Issue 6 - Winter 2021
Big Pine Resort Post Lake
Post Lake Resorts
Submitted by: Connie Hubatch and Suzie Rabideau
When we volunteered to write a story of Post Lake we did not know we had so much information. Now we don't know where to stop. This beautiful lake stretches north into Onieda County from the center of Section 23 of the East Elcho Township. Long before the first pine was cut bands of Menominee and Chippewa Indians camped on the shores of Post Lake.
The lake was created by lumbermen in their effort to transport logs south. In the fall, wooden dams were built all along the Wolf River only to be blown up in the spring to transport the numerous logs down to the sawmills in the 1800's. Post Lake is four miles long. The water of Upper Post Lake started the log driving on the Wolf River below it and it would continue going from dam to dam until it reached its destination from Schiocton to Oshkosh.
Post Lake the Narrows
Conflicting name origins: 1. The word Sokaogon translates to "Post in the Lake" people because of a special significance of a post, possibly the remains of a petrified tree that stood-in nearby Post Lake. "I come from Sokaogon (the place of the Post in the Lake), it’s like saying “I am from Chicago." (Taken from the Sokaogon website) 2. The name Post Lake is believed to be attributed to the history that there was a trading post somewhere on the lake.
No one is sure where the trading post was located. Many believe it was near the present (2020) location of Sunset View Resort on Upper Post Lake. Others believe it to be in the bay before the entrance to the Wolf River leaving Upper Post Lake. Some think it could have been at the site of the present dam. In the Wisconsin Magazine of History of March 1925 there is an account of an overland trip in 1863 from northern Michigan to Appleton. The following is a quotation from the same. "After leaving Lac Vieux Desert, the evening of the third day they reached the Wolf River station, which, was kept by an old Indian sub-chief. They went into the house, where there were several Indians and two kettles boiling over the fire- one containing soup, the other potatoes. Meat was scarce on this road. When dinner was ready the old chief seated himself at the head of the table. The menu was soup and potatoes without salt. When the soup was served my father seeing particles of white meat floating in it asked what it was made of. The old chief, who could not talk English, pointed to an old mother dog and some puppies on the floor and then to the soup, and said "bow-wow". As the travelers had no relish for bow-wow soup, they ate only potatoes for their dinner. They stayed all night and were charged three dollars each for dinner, lodging, and a breakfast consisting of more boiled potatoes." This certainly occurred in Langlade County if not around Post Lake.
C.W. Maney a Post Lake pioneer
As we reported earlier we had a number of historical subjects to talk about, so we chose resorts. Resort living/camping at Post Lake began in the early 1900’s with the first rental cabins built by C. W. Maney. He started with a couple of cabins and a couple of boats. His property was located on the west side of the bridge on County K. Mr. Maney lived here with his family and was also responsible for the building of the first school.
Another resort was “Northern Pines" or "Heart of the Pines" located on Upper Post Lake. It was built in the 1900's by John Develins. When Mr. Develins died his wife married Frank Kuegler and they operated- it as Kuegler's Resort until the late 1920's when Mr. and Mrs. Archie Betz bought it. In 1941 the property, which consisted of 240 acres, 25 of which was virgin timber and a mile and a quarter of lake frontage was purchased by the Knoke family. The Knokes built a 60' x 60' log lodge which slept 21 people. An existing golf course was turned into a landing strip which was in use until 1950, when a Knoke daughter and her husband crashed on take-off and were killed. The vacant property was eventually planted with 75,000 Norway pines. Although the original house remains, the entire property was sold in 1961 for, $75,000 and has become home to many private-residences. The area did have damage from the wind storm of 2019 but in true lumberman spirit, people go with the flow (of the river).
Three Oaks Resort - Post Lake
A private resort built in 1896 on Breezy (Windy) Point on the west side of Lower Post Lake was known as the Chicago Hunting/Gun Club. The property has been in private hands for 87 years but is currently on the market. But...that is a story for another time.
Other resorts/camping facilities are (not a complete list):
Upper Post Lake Resorts: Boomer’s Bayside Resort and Marina (possibly the original C.W. Maney resort); Deer Park Resort; Sunset View and Resort (open); Rab’s Ranch; Venn’s Journey's End aka Raven's Haven; Palou's; Gehring's; Katch's Pine Point; Hank and Alice's Modern Cabins; Pine Grove Resort.
In between the Lakes: Shady Brook Campground-RV campers aka Cmelak’s Trailer Camp aka Gil’s T.C. (open); Oak Ridge Campground (open); Gephart's Big Pine Resort.
