Four dozen points of historical interest on a two hour tour of the East side of the lake
Brought to you by John Dettloff, working cooperatively with the Lake Chippewa Flowage Resort Association (LCFRA) and the Chippewa Flowage Area Property Owners Association (CFAPOA). The tour will point out approximately four dozen points of historical interest on a two hour tour of the East side of the lake.
This map has the points marked as well as a little information about each point of interest.
Since first full head of water on the Chippewa Flowage
A guide and map of points of interest on the Chippewa Flowage there in 1911
Interactive Map
Key
Oluf Treland farm/sawmill/Treeland Pines/Treland's Cabins/Treeland Resorts.
Derro Homestead They homesteaded the land just south of Oluf Treland's farm in 1914. They cleared a lot of land and built a home, barn, and outbuildings and had a diary farm going there. Everything was fine until they heard about the coming flowage, which would submerge much of their property and leave the rest stranded on an island. They gave up on the land around 1921 and moved back to Rock Elm, Wis where they came from. While the power company consistently paid almost everyone (include tribal members) who got flooded out the same rate of $8/acre, the Derros were only paid $6.25/acre and got nothing for their buildings. The power company usually paid extra if there were buildings on the property.
McCleod Dam was built across the north fork of the Chief River probably during the 1870s. Most of the creeks and tributaries had logging dams built on them during that time in order to build up enough backwater to flush the logs downstream towards the larger rivers like the Chippewa.
The area where Eagles Nest Island is today located was originally a high, well forested section of land surrounded by lowland and meadow. It was purchased and logged by Stephen Smith around 1874.
This is where Thad Thayer turned onto the main part of the Chief River from the Little Chief (or South Fork) of the Chief River… on his way to become the first white settler of Pahquahwong in 1865.
Pork Barrel Trading Post story. The Story goes that some people traded goods for some tainted pork at a trading post that was there and got sick.
Jules Lodge (Deerfoot) opened 1928. Jules Lupperi and Sal Galli, whose family owned one of Chicago's most famous Italian restaurants in Chicago partnered to build the place.
The original site of the Pahquahwong village, founded in the late 1770s, was at the junction of the Chief River and the West Fork of the Chippewa River. Early maps show that the village was here and no further south. Today's nearby Skull Island and Shear Pin Bar areas, on the north banks of the rivers, were both pagan graveyards for this village. Where most of us think of as Old Post (or Pahquahwong) as being 1 1/2 miles south – by the bend of the river – was not settled until sometime later… probably starting around 1840.
Missabe's (alias John Sherman) house was on the west bank of the West Fork… not far from Menards Cabin. Sherman's Bay was named for him. Messabe's cabin burned down in the 1880s and 2 of his children perished in the fire.
Two early resorts on the West Fork, off to the left… were Wende's and Willets (opening for business in 1928 and 1931). Frank Thayer had cabins rented out to hunters on both properties before that… as early as 1920.
Gangster Johnnie Moore (alias Claude Maddox) built his place in 1938. He was one of Al Capone's -lieutenants- or enforcers. He was suspected of being involved in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
Old Logging Camp in on the east shore of Cranberry Lake built during the early 1870s. In 1926, Ramona Cabins was built nearby. It later became Lovetere's Landing, which was closed around 1972.
Mrs Headflier (Ni-tami-gi-gi-do-kwe) lived on (what is today) this big island. She was Dick Potack's daughter.
Bluesky Cabin was here (Young woman's Norwegian husband shot and killed 3 members of her Indian family there in 1911)
Yankee Joe (a famous lumberjack) lived on East Cranberry. Harry Lessard knew him. Yankee Joe died in 1913.
Charlie & Josephine Denasha lived just beyond Yankee Joe's place, on the high ground south of his place. They made over $3400 ($115,000 in today's dollars) for requesting to have their own allotments logged off during the early 1880s. Most of the tribal members " including many of the chiefs " asked for their own land to be logged at that time and many of them made good money and were able to build good log cabins for themselves.
The Tainters (Tom and Katie) lived on West Cranberry. They later were awarded the Crane Lake property where Kelsey's Musky Haven Resort is located, and they caretook the property for the Horton's, who built Musky Haven Resort.
Potacks lived near here (Tiger Island).
Chief Bluesky lived here on the north bank of the river in the early 1880s, just west of what is today Cedar Swamp.
The Harnden family and Dave Belille's family lived here on the east shore of the river.
Across the river from them (on the west shore) lived the Sege-ne-gay family. This is where the guide Henry Smith grew up. They were thinking about putting the dam here at te Sege-ne-gay Narrows, but later decided to build it downstream from the East Fork.
Lessard's stopping place, farm, and hotel was just above where the dam is today located. By 1900, it had evolved into a resort where sportsmen like William Wrigley would stay. They were the first to get flooded!
The Small pothole lake to the right is called Little Devil Lake. Civil War veteran Vincent Crow (Andeg) lived near on the north bank of the river here, near today's Camper's Island.
On the right, lived the Alex Slater family and on the left lived the Jockeys. Slater's daughter Mary married -the boy next door- actually across the river – George Jockey. They had a son Sam Jockey who was a highly decorated WWII veteran and survivor of a German POW camp for 143 days. He and Phyllis DeBrot were the last 2 survivors of Old Post (Pahquahwong).
Billy DeBrot & Geo James' Pahquahwong Camp Resort from 1916 through 1922 was on the island to the right. They were flooded out so, by 1924, they built and were operating a new 2 or 3 cabin resort right in New Post. This was likely the first functioning resort on the Chippewa Flowage.
