Gull Lake Casino Buffet
Plan your next night out at Gun Lake Casino! In addition to great gaming, we’ve got the best local acts performing at Stage 131 with no cover charge. We’ll see you this weekend! Gull Lake is the largest and one of the most popular lakes in the greater Baxter/Brainerd area of northern Minnesota. In fact, the Brainerdarea and its surrounding lakes are known to offer some of the best fishing and scenery in the state. In total, Gull Lake encompasses nearly 10,000 acres of surface area.
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| Gull Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kalamazoo / Barry counties, Michigan, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°23′59″N85°24′41″W / 42.3998°N 85.4114°WCoordinates: 42°23′59″N85°24′41″W / 42.3998°N 85.4114°W |
| Primary outflows | Gull Creek [1] |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 2,030 acres (8 km2) |
| Max. depth | 110 ft (34 m)[1] |
| Surface elevation | 879 feet (268 m)[2] |
| Islands | 3[3] |
| Settlements | Gull Lake |
Gull Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Michigan, located mostly in Kalamazoo County with the northern tip extending into Barry County. The nearest major cities are Kalamazoo, 11 miles (18 km) to the southwest, and Battle Creek, 13 miles (21 km) to the southeast. The name was probably derived from the seagulls which at times come inland from Lake Michigan in large numbers. The total surface area of this lake is 2,030 acres (8 km2), with maximum depths of 110 feet (34 m). This deep, clear lake has numerous holes in excess of 75 ft (23 m), and has one large island in the south end. The shoreline of the lake is fully developed, and is ringed with homes and cottages. A notable sport fishery exists in the lake for Rainbow trout, Lake trout, Land-locked salmon, Smelt, Smallmouth bass, and Yellow perch. Many other species of fish such as bluegill, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, and Northern Pike are home to this lake. Given the proximity of this lake to large centers of population, coupled with the extensive number of riparian property owners, with one public access, the lake is extensively used by boaters during the warm summer months, and can become quite congested with water traffic.
History[edit]
The area around Gull Lake was settled in the 1830s, especially the fertile Gull Prairie. The native Potawatomi people were moved west after the 1821 Treaty of Chicago, though some remained into the 1830s. The primary settlement on Gull Lake was Yorkville, located on the lake's outlet. At one time, several small manufacturing enterprises existed here, including a celery-flavored breakfast cereal maker.
An interurban rail line once connected Gull Lake to nearby Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. The lake became a popular summer getaway for wealthy families, such as the Upjohns (pharmaceuticals), the Shakespeares (fishing tackle) from Kalamazoo and the Kelloggs (breakfast cereal) from Battle Creek. As the years wore on, many people set up year-round residences on the lake—replacing the smaller seasonal cottages. This led to water quality problems, but these improved after an extensive sewer system was installed in the early 1980s. Infestations of the non-native zebra mussel also helped clear the water, as these are filter-feeders.
Description[edit]
Its clear waters have made Gull Lake a local scuba diving hot spot. Many artifacts have been placed in the lake for divers to swim through and look at. A list of these include a phone booth, motorcycle, car, ice shanty, swing set, railroad tracks, and two boats. The lake is accessible to divers year round; many even go diving here in the winter once the water has frozen over.
The lake is sufficiently large to support a yacht club, with sailboat racing on weekends. Even keel boats such as Starboat and small cruising sailboats can be raced safely.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abMiller, J.B., and Thompson, T., 1970. Compilation of data for Michigan lakes: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File-Report, 368 p.
- ^U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Gull Lake (Michigan)
- ^Gull Lake (1970-01-01). 'Gull Lake, MI - Google Maps'. Maps.google.com. Retrieved 2012-05-25.
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gull Lake (Michigan). |
Pike Point Resort is located two miles west of Tenstrike, MN. The first cabin was built in 1923 and was the only resort on Gull Lake for 13 years. Hi and Ada Richardson came from Seattle WA. on June 22, 1922 and remember crawling on their stomachs through the hazel brush and trees just to get a glimpse of the lake. The native Americans at the time called the lake ‘Big Medicine’ because they felt it was good for their health to camp in the summer beside the clear lake.
Every year thereafter they added another new cabin until there was eight. In 1939 they built the lodge that is used today as one of the rental cottages. The Richardson’s cut and planed the lumber themselves for the buildings and the furniture which is used in some of the cabins and the original lodge cabin today along with the modern lodge built some years later. Meals were served at the lodge for as many as 75 guests at one time. Ada and Hi often served the Rotary Club of Bemidji a complete dinner with fresh lemon pie
for 50 cents a plate.
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Cabins rented for $ 3 a day which included 3 meals a day and a boat. Minnows were 10 cents a dozen and boat rental was 50 cents a day. Fishing was fabulous in those days as it is today as well.
The Richardson’s would row across the lake to visit their in-laws and pick up a mess of fish . On the way back they would catch enough for their supper The lake was stocked from the Red Lake Hatchery and the Bemidji Hatchery….20 cans were put into the lake each year.
The Richardson’s had their own garden, chickens and cows. Ada canned fruits and vegetables for the farmers she served. Cloth linens were used at the dinner tables and water had to be carried from the lake for washing and cleaning. Food and ice were lowered in o a box in the ground to keep cold until the lodge was built. Then an icebox was built in the lodge for the cold storage. The guests would get down on their knees to get their milk and meats out of the box in the ground.
Mr. Richardson died in 1943 and she remarried Galen Lapp in 1952 and they continued to operate the resort cabins but did not serve meals any longer as she had in the past. The camp was full each year with the cabins having the atmosphere of the ‘good old days’.
Ada and Galen Lapp recalled using the detachable row boat motor by Evinrude. That is what they were called back then. The motor was actually purchased for the resort from the Gibbons Store in Bemidji in the early 1920’s for about $50. Twenty-flat bottom row boats, hand made of pine by Richardson were used at that time.
Guests always wondered how this tiny 4’11” woman could possibly accomplish all the things she had done during the 50 years she owned the resort and still retain her pep and quick step.
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The resort changed hands two other times between 1973 and 1979 until it was purchased by Ron and Joan Yearling. They had their work cut out for them with cabins needing work and updating. They loved the atmosphere of the log style cabins and the lakeshore of 950’ was definitely a reason to own this resort. The Yearlings raised 5 children in the home on the property and continued each year to greet new people coming in and to this day there are some that have been coming to the resort for over 40 years in this year of their first year coming into the resort business they had one reservation to start their summer.
The newer lodge had been originally built down at the shoreline of the lake. The Yearlings seen that this was not the best place for the lodge and had it physically lifted up the hill and placed on a foundation where it sits today. They created a large kitchen in the lodge and updated bathroom. The log lodge still maintains the original furniture and a magnificent lake rock fireplace. Joan and Ron also had a restaurant in the lodge for their guests to enjoy and it didn’t take long for the word to get out what great cooks they
were and they were serving meals 3 times a day plus running the resort operation. It was just a few years ago that they closed down the restaurant so that they could focus on the great people coming to the resort and their needs.
January 29, 2010, after Ron’s passing away a couple years earlier, Joan sold the resort to Scott and Sue Springer. Scott and Sue are excited about this great adventure and direction in their lives that God has given them. They are living in the remodeled original home site on the property. They will be waiting for all those wonderful people to arrive for their first season of owning Pike Point Resort and making memories for the years to come. They are planning many updates and building of cabins after purchasing the resort. Fishing, friendships, fun and hunting to the criteria should make
for a great first year.