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A Little History on Big Island

ShoreHne Lando

$3.95 July 2010

rfte Other Actors Lines^m^ by Don Stolz*

A Little History on Big Islandby Barb Danson

TonkaTimes.com July 2010

islands always nave some mysteryaround them, and Lake Minnetonka'sBig Island is no exception.

In fact, the island has so much fascinating history and legend that at (eastthree local historians are currently writing books about it: Paul Maravelas, JimOgland and Darel Leipold. "I've done a lot of historical writing," Paul says,"but this is probably my biggest project to date."

A primary source for Big Island history is the Excelsior newspaper, which ispreserved on microfiche. For the past two years, Paul has attempted to read ayear of the paper, or 52 issues, each week. How long will this project require?"It takes years!" Paul says. So far he has read issues from the mid 1870sthrough 1912.

it was fun to talk with Paul, Jim and Darel about the fascinating Big Islandhistory they are discovering from their tedious research. During the SteamboatMinnehaha Big Island Adventure weekend June 19-20, I visited the islandusing the first public transportation available in nearly 80 years. Come alongfor a journey through time as we briefly explore a bit of Big Island history.

PHOTO BY MIKE REVIER

Postcard from

1908 of the

entrance to

the Big Island

Amusement

Park. One of the

double-ended

ferry boats is on

the left.

Accounts of a Rare Dakota Fort on Big Island

One of the most interesting stories Paul has uncoveredthus far has to do with the Dakota Indians. Pioneers settledin the Lake Minnetonka area around 1852, and at the timethe Dakota were using Big Island as a fishing and maplesyrup camp. They referred to the island as W/etutanfca; inthe Dakota language, wetu means "the springtime moveto sugaring camp" and tanka means "great." Anotherinterpretation of Wetutanka is "big island."

"There is an account, two actually," Paul says, "of thepioneers finding a Dakota fort on Big Island." The Dakotawere not known for erecting forts; their usual practice wasto dig trenches when attacked. Paul says it is possiblethe pioneers perhaps saw a windbreak for a maple syrupoperation, a dance enclosure, or an enclosure intendedto trap deer. During his research on Minnesota history,however, he has found four references to the Dakotaerecting walls. "If this was in fact a fort on the island, it was avery rare structure," Paul says.

Morse Camp

Brothers William and John Morse acquired the island in1856. Paul says "it was a long swampy road to Minnetonka"before the railroads came in. After the Civil War, around1869, southerners had made Lake Minnetonka a favoritevacation spot. By 1887, William Morse had subdivideda good portion of the eastern half of Big Island intonumerous cabin sites and he also rented tents to campers."Morse's campground was known as a groggery," Paul says."Evidence we have indicates that, for example, they had atin horn that people in Deephaven could hear that wouldsignify a new keg was tapped. It had this reputation ofbeing kind of a beer garden." This was notable at the timebecause other parts of the lake had traditions of prohibition.

Searle Mansion

Olaf A. Searle, a wealthy banker and entrepreneur,purchased 125 acres on the island in 1891 and built a 21-room mansion. He dug a channel separating his home from

18 TonkaTimes.com July 2010

the rest of the island, creating Mahpiyata Island. Legendhas it that he hired immigrant laborers for this task. Pauldoes not have any evidence to the contrary, but he pointsout that dredging by steamboat was common by 1893.Legend also has it that Searle built this channel to isolatehimself. Paul has uncovered some evidence that the wealthyisland resident actually wanted to develop his property. Forexample, around 1905 Searle was going to donate $100,000to the county to have a bridge built between West Pointand the island. The bridge was never built, and his famousmansion burned down in the 1930s.

Big Island Amusement Park

Twin City Rapid Transit Company opened the 65-acre BigIsland Amusement Park in 1906. They used their elaboratestreetcar lines and three 1,000 passenger ferries to transportpeople to the island. If you visit Big Island Park today, youcan actually sit on remnants of the steps that led from thedock to the 200 foot Tower of Seville. This grand tower,no longer existent, was brightly lit and visible from allacross the lake during the heydays of Big Island. It's hardto even fathom the throngs of people arriving on the threeferries that were running 20 minute schedules. Jim saysthat the island received up to 15,000 visitors a day on busyweekends.

Amusement parks in the early 1900s were quite differentfrom what we see today. This park was mostly knownas a great place to picnic and listen to live music. Thebeautiful music casino, a main attraction at the park, couldcomfortably seat 1,500 people. A few simple amusementrides were also available, including a small rollercoasterand an "Old Mill" ride that has since been moved to theMinnesota State Fairgrounds. The moat from the Old Millride is still visible on the island today.

