The History of the Mission Lakes

by Tom Hitchcock, Secretary

Letter dated May 20, 1992 - as reported in the historical files from the Summer/Fall edition of the 1998 Mission Lakes Association newsletter.

The Mission Lakes were named by a German Lutheran Minister, Rev. Ottomar Cloeter, of Saginaw Valley, Michigan. His synod decided to establish in 1857 a mission station near what is now Lower Mission Lake. The mission was located on the Mississippi River, about one mile north of where the Mission Creek flows into the Mississippi River. He ministered to a small band of Chippewa Indians who had a village nearby, His letters to his Synod reveal what extraordinary hardships he faced. He and his family (four children were born at the Mission) lived in constant fear that the Indians would kill him. In 1862 they were forced to flee for their lives because of a Sioux Indian uprising stated by Chief Hole-in-the-Day. The Mission was destroyed in this uprising. Thirty-five years later, in 1897, Dr. J.L. Camp (who had a farm near the old Mission site) and J.V. Brower, erected wooden markers at the Mission and platted the Indian burial grounds.

In the early 1900’s logging was the principal industry in the area. Then Bert Sabins operated a saw mill and logging company on the property that is now the Nerbys.

The logs were cut in the winter so that they could be easily skidded to the lake. In the spring, the logs were floated to the lower lake, through the channel, and down the Mission Creek and the Mississippi River to the paper mill in Brainerd. The Sabins also began the Pine Shores Resort. Their home was the local post office. Other early homesteaders who had an impact in the areas were the Fridays, Footes, Harrisons, Grand Pres, Roaches, and Rostes. All the present resorts were started in the late 20’s. The resorts that have ceased operations are Pine Shores, The Last Resort, Elm Bay, Fridays, and Tates. The Pine Shores Resort was one of the first to sell its cabins to private owners in 1946. Prior to 1950 there were very few privately owned cabins. In the late 1940’s to 1950’s lake frontage sold for $2.50 to $3.50 per foot. In the 1920’s there was a bridge that crossed over the channel and a road followed the Upper Mission shoreline to Elm Bay Resort.

The DNR maintained a walleye rearing pond on the Lower Mission Lake from 1948 until the mid 1960’s. This area is just west of County Road #19 and is now a wildlife game refuge. The Mission Creek dam was built by the WPA in 1933. In 1951 the Mississippi River flooded, primarily because of inadequate flood control and ice jams. This caused the Mississippi River to flow up the Mission Creek into the lakes, increasing the lake level about four feet. This obviously caused considerable damage to cabins and homes.

In 1986 the lakeshore property owners successfully defeated a potential 150 site mobile home trailer park and camp ground development that was to be located on the old Elm Bay property. It was because of this effort that the Mission Lakes Association was formed in 1987.

The lakes most recent real estate development began in 1975 and is known as the Ridgewood Estates Addition located on the Northwest shoreline of Upper Mission Lake.