Two Area Resorts Recognized for Over a Century of Service!
[This article was originally published by The Daily Journal Media at 9:00 am on Monday, October 30th, 2017 and written by Kaley Sievert and is shared here with permission granted by Editor, Zach Stitch.]
One of the benefits of living in or visiting Lakes Country is the countless resorts and campgrounds to choose from. For many families, attending a resort becomes a seasonal tradition and for some, that tradition has continued on through generations. Helping carry on that tradition are area resorts who have been open for more than a century: Bonnie Beach Resort of Battle Lake and Ten Mile Lake of Dalton.
The Minnesota Resort and Campground Association held their Fall Conference at Breezy Point Resort, Wednesday, Oct. 25, to recognize six of its newest members who enrolled as Minnesota Century Resorts. Two of those members were Bonnie Beach and Ten Mile Lake Resorts and they joined the MRCA’s previous member, Northern Pine Lodge, Park Rapids.
Bonnie Beach Resort
Bonnie Beach Resort is currently owned by couple, Ron and Pat Sugden with the help of their daughter, Megan Johnson.
The resort was established in 1882. In the 1870s, the resort started as a summer cabin on the north shore of Clitherall Lake, built by Eben E. Corliss. By June of 1893, the summer cabin grew into Camp Corliss and from 1910-1942 meals were served in the dining room. In 1946, Camp Corliss was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Miller, who changed the name to Bonnie Beach Resort after their daughter. Then, in 1995, after deciding to take a career change, Ron and Pat decided to take on the resort business. Since then, the resort has gone through a few upgrades.
“It’s always been a family oriented resort and so the only thing we have changed are the amenities,” Ron said.
Ron said that in ‘96, the cabins had no TVs and adding those was the first big change for the Sugdens.
“When people talked about it we though we didn’t need TVs because we are at the lake,” Ron said. “But after we put them in and walked along the road at night, you could see the glow from every TV that was on in the cabins.”
Since then, Ron and Pat and their daughter have been progressing through small upgrades in each of the old cabins. They also took another technologically huge step by installing Wifi.
“We were one of the earlier resorts like us to put in Wifi,” Ron said. “We got bookings, because they flat out told us, ‘I booked here because you had Wifi.’”
Then, about five or six years ago, the Sugdens and their daughter felt the resort needed a more intense upgrade and they started to fully rebuild all 13 cabins, breaking ground on the first cabin in 2012.
Ten Mile Lake Resort
Ten Mile Lake Resort is currently owned and ran by couple, Mike and Linda Schultz with the help of their nephew, Ben.
Mike can’t recall exactly when the resort started, but thinks it may have in the late 1800s. What he does remember, however, is how his family came into the business.
“It started when my great grandpa, Tony Prohosky bought the existing resort in 1906,” Mike said.
Prohosky purchased the resort for around $3,000 and named it CAmp Prohosky. At that time, the resort had six cabins, a hotel and a dance pavilion. In 1922, Prohosky sold the resort to his daughter Nellie and her husband, Fred, who changed the name to Schultz’s Ten Mile Lake Resort. The resort expanded to 25 cabins by the 1950s. Then, in 1960, third generation owners, Bob and Jerry built a steakhouse for a winter business and to enhance the summer resort business. Now, the resort currently has 12 cabins, 91 seasonal campsites, the steakhouse and 30 acres of land.
Mike remembers growing up on Ten Mile Lake Resort.
“As far as me on the resort, I don’t know anything different,” Mike said. “My siblings and I started working at the resort as soon as we could and at 12 years old, as soon as our feet could reach the pedals, we started driving the pickup around the camp doing the chores.”
Mike loved helping at the resort, but he never imagined he would grow up to run it someday.
“My father ran the resort with his Uncle and my grandparents and great grandparents,” Mike said. “I didn’t know I was going to run it until my dad and uncle had the resort and then my uncle passed away. Then, my brother and I came into the business with my dad.”
Linda, Mike’s wife and business partner, came into the resort business when she married him in ‘91.
Mike and his brother eventually bought the resort from their dad and then Mike’s brother passed away in 2005. Since then, Mike’s wife, nephew and family have contributed to owning the business.
Now, everything has been modernized. The cabins have brand new kitchens and appliances and new furniture and this coming spring, Wifi will be installed in all cabins.
“The resort has all the amenities that people want these days,” Linda said.
The steakhouse was built in 1962 by Mike’s dad and brother and since then add ons and remodels have happened. The resort goes through yearly updates, keeping up to date with cabin amenities.
What carries tradition
Repeat and generational customers have helped carry the traditions of both resorts. But, what brings the customers back?
According to Linda and Mike, they think their customers come back, because they enjoy the family experience Ten Mile Lake Resort provides.
“We have customers who come back the same week of every year and for 40 or 50 years they have known their neighbors for one week each year. It has been that way for a long time,” Mike said.
Bonnie Beach Resort has a large amount of repeat visitors from the ‘60s and some maybe even longer.
“[The resort is] a very special place for a lot of people and if you spend a week here you understand it,” Ron said. “They found a little spot in Minnesota in the Lakes Country and they grabbed onto it. They won’t quit coming.”
