The foundation of the resort industry in Crow Wing County is the railroad, farms, and homesteads.

Joseph and Josephine Ruttger's homestead on Bay Lake became the first resort in the county. The Ruttger's began providing meals and a place to sleep to fishermen who traveled to Bay Lake from Deerwood. When it became too expensive to accommodate the fishermen for free, the Ruttger's began charging $5 a week for meals, a room, and a boat.

Many of the Brainerd Lakes Area resorts share a similar history. To view more information on the history of tourism in the area, visit the following:

brainerdhistory.com
http://rootsweb.com/~mncwcghs/hs/