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A Brief History Of The "Big Lake." The miniature steamboat seemed hardly a match for the strong northwest winds as it pulled its barge loaded with wooden barrel staves from Chisago City down the lake towards Daniel Lindstrom's farm (the city of Lindstrom). The stalwart vessel continued its way steadily into the narrow channel heading eastward. Once beyond Lindstrom's farm it was suddenly into the north arm of Chisago Lake. Next, carefully maneuvering through the shallow channel the boat with the barge steamed through the passage that would connect to the larger bay just above Center City. An hour or so and the entourage midway between Erickson's Island (Calendar Isle) and Mobrecks farm (Center City), swinging starboard at Church Island before rounding Porter's Point (Hazelden), and carefully working its way up Loren's Creek before finally steaming into Ogren's Lake - the final destination. If all went as planned, wagons would be waiting at Ogren Lake to transfer the barrel staves to the final short journey to the St. Croix River. It just wasn't industry that used this all water route from Chisago City, Lindstrom, Center City -- and beyond. At least one steamboat in the "heyday" of the tourist trade was used as transportation to and from the summer resorts. There were docks at the Peninsula Hotel (Dinnerbel), Kline's Resort, Russel Beach, the Dahl House and Slimmers Island. Also the owner of the Center City Hotel, launched two fine sailboats carrying 25 to 30 passengers in 1879. At this time the five lakes (Chisago Lake, South Lindstrom lake, North Lindstrom Lake, North Center Lake and South Center Lake) were all one big lake. In fact it was called "Big Lake" and them "Swede lake" and finally, "Chisago Lake". The coming of the railroad changed the life of the community. It also split the "Chisago Lake" forever into pieces. At least three bridges or trestles were built to carry the railroad over various bays or fingers of the lake. Once the railroad bridges were removed they were then replaced by dirt fill. Portions of the lake narrows that were still open were later filled to accommodate highway construction. Slowly the bay or finger of the lake were severed by progress. (Note: Environmental regulations would never permit this today!) Channels were neglected and gradually filled up with vegetation. From This day on "Big Lake" would be the five lakes named as they are today. The names were chosen, but the problems continued. In 1939 the first Lake Restoration Program was proposed. Six years later the channel between South and North Lindstrom Lakes was dredged reuniting these two lakes. In 1997 a group of residents began studying the possibility of restoring the connection channels between the lakes. Called the Chisago Lakes Restoration Association (CLRA), it is a non-profit corporation dedicated to restoring the historic navigable channels once again. While CLRA realizes it will never see barge traffic again, they do dream of restoring these historic channels to accommodate smaller pleasure and fishing craft and to once again enjoy access to miles and miles of shoreline on the beautiful "Big Lake".
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Visualize, if you will, this recreated
scene from 130 years ago... Riding low in the water, the little
lake steamer, blew one long shrill blast from its whistle--sort
of a hurry-up call for the sleepy residents awakening in their
homes along the shore. 
