PI People Homes | piheritage

This Crab Lake Post Card was mailed in 1942.

A collection of traditional Summer Home Post Cards.

■ William Bonafas

■ H. E. Daily

■ E. J Dick

■ H. E. Dione

■ John J. Foster

■ Fenr & Luedtke

■ R. Hallstrom

■ DeForest Hulburd

■ Paul H. Kremer

■ Dr. Linholm

■ Fred Luedtke

■ John A. MacLean

■ Dr. Mason

■ Hiram M. Nowlan

■ Mr. Pierson

■ Peter van Schark

■ Fred Schroeder

■ A. Weller

■ Karl Williams

■ W. S. Winegar

If you have information to enhance details about any of these Homes and Cabins and/or other Homes and Cabins located in Presque Isle Township, contact the Presque Isle Heritage Society.

Home of Dr. Roland S. Cron on, Crab Lake.

In 1896, Herman Dick built the first house on Crab Lake. The three-story, 14-bedroom mansion towered over his island property and commanded an almost complete view of Crab Lake. The house was a museum of artifacts collected over its 80-year history, from Dick’s own travels and from illustrious guests' such as Thomas Edison. An inconceivable amount of lake lore was lost when the mansion burned to the ground in 1975.

Bruce and Patricia Graham are the fifth generation of the Dick family on Crab Lake. They were brought up hearing the old tales and descriptions of life in the early days. Bruce inherited the island in 1980 when his mother, Nancy Graham, died. Fortunately, Nancy’s memories were taped before her death, so together with Bruce, in Bruce’s voice, they paint a picture within: Liza Tuttle's, Crab Lake Memories. Presque Isle, WI: self published, 1990. *

E. J. Dick's summer home on Crab Lake. The above right hand Post Card was mailed from Presque Isle, in 1966.

Home of H. E. Dione on Crab Lake,

Home of DeForest Hulburd, on Crab Lake, Post Card above was mailed in 1934, below 1940.

Crab Lake Mr DeForest Hulburd 1940 reverse.jpg

Summer home of Karl Williams, on Crab Lake, unknown date.

Note; above two identical Post Cards list the home for two different people.

R. Hallstrom's cottage, on Crab Lake, Post Card was mailed in 1926.

Summer home of Paul H. Kremer on, Crab Lake,

Home of Dr. Kahlke on, Crab Lake. Right hand Post Card was mailed in 1936.

Summer home of Dr. Linholm on, Armour Lake.

Fehr & Luedtke's summer home, on Crab Lake, Post Card was mailed from Mercer in 1951.

Helen Fehr first came to Crab Lake when she was a young girl. The cabin in West Bay started as a joint venture between her parents and another family from Milwaukee, the Luedtkes. Eventually, Helen bought out the Luedtkes and spent entire summers up at the lake with her husband and children.

The property was sold in 1987 to Karl and Billie Bays of Lake Forest, Illinois. Helen’s son Timothy and her daughter Helen Merker Williams had already built their own houses on the lake.

Fred Luedtke's cottage.

Luedtke misspelled by photographer on Post Card.

In 1985, a year after I spoke with her, Helen Fehr Merker Sprackling died. She was 79.
Abridged from: Liza Tuttle, Crab Lake Memories. Presque Isle, WI: self published, 1990. *

Home of Dr. Mason on, Ox Bow Lake.

Summer home of John A. MacLean built on, Crab Lake, 1950. *

Summer home of Hiram M. Nowlan on, Crab Lake, Mailed in 1954.

Homes inside the Company Town of Winegar.

Home of John J. Foster, President of the VCLCo. And, later William Bonafas President of the Bonifas - Gorman Lumber Co.

Big white home is, H. E. Daily's, VCLCo Superintendent. Smaller home in the background is Mr. Pierson's, C & N-W Ry Foreman.

Company Town homes of the VCLCo workers. In 1925 there were 80 such homes, company painted initially a red-brown than green & white. Colors changed when the mill ownership changed.

Home of Peter van Schark on, Crab Lake.

“Above home of Fred Schroeder, (1908 - ) is one of the youngest in the Schroeder clan. His father and his oldest brother, John, were instrumental in the settling of Crab Lake’s West Bay. Fred has been coming to Crab since 1922, when he was 14, and spends most of every summer in his cabin on the soutn shore overlooking the main lake.” Transcribed from Liza Tuttle’s, Crab Lake Memories. Presque Isle, WI: self published, 1990. *

Home of Mr. A. Weller on, Crab Lake.

1925 teamster service from the C. & N.-W. Ry. depot to a summer home where roads were available.

Left is the in town home of William S. Winegar, President of the VCLCo. Right is where he went to relax on, Ox Bow lake.

* Tuttle, Liza Crab Lake Memories. Presque Isle, WI: self published, 1990. Has much more detail information about the ownwrs of these homes.

Post Cards from the collections of Eric R. Benn and Jack L. Winegar.