Cross River Heritage Center facts for kids
The Cross River Heritage Center viewed from the northwest
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| Established | 2002 |
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| Location | 7932 West Highway 61, Schroeder, Minnesota |
The Cross River Heritage Center is a museum in Schroeder, Minnesota. It's run by the Schroeder Area Historical Society. This museum helps people learn about the history of the area around Lake Superior's North Shore. The center first opened in 2002. It's in a special building that looks like an old English house, built in 1929. This building used to be called the Stickney Inn and Store. You can find it near the Cross River on Minnesota State Highway 61.
Contents
The Old Stickney Inn and Store
How It All Started
In 1921, a man named Horace T. Stickney bought about 13 acres of land. This land was next to the Cross River in Schroeder. Before he bought it, the land was part of a logging camp. It had a bunkhouse, a house for the logging boss, a shed, and an office. Mr. Stickney thought the land looked sad because of all the logging and fires.
He built his first store in 1922. But sadly, it burned down when a gas stove had a problem while someone was cooking.
Building the New Inn
After the fire, Mr. Stickney got help from local artists and an architect. They built a new, special building. It had big, decorative wooden beams on the outside, like old European houses.
On June 6, 1929, a local newspaper reported that the new Stickney Inn was open. It had bedrooms and a big dining room. There was also a candy shop and a general store. The first floor had a grocery store, a kitchen, a post office, a dining room, and a living room with a large stone fireplace. The second floor had seven bedrooms for tourists, which could fit 15 to 20 people. It was one of the first buildings in Schroeder to have indoor bathrooms!
Growing into a Resort
Soon, people started asking Mr. Stickney if they could rent cabins. So, in 1930, he built a log cabin behind the inn. It was about 16 by 20 feet and looked out over the Cross River. After he built a second cabin, a Minnesota tourism guide called the place "Stickney's Resort." By 1936, Mr. Stickney had built eight cabins. All of them had great views of the river and Lake Superior.
A Place for Workers and Travelers
The inn also served as a winter home for workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). These workers arrived in 1933. They built many things, like 135 miles of telephone lines and 40 miles of truck roads. They also built 30 bridges, three dams, and 16 buildings for the United States Forest Service. The old steel bridge over the Cross River, built in 1915, was replaced in 1932.
A small sign on Highway 61 advertised the Stickney Store and Cabins. It became a popular spot on the North Shore. A bus company even had a stop at the inn throughout the 1940s and 1950s.
Fun at the Inn
The Stickneys didn't plan special activities for their guests. Instead, tourists enjoyed hiking, fishing for trout, and playing horseshoes. The inn had a large living room with a piano. People would gather there for singing and dancing.
An author named Florence Page Jacques visited the Stickney Inn and Store on November 13, 1942. She wrote that she was surprised to see the inn's three modern bathrooms. She also noted how warm and cozy the building was.
New Owners and New Names
Horace and Nell Stickney sold the inn in 1955. They sold it to Horace's nephew, Harry Stickney Lamb, and his wife, Doris Mae Lamb. The Lambs moved to Schroeder in December 1954. After Harry Lamb became the postmaster in 1955, they renamed the inn Lamb's Resort.
In the early 1950s, a company started building a special facility nearby. This facility was for loading taconite, which is a type of iron ore. Harry Lamb made a deal to supply groceries to the ore carriers.
In 1965, the third generation of the family took over. Harry Lamb's son, Horace "Skip" Lamb, bought the resort with his wife, Linda. In 1976, the Lambs decided to separate the Stickney Inn and Store from the rest of the resort. They moved the post office to an empty gas station. Then, they sold the inn to Bill and Gloria Jordon. The Jordons renamed it the Cross River General Store.
Cross River Heritage Center Today
In 1998, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) bought the inn and store. They planned to fix the highway and replace the bridge. But the Schroeder Area Historical Society convinced MnDOT to give the building to Schroeder Township in 1998.
With money they raised and help from many volunteers, the Schroeder Area Historical Society finished fixing up the building in 2002. Since then, they have been running it as the Cross River Heritage Center. It's a great place to learn about the history of the area!
See also
