"Battle Lake Summers"
Other than Le Mars, there is probably no location that would invoke long-ago memories for our small Coppock family as would Battle Lake, Minnesota. Located about 65 miles SE of Fargo, ND, our "summer place" was 250 miles north of Le Mars. For 20+ summers, beginning in 1953, it was our family getaway.
Why Battle Lake? Well, one of Arnold's cousins (Merlin Zenner) lived in nearby Fergus Falls, MN, and he and his family owned a cottage on Otter Tail Lake. Grandma and Grandpa would visit them occasionally, and they enjoyed the area. They loved to fish, and they began searching for a small cottage in and around Fergus Falls. Ashton and Clyde joined the search, and in 1953, the 3 families purchased 50' of lakefront and a cottage on West Battle Lake (shown above after remodeling). Oh, the purchase price was a whopping $2,400!!! (yes, the comma is in the right place - DAC)
It was very basic, meaning that it had no indoor plumbing. That's right, there was an outhouse in the backyard!! It didn't take too long for my Dad to add an indoor bathroom to the rear of the cottage!! Everyone was happier after that happened!!! 😉 Other improvements came over time.
Grandma and Grandpa are shown here with a morning catch. Fishing, of course, was the main activity; but soon a speedboat (named the Playboy) was purchased, and then came water skiing and other fun beachside recreation. Each of the 3 families would "reserve" a special 2-week time period during the summer; other times, we would all rotate, using the cottage for long weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
The Playboy is shown on the boat lift to the left, the fishing boat on the right. Our beach was a sand-filled, gradual slope toward deeper water. The lake at the time was so clear we could still see bottom several yards out. Looking from our cottage, it was probably 5 miles or so across. Notice the tree-lined area to the right. Today, that is filled with expensive lake homes!! Then, it was a great spot for water sports, picnicking, sunbathing, etc.
Our beach was called Fernecliffe, and it was only accessible in the warmer months. The dirt road was hard to find, and it was private access only. There were maybe 20 cottages on our beach. The town of Clitheral was about 2 miles away, and it was where we bought groceries and other needed supplies. Oh, it was also our only link to the outside world since there was no telephone service at the cottage! Can you imagine that being the case today? I think that's why Grandpa, my Dad, and Ashton were so happy there -- no work-related activities could get in the way of their vacations.
Though a bit "rustic" it was a home away from home for all of us. The wood ticks were a constant problem in the early months of the summer, and I remember careful skin searches each night before going to bed. And, oh, the fish flies!! They wouldn't bite like mosquitoes, but they just hovered in masses, and they clung to your skin and clothes. An early memory of our son David, about 2 or 3 at the time, walking through tall grass as the fish flies encircled him! Not fun.
Still, we enjoyed people from Le Mars coming to visit, especially our school friends as well as other family members or good friends of our parents/grandparents. Grandma, Mother, and Dorothy would always put out a breakfast spread of Swiss steak, gravy, pancakes, etc. after the morning fishing crew came back from the lake. Fried bullheads, walleye, or sunfish was usually on the menu for supper. Of course, there was no TV so the evenings were spent playing cards, doing puzzles, etc.
With the long summer daylight hours in northern Minnesota, being outdoors was the best. For Jan, Connie, and I, though we missed our friends back home, Battle Lake was our" summer place".
(This late l950's photo shows Connie and I sitting on the dock at Battle Lake.)
I hope you've enjoyed this special summer memory. Thanks for visiting the site.
DAC
7/24/20
Why Battle Lake? Well, one of Arnold's cousins (Merlin Zenner) lived in nearby Fergus Falls, MN, and he and his family owned a cottage on Otter Tail Lake. Grandma and Grandpa would visit them occasionally, and they enjoyed the area. They loved to fish, and they began searching for a small cottage in and around Fergus Falls. Ashton and Clyde joined the search, and in 1953, the 3 families purchased 50' of lakefront and a cottage on West Battle Lake (shown above after remodeling). Oh, the purchase price was a whopping $2,400!!! (yes, the comma is in the right place - DAC)
It was very basic, meaning that it had no indoor plumbing. That's right, there was an outhouse in the backyard!! It didn't take too long for my Dad to add an indoor bathroom to the rear of the cottage!! Everyone was happier after that happened!!! 😉 Other improvements came over time.
Grandma and Grandpa are shown here with a morning catch. Fishing, of course, was the main activity; but soon a speedboat (named the Playboy) was purchased, and then came water skiing and other fun beachside recreation. Each of the 3 families would "reserve" a special 2-week time period during the summer; other times, we would all rotate, using the cottage for long weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
The Playboy is shown on the boat lift to the left, the fishing boat on the right. Our beach was a sand-filled, gradual slope toward deeper water. The lake at the time was so clear we could still see bottom several yards out. Looking from our cottage, it was probably 5 miles or so across. Notice the tree-lined area to the right. Today, that is filled with expensive lake homes!! Then, it was a great spot for water sports, picnicking, sunbathing, etc.
Our beach was called Fernecliffe, and it was only accessible in the warmer months. The dirt road was hard to find, and it was private access only. There were maybe 20 cottages on our beach. The town of Clitheral was about 2 miles away, and it was where we bought groceries and other needed supplies. Oh, it was also our only link to the outside world since there was no telephone service at the cottage! Can you imagine that being the case today? I think that's why Grandpa, my Dad, and Ashton were so happy there -- no work-related activities could get in the way of their vacations.
Though a bit "rustic" it was a home away from home for all of us. The wood ticks were a constant problem in the early months of the summer, and I remember careful skin searches each night before going to bed. And, oh, the fish flies!! They wouldn't bite like mosquitoes, but they just hovered in masses, and they clung to your skin and clothes. An early memory of our son David, about 2 or 3 at the time, walking through tall grass as the fish flies encircled him! Not fun.
Still, we enjoyed people from Le Mars coming to visit, especially our school friends as well as other family members or good friends of our parents/grandparents. Grandma, Mother, and Dorothy would always put out a breakfast spread of Swiss steak, gravy, pancakes, etc. after the morning fishing crew came back from the lake. Fried bullheads, walleye, or sunfish was usually on the menu for supper. Of course, there was no TV so the evenings were spent playing cards, doing puzzles, etc.
With the long summer daylight hours in northern Minnesota, being outdoors was the best. For Jan, Connie, and I, though we missed our friends back home, Battle Lake was our" summer place".
(This late l950's photo shows Connie and I sitting on the dock at Battle Lake.)
I hope you've enjoyed this special summer memory. Thanks for visiting the site.
DAC
7/24/20
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