Lower Post Lake: Twin Oaks Resort (open); Piney Woods Campground; Hunter's Cove originally Kieports Resort.
In the early days most of these were primitive (no indoor plumbing) house-keeping cottages. It was a time of rowboats, outhouses, and baths in the lake with Ivory soap (it floats), woodburning stoves and propane refrigerators. No power boat or jet skis, no television or telephone, no computers, or internet. The area now has over 700 residences where people escape from the busy life the same as those who were here over a hundred years ago.
Elcho Historical Society, Inc.
Issue 6, Winter 2020
Items Donated
Kwik Trip - Various Brat Barn supplies
Sue Mackowski - Various Brat Barn supplies
Lisa Haefs - Antique Radio
Linda Klopfer - Soda for Brat Barn
Norma Doering - Elcho High School Artifacts
Joyce Erickson Family - Wooden Radio, Athletic Jacket Drill Team Jacket & Programs
Kristine, George & Marilyn Rock - Goat Wheel, Framed Picture, Neva Banner
Nan Ball - Framed Painting by Audrey Hood Hampton
Venn Family - Many Artifacts
In Memoriam Donations
Connie & Jim Hubatch in memory of Steve Veselak
Connie & Jim Hubatch in memory of Pat Marciniak
Connie & Jim Hubatch in memory of Martin Siddel
Connie & Jim Hubatch in memory of Audrey Arlen
Connie & Jim Hubatch in memory of John Jacobs
Nancy & Don Winter in memory of John Jacobs
Beverly & Vernon Applekamp in memory of John Jacobs
Anonymous individuals cash donation in memory of John Jacobs
Mary A. & Michael Zelinski in memory of John Jacobs
Charles & Angie Flood in memory of John Jacobs
Virgina A. Fitzhugh in memory of John Jacobs
Mary K. Dettmering in memory of John Jacobs
Donald & Victoria Gorzalski in memory of Gene & Sally Gorzalski
Connie & Jim Hubatch in memory of Howie Wagner
Connie & Jim Hubatch in memory of Lynn Sexton
North Trail Store in memory of John Jacobs
Building Renovation
Linda Knuth Best - Madison, WI
Ronald Duernberger Jr. - Antigo, WI
Barbara A. Schroeder - Fond Du Lac, WI
Greg & Mary Ann Evans Patrick - Elcho, WI
Donald & Victoria Gorzalski - Greenfield, WI
Connie & Jim Hubatch - Elcho, WI
Donald R. & Nancy S. Winter - Eau Claire, WI
Bob & Jean Hess - Elcho, WI
Monetary Donations
Jennai & Eric Rusch Family - Elcho, WI
Paul & Pat Reichenbacher - Elcho, WI
Jim & Noreen Haiduk - Geneva, IL
Pete M. Rohde - Pewaukee, WI
Builder's Service Inc. - Elcho, WI
Membership Renewals
Patsy K. Lamm Family - Madison & Echo, WI
Shane & Sue Wheeler - Elcho, WI
Connie & Jim Hubatch - Elcho, WI
Bear & Amy Wheeler - Elcho, WI
Jenny Hangastner - Marion, WI
Mary & Randy Kramer - Elcho, WI
Betty Tappa - Elcho, WI
Nilah & Rod Visser - Elcho, WI
Jane & Warren Wagner - Elcho, WI
Ronald Duernberger Jr - Antigo, WI
Greg & Mary Ann Evans Patrick - Elcho, WI
Jim & Noreen Haiduk - Geneva, IL
Sue Mackowski - Elcho, WI
Russell Davis - Elcho, WI
Janet Baer - Elcho, WI
Sharon & John Shepard - Elcho WI, & Kingwood, TX
Donald & Nancy Winter - Eau Claire, WI
Sarilee Maney - Wauwatosa, WI
Robert Worman - Deerbrook, WI
Chriss & Chris Feliciano - Elcho, WI
Gary Boettcher - Elcho, WI
Bob & Jean Hess - Elcho, WI
Jackie Reynolds - Elcho, WI
Paul & Pat Reichenbacher - Elcho, WI
Kate Kelly - Elcho, WI
Bill Hynes - Des Plaines, IL
Bill Ahrens - Pearson, WI
Joseph Hermolin - Antigo, WI
New Members
Lynn & David Eck - Manitowoc & Elcho, WI
Dr. Kenneth & Gwendolyn Katz - Sarasota, FL
Bob Brigham - Elcho, WI
Alan G. & Kaylynn Wabich-Jindra - Melrose Park, IL
Virginia Fitzhugh-Lee - Berea, KY
Marleen Blomberg - Elcho, WI & Antioch, CA
Kay E. Shellestad - Pelican Lake & Milwaukee, WI
Clare Ramuta - Summit Lake, WI
Stacey & John Wirth - Mequon, WI
Diane & Michael Venn - Elcho, WI & Crestview, FL
Sharron R. Hanson - Crete, IL
Skip Spurgeon - Elcho, WI
Tom Bradley - Deerbrook, WI
Georgine R. & Larry D. Prickette - Clintonville, WI
Jon Keckonen - Summit Lake & Sheboygan, WI
Anne Maney - Rhinelander, WI
Dean Williams - Summit Lake. WI
In Memoriam Richard “Dick” Schuh
April 22, 1922 - December 8, 2020
Richard "Dick" Schuh of Elcho had passed from this life to eternal life on Tuesday morning December 8, 2020. He was gifted to this world on April 22, 1925 through his parents Maynard (Ding) and Dorothea (Dot) Schuh.