The excitement only lasted a handful of years, as thepark closed after the 1911 season. Darel says that twotheories have been repeated through time about why thepark closed: 1) it was too expensive, and 2) the automobileopened up options for people to go wherever they wantedfor picnics and recreation. While the park fees of $0.10 fromthe docks and $0.25 from Minneapolis may seem cheap

by today's standards, when you consider the extra costs forrides and food and the fact that many people only earned acouple dollars a day back then, the expense was apparentlymore than the average family could afford.

Most of the Spanish Mission style structures were razedto the ground and rides were dismantled by 1917. The ironwas harvested and used for World War I efforts.

Many Lake Visitors Didn't Know How to Swim

As he digs through the Excelsior weekly newspapers, asobering aspect of Paul's research has been the number ofdrownings that occurred around the beginning of the 20thcentury. Visitors were coming in droves to Lake Minnetonkaand Big Island. It wasn't common for people to know howto swim back then and lifejackets were not widely used,but that didn't stop them from boating. Paul notes that thetrend in drowning deaths seems to have decreased afterthe Red Cross and other groups kicked in their swimmingprograms around 1900-1910.

The Steamboat

Minnehaha was

built in 1906,

sunk in 1926 and

raised in 1980;

restoration began

in 1990, and its

first cruise was in

1996.

July 2010 TonkaTimes.com

Big Island

Veterans Camp in

1955 and a cabin

today.

Big Island Secedes from Excelsior

"At some point, about 1910, the people of Big Islandhad this brilliant idea that they were going to secede fromExcelsior and join Orono because it would be cheaper,"Paul says. "They saw Orono as this forever rural communitythat would always keep taxes low...It was probably thebiggest mistake the people of Big Island ever made. Forthe services they need, most go to Excelsior. There is littleOrono provides in terms of facilities for the island people."

While Orono is no longer a rural community with low taxeslike it was in the early 1900s, the city website advertisesstrong values around protecting and preserving naturalresources and open spaces. Big Island is one of the naturalresources Orono has put forth significant effort to preserve;we'll get to this topic in a moment.

Veterans Camp

In the early 1920s, the area of land previously used forBig Island Amusement Park was leased to and eventuallypurchased by the state. For about 80 years this camp wasused by veterans and their families for an inexpensivevacation spot. The camp included a mess hall, showerfacilities, a swimming beach and about 30 cabins. One cabinremains on the island today.

In 1983, the Legislature wanted to open the island to thepublic; however, after a court battle, the land was revertedto four veterans associations based on a clause in the landtitle. The veterans were eventually unable to fund andmaintain the park, and they sold it to the City of Orono andMinnehaha Creek Watershed District in 2006.

Big Island Today

The western portion of Big Island is divided amongstnumerous property owners. The eastern 56-acres are home

to Big Island Park, which is the newest addition to theCity of Orono's park system that opened to the public inJune 2008. This park is designed for passive recreationalactivities. If you go for a visit, plan ahead. The park doesnot have toilet facilities, drinking water, lifeguards or trashreceptacles.

When the City of Orono requested funds from theLegislature to purchase the land for Big Island Park in 2005,they pledged to provide public access. The park now hastwo docks, but a regular mode of public transportationis not available. It's a challenging proposition when youconsider all of the financial, logistical and legal factorsinvolved. According to Jim Murphy, President of TheMuseum of Lake Minnetonka and member of the OronoCity Council, the Big Island Adventure weekend in Junewas a trial run to explore the feasibility of providing publictransportation in the future.

One form of public education that takes place on theisland each summer is the Orono Environmental Camp,formerly known as Big Island Summer Institute. This daycamp, led by naturalists Marleane Callaghan and JacobWestman, is sponsored by Orono Community Education.Boat transportation is provided to the registered students,and a picnic shelter provides classroom space. Campprograms are designed to teach and inspire children toconserve and enjoy natural resources like Big Island.

Just a Sampling

Big Island has undergone many transitions over the pastcentury, ranging from a Dakota Indian maple syrup site toa bustling amusement park hosting up to 15,000 visitorsa day. We've only touched on a small sample of this deepand rich history. Local historians are logging long hoursresearching and recording the stories for future generations.If this brief overview has whet your appetite, visit the LakeMinnetonka area booksellers and museums to learn more.

