History

Little Bohemia

The lodge was built in 1929 by Emil Wanatka on land he acquired that same year. Little Bohemia gained fame and infamy as the setting of a botched raid by the FBI (then called the Division of Investigation) against the John Dillinger Gang.

The historic rustic lodge remains as it was at the time of the federal raid and along with original bullet holes from the gun battle still in the walls and windows, Little Bohemia Lodge has a collection of memorabilia from the gun battle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Bohemia_Lodge

https://www.littlebohemialodge.com/index.php/history

Voss' Birchwood Lodge

Henry A. Voss showing a fish to his children, Lloyd and Audrey. The cabin, Trails End, was part of Voss' Birchwood Lodge before it was sold to a private party many years later. When Henry would return to Minneapolis, MN in the winters, where he worked as an engraver for the Federal Mint, his wife, Ruth (LaPorte) and the children would move from their residence in the Lodge to this cabin as it was easier to heat.

The main lodge was built in 1924 and a dance hall and bar soon followed to provide entertainment to the customers who occupied the 19 cabins and 18 hotel rooms. Fishing guides worked around the clock to satisfy adventure seeking anglers who often anxiously waited for Voss' chefs to prepare their "catch of the day". Gambling was also a favorite pastime of many and so, during the days of prohibition the main lodge and dance hall were filled with "one armed bandits" and "rum runner" spirits. All of these amenities and the secluded nature of the Northwoods proved tempting to many famous guests and on group of infamous visitors.

https://vossbl.com/history/

Photo Year: 1913

Photo Credit: https://mwhistory.pastperfectonline.com/photo/5A28FDC2-D1F3-4C7F-AA2A-395827007823

Greers Pier

Originally created by the Voss family in the early ‘60s, the marina moved to the Hibbard family in the mid-’70s before the Fitzgerald's acquired what has been known as Greer's Pier since 1977. Greers is now run by Wes Fitzgerald and his wife Franny.

https://www.mwhistory.org/2016/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Last-final-June-2021-5.25.pdf

Greer Fitzgerald is the son of Edmund B. Fitzgerald who rose through the ranks of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance becoming president and chairman of the board in 1947. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was named after Greers grandfather W.E. Fitzgerald. Edmund co-founded the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970, serving at various times as Vice President and General Partner of the club until 1982. During the 1970s, he was on the Executive Council of Major League Baseball and chairman of its Player Relations Committee.

https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/aocs/2014/04/15/namesake-of-ill-fated-edmund-fitzgerald-to-get-his-due/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_B._Fitzgerald

Uihlein Family

Liz and Dick Uihlein own a number of businesses around town and over the years have invested a lot into the community. They are the oweners/founders of Uline that sells shipping and business supplies.

https://www.uline.com/

Red Crown Lodge

Located on Trout Lake, Red Red Crown Lodge was opened in 1922 as the corporate retreat for Standard Oil. Colonel Stewart, CEO of Standard Oil, believed that playing together would help his team forge a better relationship and become more productive. Red Crown owns a place in history as the birthplace of the corporate retreat.

https://redcrownlodge.com/

Koller Family

In 1946, Betty and Frank moved to Manitowish Waters to start their cranberry business. They were one of 5 families who cleared the land and started the cranberry business from scratch. Betty worked along with Frank in the early days clearing the land, planting the vines, and harvesting the cranberries. During their lifetime the Kollers had cranberry bogs in Manitowish Waters, Fifield, and Oneida counties.

The Manitowish Waters Library and the park downtown both bare the name Koller

http://mwlibrary.blogspot.com/2015/04/better-koller-remembers-early-cranberry.html

Cranberries

Cranberry marshes were built in northern Wisconsin shortly after World War II with some currently entering their family’s fourth generation and the only source of agri-tourism in the area. Farms in the Manitowish Waters area range in size from 63 acres to 186 acres, with a total overall acreage of over 650 acres. Cranberry marshes are located on the south side of Manitowish Waters, along the shores of Little Trout Lake and Alder Lake. A pillar of cranberry marsh management is the protection of water, wetland and wildlife resources.

21,000 acres in 20 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties
Wisconsin cranberry industry is close to a $1 billion industry
Wisconsin produces over 50% of the world’s crop

https://manitowishwaters.org/things-to-do/cranberries/

Logging

Manitowish Waters was swept up in the national push for aggressive 19th century logging and land speculation. Shortly after the ink was dry on the 1837 and 1842 treaties ceding Ojibwa lands to the government, timber cruisers were systematically surveying the newly available land (especially near robust river systems). By the 1850’s, timber cruisers were sharing with land agents and logging interests both our community’s abundant timber and quality river driving opportunities. In 1878, the Army Corps of Engineers claimed the Rest Lake dam site as one of the best on the entire Flambeau River system.

Photo: 1900's image of Rest Lake Dam and Mississippi River Logging Co. camp

Photo credit: https://www.mwhistory.org/early-history/logging/