Dick had married his longtime friend, Marie Palmer on April 25, 1981, at the Congregational Church here in Elcho. Dick Schuh served in the United States Navy during World War Two in the Pacific Theater from July 4, 1942 to April 22, 1946. He served for a stint in the Air Force from July 9, 1957 to October 21, 1957. He was very proud of the time he spent in the service, there are very few people who were more patriotic than him. Dick had joined various American Legion, VFW, 40/8 veteran groups and did very well in them.
After the war, Dick went over the road driving truck, and driving is what he did until he was in his 80's. Many people that went to school in Elcho had him as their bus driver. Dick also served on the Fire Dept and EMS squad for 50 years and as a Langlade County Supervisor for the Elcho area for many years.
When I had the idea of starting the historical society, Dick and Marie were the first people I turned to. Dick had opened a trove of local history to me because his mother Dot had kept documents and wrote things down from Elcho's early years. When we had our first official meeting Dick came up to me afterward and handed me a $100 bill. He told me to mark him down as the very first paid member of the Elcho Historical Society because you have my 100% backing he said with a wink. Fond memory. He was the vice president and later served on the board of directors in the society.
One more cute story in honor of this fun loving man. The bar Tattle Tales, used to be Schuh's Tavern which was built in 1937. It was a one room building with a trap door in the floor in the middle of the building. In this hole, Ding would store the beer to keep it cool. But little to his knowledge, his little son, Dick would crawl under the building, grab a few beers, and run them behind the Lutheran church on Blue's Hill and drink them with his buddies (if they were there!). He said he never got caught doing that. To the man who lived life to the fullest, Prost my friend!
-Bear Wheeler
Letter From The President
By: Bear Wheeler
This past year for the Elcho Historical Society has been one that we will not soon forget. It had more challenges than we bargained for at the beginning of the year. Regardless of this we still had successful fundraisers and a quilt that was made for us to raffle off. As for the quilt all thanks goes to our secretary Kate Kelly, who spent last winter creating that beautiful piece of artwork.
We had an open house at the Grange Hall this last summer and many people passed through and saw the beginnings of a future museum that will be a repository for the history of the Elcho area. We were able to get some work done on the Hall. We wanted to give it a facelift by painting the front of the building and we had a wonderful turnout of volunteers on that chosen weekend. But with anything due to the sudden change in weather we still have a bit more to do. Work on the foundation had also begun this last fall and when winter is through we will continue with that project. We have people working on getting us grants so that we could hire this work out and get it done at a faster rate.
This past year we have had incredible donations of historical artifacts of our past, items you wouldn't think would survive. We look forward to getting this building done to be able to display these items of historical value for the public. I really believe our ancestors would be very pleased to see that there are people who care about what they had done so many years ago. As we begin this new year, we will continue to focus on keeping our rich history alive in the community for all to enjoy.
Membership
At the writing of this newsletter we are excited to report that from our humble beginnings in 2017 our organization has grown to 128 members. You might expect that a majority of our members have an Elcho mailing address. Not so. Surprisingly just 41 members have an Elcho mailing address. The remaining members are from 34 other cities from across the United States. In addition to Wisconsin we have members in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri and Texas. The Board of Directors and Officers would like to express our appreciation for all our members that continue to support our mission of preserving the rich history of Elcho and the surrounding communities.