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Roughing It on <br />Lake Minnetonka <br />Between here and the edge of the bluff stood a row <br />of nine cabins, named A through I. It was a good long <br />hike from here to the mess hall and boat docks, but <br />this site afforded outstanding views of the lake and <br />was close to the swimming beach. <br />YOU AREHERE <br />LAKE <br />MINNETONKA <br />LANDING <br />STAIRS <br />BIG <br />ISLAND <br />N S <br />E <br />W <br />CABINS <br />CABINS <br />SWIMMINGBEACH <br />CABINS <br />BOATHOUSE <br />DOCKS <br />BERGHALL <br />DININGHALL <br />A step up from tent camping, the <br />cabins pictured here in 1955 were <br />simply places to sleep out of the <br />rain and away from the mosquitos. <br />Campers were required to bring their <br />own sheets and towels—and keep <br />the “comfort stations” (bathroom <br />buildings) clean at all times. <br />“I will remember the day I got back out to <br />Big Island about five years ago. . . . I had a <br />wonderful day walking all the paths I had <br />run along when I was 6, 7, & 8, and sat at <br />the swimming beach by the cliff that had <br />the little white cottages we stayed in. . . . I <br />loved going into areas of that magnificent <br />Big Island Lodge I had not been allowed <br />to see as a youngster. I lay back on one of <br />the benches and looked up at the vaulted <br />ceiling—and fell asleep for a while.” <br />Dick Fiske, 1992, reminiscing about <br />the Veterans Camp in the 1930s <br />We <br />s <br />t <br />o <br />n <br />k <br />a <br /> <br />H <br />i <br />s <br />t <br />o <br />r <br />i <br />c <br />a <br />l <br /> <br />S <br />o <br />c <br />i <br />e <br />t <br />y <br />From this end of the island, campers could watch the activity around <br />the boathouse and docks just across the bay, seeing summer friends <br />on their way home or new arrivals just starting their vacations. <br />Da <br />r <br />e <br />l <br /> <br />a <br />n <br />d <br /> <br />L <br />a <br />V <br />e <br />r <br />n <br />a <br /> <br />L <br />e <br />i <br />p <br />o <br />l <br />d <br />Big Island Park <br />1906–1911 <br />Big Island Veterans Camp <br />1921–2003