Lake Minnetonka Real Estate » Islands » Big Island

Big Island on Lake Minnetonka

Big Island lies near the center of Lake Minnetonka's Lower Lake, between the broad waters of Lower Lake North and Lower Lake South, with Echo Bay along its southwestern shore. Most boaters know it well. Fewer know the history behind its wooded shoreline: the summer cottages, Olaf Searle's elaborate estate, and the families who returned here for generations.

The island is part of Orono. It has no road connection to the mainland. Private homes share the island with protected land and a public nature park at the eastern end. Gale Island lies off its southern shore, while the small Mahpiyata Island sits along the north.

Cottages and estates

Before settlers began building here, Dakota families used the island as a maple-sugaring camp. Its later names included Meeker's Island and Morse's Island. William Bradford Morse sold cottage lots and rented campsites, and by the 1880s visitors were gathering for picnics, musical programs and evening bonfires.

In 1891, Olaf O. Searle purchased roughly 125 acres and built a yellow mansion with white trim. It had carved woodwork, marble-trimmed bathrooms and a library containing thousands of books. Outside were a Japanese garden and a goldfish pond, set among the island's maples.

Searle had a channel dug through the island, separating his estate from cottages to the west. Widening its northern end created a lagoon and the little island now known as Mahpiyata. Searle added a footbridge, gazebo and boathouse, with a dock large enough to accommodate an orchestra. The mansion later burned, but the channel remains.

Other homes were considerably simpler. Arthur and Reba Fruen bought their Crown Point property in 1927, bringing their six children to a summer place within easy reach of Minneapolis. The children ferried their father to Deephaven by motorboat for his commute to work.

The Fruen cabin had a screened porch and sleeping loft; later, Arthur built a Swiss-style chalet near the water. Stone steps connected the shore to the cabin above. By 2010, four generations had enjoyed the property.

Big Island Park

In 1906, the Twin City Rapid Transit Company opened an amusement park on the island. Passengers rode streetcars from Minneapolis to Excelsior, then boarded ferries for the crossing. The park had a roller coaster, carousel, picnic kitchens and a music casino. An illuminated tower stood above the trees.

It lasted six seasons, closing after the summer of 1911. The former park became the Big Island Veterans Camp in 1923, and veterans and their families continued using it until 2003.

Orono purchased the former camp property in 2006. The 56-acre Big Island Nature Park now has public docks and walking trails. Old foundations and the entrance stairway survive from the amusement park years.

Homes on Big Island

A cottage facing Echo Bay and a home overlooking the open Lower Lake can offer quite different settings. The view, afternoon sun, shoreline and activity on the water all deserve a closer look. Cruisers Cove is a popular gathering place for boaters; a wooded lot alone does not tell you how quiet a property will be on a summer weekend.

Mainland parking and a boat landing are important parts of ownership here. So are the dock, the walk up to the house and arrangements for deliveries and maintenance. When looking at a property, I would start with how you plan to spend your time there, then work through those details with you.

For help buying or selling a home on Big Island, contact Daniel and Elisha Gustafson.