In 1974, my uncle bought two lots on a small gin-clear lake north of Bemidji. Two years later he cut a trail into the property, and in 1977 he sold that property to his sister (my mother).
A travel trailer and a small cabin merged into a family sanctuary
Cabin Country: Place north of Bemidji got a major upgrade in 2000.
September 5, 2019 at 7:13PM
Early in the 1980s, we built a 10-foot-square shed with three bunks and an outhouse. We hauled a 16-foot travel trailer to the property about 1985 and enjoyed this place for a few years. In 1990, my nephew and a college friend, along with my mother, built a small cabin that had a loft and fireplace. We framed an entrance to connect the trailer and cabin.
We call our place "The Bear Shack." Why? A bear broke through a window of the trailer one winter, making a huge mess and exiting through the door.
We enjoyed our place in the woods, and in 2000 we built a larger cabin — adding on to the original cabin. The new place includes a basement, running water, and a large screened porch.
Our friends and family have enjoyed fishing, hunting, bird-watching and swimming. Today my wife and I own the cabin with my nephew and his wife. We all hope our family can retain our little sanctuary in the woods.
Ron Olson, Maple Plain
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None of the boat’s occupants, two adults and two juveniles, were wearing life jackets, officials said.
