Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-12-19
THIRTY SUMMER HOMES
Black Oak Lake West of State
Line a Mecca for Homes
in Recreation Grounds.

of State Line station, was wild
|erness with only two "shacks" up
on its shores one owned by Peter
LaChance who used it as fishing
shack when he or his friends would
go trolling for lake trout; the
other small building erected by
some trapper or logger and at this
time sold to George St. Clair, a
new settler from Minneapolis
Part of this building still remains
but is so camafaged that one
would not see it nor tell it from
the modern main lodge and sum-
mer cottages which now comprise
the Black Oak resort.
Sixteen years ago the writer to-
gether with S. r. Van Bussum
snowshoed from State Line one
winters afternoon out %o Black
Oak lake. Weather conditions
would not permit of sleeping in
the snow, and some habitation was
therefore necessary. St. Clair's
little home was the only one be-
tween the old village of Donald
son and Charley Bent's resort on
Lake Mamie. At that time Don
aldson village was a lively little
mill town. The Mason-Donaldson
mills were in operation on the
shore of Mill lake, and the super
intendent was the same Charley
Fish, now owner of mills at Elcho,
Amigo, Birnamwood and Hiles.
Several years later the mill was
destroyed by fire and the town
practically abandoned)
| st. Clair had arrived short
time prior from Minneapolis with
his family, household goods and
stock. Brown Bros. operated
railroad some distance from State
Lines west and the crew had haul
ed his car of possessions to the
lake, with instructions to have
the car unloaded before they re
turned in the morning. Being a
single track logging road, the car
had the righ-of- Snow was
over three feet deep and among
st. Glars possessions were forty
bushels of seed potatoes. These
Wers unloaded from the car in the
snow and covered with snow. None
froze, luckily.
When we arrived at ST. Clair's
and asked for accommodations it
was readily given. The house was
small, the weather cold but the
wealth of friendship shown by
this ex-city man and family show
ed the spirit prevailing in this
north woods at this early date.
Mr.. ST. Clair's aged mother told
us while seated around the stove,
of her early hardships. She had
been in the Indian massacre when
a young married woman but
through friendships formed with
the Indians was not harmed. Her
hardships were real, and to the
family. at Black Oak theirs when
summed up were small in COM
lparison.
This was the starting of the col
onization of Black Oak lake. Tor
day there are thirty summer
homes upon it shores and by the
end of 1924 will have increased to
a dozen more. The value of these
homes amass considerable money,
and the recreation people from
the cities who have builded there
would not dispose, of their hold
ing for double the money placed
in the homes.
Black Oak lake is a wonderful
body of water. Ocean blue water
and clean, sandy beaches with tim
bered points breaking the shore
line give it wonderful setting
1t is claimed to be one of the
deepest lakes in the whole region,
and it's waters TEEN with lake
trout Qand-locked salmon) and
bass. How these trout came there
is not known. That is one of Ma
lures peculiarities. Only three
other lakes in the whole region
have lake trout-Big Trout lake,
Thousand Island lake and a lake
near Crandon. Divers statements
have been made as to just how the
trout came there. Some claim the
Indians brought young trout from
Superior, while others claim Ma
ture gave them birth in those
waters. Anyhow, there they are
and there they will remain FOR
'lyears to come. Black Oak lake is
one of Natures freaks.