Vineland in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Tourist Cottage
— Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post —
Photographed By McGhiever, July 12, 2016
1. Tourist Cottage Marker
If you were vacationing at Mille Lacs in the 1930s, you might have stayed in a cottage like this one.
From 1920 until the 1940s, the Ayers rented out cottages clustered all around the Trading Post. The furnishings were simple—a couple of beds, a wood stove, a wash stand, table, and chairs—and you could get a good meal at the dining hall just east of the trading post.
Crammed to the Gills
In a 1992 interview, Mille Lacs Band member Letitia Caldwell described working at the Trading Post: "The 15th of May was the walleye fishing season, and we would be crammed to the gills. People would be doubling up in cabins—anything to get a place to stay so they could go out at daybreak."
Erected by the Minnesota Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Industry & Commerce • Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.
Location. 46° 10.58′ N, 93° 45.316′ W. Marker is in Vineland, Minnesota, in Mille Lacs County. Marker is at the intersection of Oodena Drive and U.S. 169, on the right when traveling east on Oodena Drive. The marker is at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post, east of the museum entrance. Touch for map
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Mille Lacs Indian Boat Works (a few steps from this marker); Harry & Jeannette Ayer House (within shouting distance of this marker); Izatys (approx. 0.9 miles away); The Kathio Villages (approx. 1.9 miles away); The Wilford Site (approx. 1.9 miles away); Explore Minnesota's Pinelands at Mille Lacs Kathio State Park (approx. 3.2 miles away); Lake Mille Lacs Walleye (approx. 8.8 miles away); William A. Tauer (approx. 8.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vineland.
Photographed By McGhiever, July 12, 2016
2. Tourist Cottages and Marker at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post
Credits. This page was last revised on December 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 13, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 13, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
