The lakeside lodge here at Crow Wing Crest Lodge was built as part of the Red River Logging Company in 1898 (one of approximately 25-30 camps in the area). Akeley was named after the co-founder of the logging company, H.C. Akeley. The town boasted the largest sawmill in the nation until it burned down in 1916.
Crow Wing Crest went through several owners until the gas shortage during WWII prevented leisure traveling.
Another interesting phase of the resort: Aunt Polly's Girls Camp 1931-1939. Can you believe girls were sent here from all over the country to learn etiquette here in the northwoods??!
urant and home to the owners, Marv & Edna Richmond (who owned it 24 years). In the beginning, a cabin on the American Plan (supper each evening) cost $70 for one week. Each cabin got their own outhouse - woo hoo!
Again, we do not claim to have any knowledge of peoples who have lived on this land prior to the late 1800's, however, we do have approximately one guest a year who will find an arrowhead somewhere on the property. We have also found the below two possible artifacts:*Stories to flesh out
- native american ghost sightings during new construction of Cabin #16 (from Terry Heller, ex-owner) 1999
- native american ghost sighting Cabin #19 (from Kris, current co-owner) 2004
- February 2010 native american ghost sighting from house-sitter of Kim & Big John's home
- ghost sighting of Marv Richmond (owner of CWC 1946-1971) in Cabin #3 from a guest 2005
- random comments from mainstream summer guests spontaneously talking about "vibe" of resort after cleansing in spring 2009. Very odd.
- cold spots, drum circle spirit energy, practical jokes, and Kris' "ghost story" of the well-house next to the A-Frame, Cabin #3
HERE's a story I heard from a repeat guest of many, many years. I asked her recently to recount it in her own words and here it is:
"Cabin 4 August 2009:
While taking a nap in the room on the right as you walk in the cabin my husband experienced someone come in and sit down on the corner of the bed. He said he could feel the weight of the mattress compress as though someone was actually sitting there. He thought it was me. He also heard someone say his name clear as day in the room. When he got up from his nap he came and found me to see what I needed. I had been out swimming and then in my parents cabin. No one had been the the cabin all afternoon while he was taking his nap.
Also, while staying in that cabin. I experienced a paralyzing moment of terror one night. I woke up in the middle of the night, wide awake and had an immense feeling of terror and doom. I was so scared to move I didn't even wake up my husband. What was really odd was that the room was darker than dark. Normally and every other night since that night you can always make out things in the darkness either from the moonlight shinning in or just your eyes adjusting to the darkness. This was not the case that night, it was darker than dark, I could see nothing and the air was so thick and heavy. Nothing changed until the sun FINALLY came up.
Cabin 1 July 1996ish:
My mom woke up in the middle of the night the bedroom on the left side of the cabin (if you're facing it). When she woke up the was a large dark mass floating over the top of her. She was scared by it but was able to fall back to sleep.
Also, by our very first year, Terry and Connie sent up us to Cabin 6, we by mistake went to Cabin 7 (the old cabin 7 which no longer exists). When we walked into Cabin 7 it had a super creep-out factor to it. There was just something about that cabin that just wasn't right. At the time (early 90's) the movie Hook had just come out. In our family it was always and still is called the "You're dead jolly man"-cabin. It's a line out of the movie, but my brother who was only 6 at the time said that whenever he went by it. It spooked him too. LOL!!!
Anyway, those are our "ghost" stories of CWC past in our household. :)"