Minnesota Railway:

The Lothrop Spur was about nine miles long, running east to Moccasin Lake. Operations continued on it for four years.

Hackensack Post Office - by Sue Eikenberry, Fall 2006 - From an article in the Walker Pilot-Independent, written by editor Paul Nye, in the early 90's:

The Hackensack Post Office was started June 21,1888 and has served the Hackensack area for more than one hundred years with only a brief three-year break in 1896 when the mail went to Lathrop (Lothrop).

Benbrook Time Capsule - by Sue Eikenberry, Summer 2006 - Information provided by Sandra Birkholz

In 1987 in the summer following our purchase of our cabin from the Jameson family, we met a man strolling down the path in front of our cabin. He introduced himself as Stan Benbrook and said he was looking for special landmarks from his childhood on the lake. He told us that in 1933 when our cabin was being built by Al Woock, an aspirin bottle was cemented into the stone foundation with only the metal cap exposed.

We looked among the stones of the foundation, found the gray tin bottle cap, unscrewed it, and then with a tweezers pulled out a tiny piece of paper. A very young Stanley Benbrook had neatly written the following information:

    Started - July 17, 1933
    Finished - August 10, 1933
    Owned by W.H. Jameson
    Written by Stanley Benbrook

Dr. Walter T. Walker - by Sue Eikenberry, Spring 2006 - Information from the Walker Pilot-Independent, May 31, 2001

Dr. Walter T. Walker, grandson of lumber baron T.B. Walker, for whom the city of Walker was named, died May 6, 2001, at age 89 at his Minneapolis home. He was a 1935 graduate of Princeton University and a 1940 graduate of Harvard Medical School. He served in the pathology department of the University of Minnesota from 1942-1948, then devoted the rest of his professional career to family business pursuits. He was treasurer and director of the Shasta Forest Co. of Redding, CA.

He was also vice-president of the T.B. Walker Foundation, a director of the Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Foundation (named for his parents), The Walker Arts Center (in which his grandfather invested some of his wealth), the Minneapolis Foundation, Abbot Northwestern Hospital and other charitable causes. T.B. Walker and H.C. Akeley formed the Red River Lumber Co. and operated it in Akeley from 1899 to 1916, when he moved his lumber interests west, founding the town of Westwood, CA.

Minnesota Eats Out - by Sue Eikenberry, Spring 2006

In the book, Minnesota Eats Out, An Illustrated History, by Kathryn and Linda Koutsky, there is a lovely dining room photo on page 102 of the "Klose to Nature Kamp, near Hackensack, 1925." We know this as the "Sunday Dinner" spot and lodge on Angel Island on the north shore of Ten Mile. In other family history accounts it was mentioned as practically a whole day's activity, to row there, eat, and row back to their cabin again. Evidently it was very worth the trip!

From a Conversation with the late Fred Martin - by Murry Towler, Spring 2006

Frank and Ida Frederick owned an 80-acre farm on the southeast shore of Ten Mile Lake. He and Walter Witte hauled gravel across the ice to Kenfield Bay to make a beach in front of Kenfield Bay Lodge.

The Beginnings of the Ten Mile Lake Association - by Sue Eikenberry, History Committee, Fall 2005

The Ten Mile Lake Association was first formed in 1946 by Al Woock, Bob Mayer, and a few others, and included Birch Lake. In 1951, that association fell apart - their work to get a walleye population seemed to be benefiting only downstream lakes. TMLA came back to life about 1958 without the Birch Lake members. Records were kept of the Board meetings, but there were no general newsletters that we can find from that period. The earliest Newsletter in our archives is for March, 1971. If anyone has a newsletter earlier than March, 1971, the History Committee would like very much to see it. Please call Lorraine Stromquist, Chair of the History Committee, 675-6813.

Fish Stocking - excerpted by Sue Eikenberry, Summer 2005

From an October 14, 1971 Board Meeting Report:
2890 stunted walleyes were placed in TML by the fisheries department crew from Walker.

From the August 20, 1971 Board Meeting Report:
It was moved and seconded to continue the rainbow trout stocking program. It was suggested a gate be placed across the Boy River to prevent trout fromgoing downstream into Birch Lake.

From Sylvia Haase in 1997 - excerpted by Sue Eikenberry, Summer 2005 - Her family had a store on the north shore, and she remembers "paying the carpenters $.30 per hour. I remember making homemade ice cream every day. Little Otto (Schneider), who an eighth grader at the time, would crank the ice cream freezer every day, including weekends. We would make three gallons at a time, and sometimes make another three gallons. I remember one summer when a boy and girl who worked for us each gained 25 pounds!"

Boat Parades - by Sue Eikenberry, 2005 - In past years there have been many 4th of July Boat Parades on Ten Mile, especially on the north shore. Why don't you and your family plan to be in one this year, on north or south shore. Decorate your boat with flags and patriotic streamers and join in the fun, around 10 a.m.

Sailing Trophy History - (From "Ten Mile Lake Yacht Club Trophies" by Mimi Garbisch Carlson.)
Sailing "C" Boats began in the early 1930s. The first old silver trophy originally belonged to H. F. "Hub" Garbisch and was a trophy his show chickens won at Madison Square Garden. It is now used as 1st place prize for the entire summer season (which usually consists of three named regattas and one unnamed regatta.)

National Geographic Photo - by Sue Eikenberry, 2005 - The March 1935 National Geographic magazine features an article on "Minnesota, Mother of Lakes and River," by Granville Smith, in which TML is mentioned. We cannot reprint it for you due to copyright considerations but you may research it on your own. There is a photo showing a string of large pike, and one gigantic one, caught on TML, and showing people and a cabin in the background. It would be wonderful if someone could identify the people and cabin and share that information with the History Committee!

The Camp Iowa Store: Provided by Sue Eikenberry, History Committee (From Ella Rasmussen's memories of 1931) - 2004

The store at Camp Iowa was called "The Honor Store." The sales pads were on the counter, and there were no clerks. We went into the store, picked up our groceries, and wrote the items on the pad. Later Edith and Bob Jensen filled in the price3s. When we were ready to leave [the lake], we went to the house and paid for our groceries for the seven, ten, or fourteen days we had been there.

Sand Trout: by Sue Eikenberry, History Committee - 2004

From an account on the Mullendore property written by Cyril Grand Hedderly, who lived there from 1906 to 1923: Cyril reports catching Northerns at that time of 20 to 22 pounds. They called these fish "Sand Trout," and they sliced them like steak.

Memories of 1931 - From Ella Rasmussen

Every Sunday morning at 9 a.m. Rev. Hammond from the Methodist Church of Walker came to lead us in our Sunday School at Camp Iowa. Ethel Jensen led the singing and played the organ. Of course, you might know - no men. They were all out fishing. From Lydia Thomas, wife of Albert Thomas: I remember the year Charles was a baby and how I had to get up during the night with a kerosene lamp and light a fire to warm the milk for him, often with a blanket wrapped around me because of the cold. It was so cold in the house that winter that I had to oil the baby every day for 5 weeks instead of giving him a bath.