Lydia's Legacy: Hutter History, Pt. 3

The cottages purchased by Lydia and Eugene Hutter were originally built by "Cap" Smith circa 1917-19.* The Hutters purchased and operated them from 1941-1998, with Lydia managing them herself after Eugene passed away in 1961. She resisted selling any of the cabins off for another ten years, until the Chryst family purchased #6 and #7 in '71. The '80s saw #5 sold and repurchased, and #1, #2 and #4 sold.

Brunhilde returned "up north" in 1989. She held onto the resort, keeping cabins #3, #5, and #8. In 1990-91, #5 was gutted and remodeled.

She opened the resort as a bed and breakfast from 1991-1998, after the death of her husband Leonard. In 1999, cabins #3 and #8 were sold.

Lydia Hutter passed away on July 3, 1999.

*Such anonymous individuals, remembered only for their unique names, color the pages of northwoods history. My own family house in Manitowish was built in 1907 by a "Peg-leg" Stone. We know nothing more about him (although his real initials were probably R.D.) -- besides the obvious deduction that he had a wooden leg.

Brunhilde Ventures North, Hutter History Pt. 2

An aerial view of the resort

Brunhilde, Lydia's niece, had the opportunity to help with the cottages when she was fourteen years old. She came up for two or three summers before getting a job in Chicago. Brun was very happy to get out of the city over the summer -- it was so hot there. After her summers at the resort, she worked at Woolworth's for 28 cents an hour.

When she was up here at age fourteen, Brun met Cal La Porte, as well as Elaine Hanson, John Hanson's sister. They rode up to the town of Manitowish, six miles north, on a gravel road, to get the mail at the post office -- the town of Manitowish Waters did not have postal service back then. The girls rode up once or twice a week. It was a long bike ride. They didn't have access to an automobile, so they had to ride a bike or walk.

For fun, Brunhilde and her brother went to Koerner's Resort on Manitowish and Spider Lake, where they had a big boat house, soda fountain and dance floor. They went dancing there on Friday nights and met other kids. To get there, they followed a deer trail through the woods, at night, and got on Manitowish Road, which led them to Koerner's boat ramp.

When the work was done at Hutter's Resort, Brunhilde used some of her afternoon time to read books. Other fun afternoon hours were spent on a kayak built by her brother -- but paddling it made her aunt worry. They also played croquet. Or they made their own fun. There were few kids to hang out with because everyone was working.

When Lydia got away from work, she taught Brunhilde how to coax a chipmunk to feed from her hand. They also picked many blackberries, blueberries and mushrooms.

Brunhilde and her aunt Lydia worked hard, and there wasn't always time for fun. The cottages were rented for $1.00 a night, so the renters were given the best. New customers always had fresh sheets. They washed the sheets in the lake and hung them out to dry. Once the sheets had dried, Brunhilde and Lydia pressed them with two flat irons, which were heated up on Bunsen burners. Doing these sheets was a hot and sweaty job! Brunhilde still has these very thick sheets -- about 40 of them.

Outhouse duty was another big job. There was a three hole outhouse, which was cleaned every year and all the "stuff" taken to the landfill. At the open pit of the landfill, bears would often be out digging around.

One of Brunhilde's most vivid memories comes from her first summer at the cottages. Sometime in July, there was a big storm. This storm lasted three days straight, thundering and lightning and pouring heavy rain on the tin metal roof. No customers were staying at the time; only Brunhilde, her aunt and her brother were there. Lydia and the brother stayed in bed, too terrified to come out, while Brun did the work of cooking meals. It was all very frightening. Fortunately, the storm did no damage.

Hutter History, Pt. 1

A photo collage of the resort, Lydia and Eugene

Lydia's Housekeeping Cottages

Hutter's Lakeview Resort

Hutter's-Nystrom Lake View Resort Bed & Breakfast

Nystrom Bed & Breakfast

35 Park Rd.

on

Manitowish Lake

Interview with Brunhilde Nystrom, 7/13/10

Lydia's Housekeeping Cottages opened in April 1941 and was owned and operated by Eugene Karl and Lydia Aichele Hutter. The property was purchased from "Cap" Smith. The property had two fisherman's shacks (#3 and #4), a central well, and no electricity. The "Cap" Smith family used #4 cabin as an ice house when they lived up here.

Eugene and Lydia Hutter had both emigrated from Germany after the first world war and made their lives in Chicago. In order to moved to the United States, Lydia had to have a sponsor -- someone already living in the U.S. Her sponsors were two uncles, August and Gottloeb Aichele. After they made their life in Chicago, the opportunity came up to buy the land and cabins in Manitowish Waters. Against Lydia's desires, they made the purchase and moved to the northwoods.

At first, the cottages were mostly rented out to fishermen from Illinois and Wisconsin. The same people came back every year. Later, their wives came, and families. Some folks were also from Chicago. Cottages #1, #2, and #5 were built new by the Hutters. Cottage #8 was an existing small cabin which was purchased and moved back on the entry road, becoming the office and summer home of Lydia.

Cottages #6, #7, and #8 were moved onto the property -- physically built elsewhere and transported to the Hutter's land -- and bedrooms added on. #7 had three bedrooms.

Electricity came in after World War II, about 1946. Until then, Lydia and Eugene used kerosene lamps, Bunsen burners or propane gas burners. Boats were rented with the cabins because most people did not drive up north; they took the train. If they did drive, they didn't bring their boats along! (Did they even have trailer hitches for cars in those days?) The speed limit back then was 40 mph on the highway.

The additional cabins at the resort were built between 1946 and 1960. Eugene died in a car accident shortly thereafter -- a runaway horse ran into his moving car in October of 1961.

to be continued...