20 TonkaTimes.com July 2010

PHOTO BY MIKE REVIER RevAir@mchsi.com

The Scheftel family:Lake Minnetonka islanders

by Barb Danson

"Everybody knew my mom," says Joni Scheftel, "and they called her TheQueen of Big Island." Joni's mom, Marge Scheftel, lived year round on BigIsland from 1971 until 2008, when she passed away at the age of 73. "Sheabsolutely loved living on the island and couldn't live anywhere else."

Joni was in her teens when she moved to the island with her family. She livedthere for eight years and moved away when she married Paul Maravelas, a localhistorian who is currently writing a book about Big Island. Joni was happy toshare some personal stories about her unique experience growing up as a LakeMinnetonka islander.

July 2010 TonkaTimes.com 21

Marge Scheftel

had a love for

animals and

cared for many

on Big Island,

including dairy

goats, sheep,

horses, pigs,

poultry and a

cow. She lived

year round on

the island for

37 years.

Summer Cabin Becomes Year RoundResidence

In 1970, Marge and her husband Zane lived in SouthMinneapolis with their children Joni, Steve and Lani. "35Wcame in front of our house," Joni says, so the family decidedto look for a cabin to get away from the city during thesummer months. Steve spotted an ad in the paper for aplace on Big Island, and the family checked it out. "We fellin love with it," Joni says. The home was previously ownedby the Nelson family, original caretakers of the Searle

The Scheftel family enjoyed their cabin during the summerof 1970, and when they returned the following summer, theyjust couldn't leave. They sold their house in the city. Margecommuted to her nursing job at the Veteran's Affairs, Zanecommuted to his job in property development and theirthree children enrolled in Minnetonka schools. Joni was inhigh school; Steve and Lani were in junior high. While therewere many neighboring lake cabins and a couple individualyear round residents, the Scheftels were the only family thatlived on the island year round at the time.

The house wasn't exactly braced for winter. "There was noheat," Joni says. "We had a wood stove put in. There wasno insulation in the house. A glass of water would freezein my bedroom." By the next winter they had insulated thehome and equipped it with supplemental electric heat.

Unique Challenges to Island Living

It requires a lot of organization and planning to live on anisland. "It's hard to get back and forth," Joni says, "so youdon't just jump in your boat or jump in your car and go. It'sinconvenient. If you run out of something, you don't just runto the store."

For a family of five, island living required a great deal ofcoordination, communication and patience. The Scheftelshad two small boats, one for the kids and one for the

parents. "Your schedule is more dependent on otherpeople," Joni says. For example, after school Joni and Lanihad to wait for Steve to get out of wrestling practice so theycould ride home together in the boat. "That's kind of goodfor a family. People have to learn to work together and dothings together. There's a lot of give and take. You don'thave as much independence."

Weather was another challenge. "I didn't like really, reallywindy days, because we had small boats and it's kind ofscary on really windy days," Joni says. On the other hand,the requirement to keep a keen awareness of nature wassomething Joni appreciated about island living. "I liked howclose you felt to the natural rhythm of nature, where youwere well aware of the weather on a daily basis and of theseason," she says.

The most common question Minnesota islanders areasked is how they get across the lake when it's starting tofreeze but not solid enough to walk on. Joni used the boatto break through up to a quarter inch of ice. "There comesa day," she says, "when you can break ice going across inthe morning and you can walk on the ice coming back atnight. You pull something with you that you can get into,like a canoe." She only fell through the ice once, and whenthat happened she popped into the canoe in an instant. "Ididn't even get the top half of me wet," she says. Her momfell through the ice once while ice skating in the fall. Margepulled herself out of the water, skated home and dried off. Itwasn't a big deal.

The family could get to a beach about one mile away, butmost commutes were to Excelsior, a little over two milesaway. It took about 20 minutes in their little fishing boats.The kids had to make this trip every day to get to theirbus stop. Lani wasn't exactly a fan of this aspect of islandliving; she hated getting to school smelling like gasoline.She actually moved off the island around age 16 and livedwith an aunt and uncle. In the winter, the kids would cross-country ski across the lake; they left their skis and outerparkas in a Deephaven neighbor's boathouse.

22 TonkaTimes.com July 2010

When the Veteran's Camp was still running, Joni, Steveand Lani would oftentimes take the vet's ferry to get onand off the island. While intended for visitors to the camp,the elderly man who drove the boat, Emil Berg, would letthe kids go back and forth at will. He was a grandpa-likecharacter who wasn't talkative, but Joni remembers that hewas always very kind to her.