Built in 1865, Thad Thayer's original trading post and home was located here near today's Minton's Cabin.
Thayer had to vacate this property after 1882 because it was allotted to Mary Miller… the daughter of Shaw-bo-ge-zhig, a chief and well-known ceremonial Indian dancer.
We are now in the heart of Pahquahwong's later settlement (it was probably settled after 1840). This is the area that almost everyone thinks about when they are talking about “Old Post.”
Although this was the village center from then on, the village as a whole actually extended several miles in all directions and included anywhere from 150 to 200 people.
Jailhouse Island had a government building which housed the village constable's family. On the northeast corner of today's Pine Island was Thad Thayer's beautiful home and hotel.
Just to the east of Thayer's place was the government day school which closed in 1901. CK Dunster was the last school master.
His daughter Corlie wrote a detailed diary of her life in “Old Post”during the 1890s.
There was a small Presbyterian church on the high ground across the meadow (northwest) from Jailhouse Island. There were 3 different burial grounds on this island: ancient burial mounds, a small Presbyterian graveyard, and a large “pagan” graveyard.
Once on Pokegama Lake: to the left lived Indian Jim and " just to his west " lived his – brother Chiz-ni-aw. Across Pokegama Lake to the right, lived Chiz-ni-aw's sister-in-law… Annie Be-bo-ko-way Denasha. She owned all the land between Pokegama Lake and Desire Lake. Desire Lake is named after a Frenchman (Desire Belille) who likely lived near there for a short time.
Further down Pokegama Lake, to the left of Moonshine Channel, was Quagon's home where a number of her family members lived. Just past her place on the right-hand high banks shoreline was Nikense's cabin and home. He was Missabe's father and Father Philip Gordon's grandfather.
Jim and Maggie Bennett had a home and farm here on the island to the right. Their son John Bennett was a good fishing guide and did work for the resorts.
Dick Potack and his wife had their home just beyond Bennett's place near the Three Sisters. Years later, Rudy's Island came to be named after Erwin Rudolph, who was the world's champion pool player in the 1920s and 30s. He stayed at Willet's Resort and that island was his favorite musky spot.
Beyond Potack's place, John Frogg's family lived on the high ground (today Big Sister Island) near the river until getting flooded out. Frogg was a famous Indian ceremonial dancer. His son Sam Frogg used to greet tourists on main Street in Hayward in the 50s and 60s dressed in full Indian garb.
Off to the left, James Brunker and Theodore Thoresen homesteaded on each side of Brunker Bay.
On both sides of the river "rom Pocketbook to the Gold Coast" E M Peters homesteaded 160 acres on the land and built and cabin and farm on the north bank of the river.
After he got flooded out, he never received any settlement money from the power company.
Pete Peterson and Roy Risberg bought the remaining land from his daughter in 1945 and subdivided it. This land became known as the Gold Coast!
Peter's neighbor to the west was George Fleming, an Indian who purchased this non-reservation property from another homesteader. It was said that Fleming raised cattle here and sold them to the lumber camps for food. There was a cabin on the property, but it seems he lived on the north shore of Pokegama Lake with his family. He sold his land before the flowage was formed. His land soon became known as Flemings Bar!
Looking out to the West side of the flowage, there are many points of interest. Looking Clockwise, to the left was a loggers dam that was likely built around 1876 by AJ Hayward, who was logging on the Chief River before he founded the village of Hayward.
Further south, just east of Scott Lake lived the Civil War veteran John Scott. He moved to his Chief Lake allotment just before the flowage formed.
Not quite 2 miles west was the homestead of Charlie Miles. Miles Point is named for him.
Just west of Miles' place was Tyner Lake… some of the finest wild ricing to be had along the Chief River.
A half-mile further west " just before you get to Chief Lake " John Berger ran Berger's Eagle Lodge Resort between 1904 and 1916. It was along the south edge of the Chief River and was a full blown fishing and hunting resort.
On Chief Lake, on the SW corner, was an Indian settlement that started in the 1770s.
There was a major logging operation to the SE of Crane Lake for 5 years from 1889 to 1894. Ater that was completed the place evolved into a stopping place that was run by Adolph Lessard.
Two miles east of there (where Sisko's is today located) there was a historic stopping place known as the West Fork House. It was run by the Phelans and later John Kavanagh. Once the flowage was formed, Kavanagh's place morphed into a resort by 1931.
And lastly, just south of Kavanagh's was his neighbor Fred Worman, who homesteaded 160 acres of land. Worman lost most of his land beneath the flowage. In fact his house was left standing in the flowage for at least 3 years after the flowage was formed. Half-submerged in 5 feet of water… his place stood as a stark reminder of the loss that so many people had experienced.
The 100 year anniversary of the Chippewa Flowage historical tour of the east side (held earlier August 2023) was narrated by John Dettloff and based on over 40 years of research.
– John’s research is being compiled in a book entitled “Whispers of The Past… A History of the Chippewa Flowage”. The book is nearing its final stages and once ready will be sold directly by John and his family. Here is how to reserve your copy.
– If you’d like to pre-order a copy simply send an email to indiantrailresort@yahoo.com.
– If you’d like to pre-order a HARDCOVER copy, simply send an email to indiantrailresort@yahoo.com with HARDCOVER as the subject line. Availability of hardcover copies will be based on interest and on a pre-payment basis.
Follow Indian Trail Resort and www.indiantrailresort.com for updates and info on John’s book
New Book by John Dettloff
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