Goats—Perfect Little Sailors

Marge grew up on a farm in northwestern Minnesota, andJoni shared her mother's love of animals. The two of themtook care of many animals on Big Island, including dairygoats, sheep, a cow, horses, pigs and poultry. "I'm the onewho was the dairy goat enthusiast," Joni says. When askedhow they transported the goats to the island, she says,"Goats happen to love going in boats. They are perfectlittle sailors across the lake. They love it. They are very sure-footed, so they can jump in and out of the boat from thedock no problem." Some of the family goats even had theprivilege of sailing across the lake to participate in an OldLog Theater play.

The horses were a little harder to get out to the island.They were usually transported across the ice in a trailer. "Wedid bring a 6-month-old colt across on a pontoon," Jonisays, "but he jumped over the railing and I had to go intothe lake after him and swim him to shore."

Many of Joni's fondest memories growing up on theisland are associated with her animals. While the goatswere raised for milk, they apparently made great pets. Inaddition to sailing, they also loved to go for walks. "In thewinter I would put on cross-country skis and ski all aroundthe island with the animals." In warmer months, Joni wouldcome home from school and ride her pony along the heavilywooded trails.

The former island

home is now a

lake cabin that

the Scheftel

family continues

to enjoy.

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Isolated but not Alone

Most islanders are drawn to the serenity and beauty of thelocation. While not necessarily trying to isolate themselvesfrom others, they are the type of people who are not afraidto be alone in the woods. "Very individualistic people livethere," Joni says. "My parents were both very free spirits."Joni says life was not lonely because people wanted to goto the island, so there were always visitors. She frequentlyhad schoolmates over, and they'd usually have to stayovernight because it wasn't easy getting back and forth. Thefamily had numerous campouts. Many of her friends fromMinnetonka High School had boats and would come outfor a visit. Another frequent visitor to Joni's home was theirnext door neighbor and another year-round resident andlegendary character on Big Island, Jean Deggendorf, whopassed away in December 2009.

Marge and Zane divorced a number of years beforeZane died in 2001. Marge bought out Zane's share of theproperty and stayed put in her beloved island home. Whileindividualistic in nature, she wasn't a loner. She becameknown as The Queen of Big Island because her house wasthe one everyone visited. Having lived there full-time for 37years, she was a fixture on the island.

The Queen's Legacy Remains a FamilyTreasure

Much has changed in the 30 years since Joni lived as ayear round resident on Big Island. "The lake is so much

dirtier," she says, "and the amount of traffic on the lake hasdramatically increased." The noise from parties in Cruiser'sCove can be heard all the way across the wooded island,oftentimes to obnoxious levels on weekends and holidays.Other than that, Joni says "it's still a pretty quiet place."

The Queen of Big Island may no longer reside there in theflesh, but Marge's free spirit has made an indelible mark inthe history of this island and the story of Joni's life. WhenMarge passed away, Joni and her siblings inherited theproperty. Their former island home is now a lake cabin thatthey all love and treasure. Even Lani, who no longer has toworry about getting to school smelling like gasoline.

Local Big Island Historians and Authors

• Paul Maravelas is a member of the Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society.His wife, Joni Scheftel, grew up on the island and still owns property. If you haveany Big Island historical pictures, artifacts or first-hand accounts that you'd like toshare with Paul for his book, please call him at (612) 581-8207.

• Darel Leipold is a long-time business owner in Excelsior and an avid LakeMinnetonka historian. He hopes to complete his book about Big Island by thespring of 2011.

• Jim Ogland has served various roles with the Museum of Lake Minnetonka,including newsletter editor and first captain of the restored SteamboatMinnehaha, and he is the author of Picturing Lake Minnetonka. Jim has writtenten different 8-page historical insights on Lake Minnetonka, including one aboutBig Island. He has combined all ten pieces into one book, Lake MinnetonkaInsights, which should be available from local booksellers in July.

For more informationabout Big Island:

Big Island ParkCity of Oronowww.ct.orono.mn.us

Excelsior-LakeMinnetonka HistoricalSocietywww.elmhs.org

Museum of LakeMinnetonkaHome of the SteamboatMinnehahawww.steamboatminnehaha.org

Orono EnvironmentalCampSponsored by OronoCommunity Educationwww.oronocommunityed.com

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24 TonkaTimes.com July 2010