50 Years of a Great Thing

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:41 pm by Tony Jones

50 Years of a Great Thing 2015-03-13T16:41:37-05:00 Tony Jones

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

photo by Courtney Perry

This weekend, my family will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the little cabin in the north woods that my grandfather built. I wrote about it in the StarTribune:

In 1964, my grandfather, Bower Hawthorne, was a rising newsman and editor at the Star and Tribune, a civic leader in Edina and the father of four girls in high school and college. Having taken his family on many vacations to a camp on Clearwater Lake in Crow Wing County, he befriended the legendary Brainerd businessman and mayor Tom O’Brien. Tom called Bower with a tip that a parcel of land was for sale on the next lake in the Nokasippi River chain. Bower bought just over 160 acres on Tom’s advice — a combination of woodland, slough and lakeshore on Eagle Lake.

Bower and his wife, Jane, were socialites in the Twin Cities, but they roughed it in the woods of Cuyuna country. They built one small cabin at first, then added a guesthouse and a garage with a bunkhouse above it. Lake water was pumped up to the cabins. A small fishing boat doubled as a ski boat for their daughters and new sons-in-law.

In 1973, an F3 tornado blew right through the property. The Brainerd Dispatch reported that it sounded “like 40 freight trains.” The garage collapsed on Bower and Jane and, to Bower’s great sadness, hundreds of white pine trees were uprooted. In the years after the tornado, he’d tell us that he almost sold the place over his grief at the loss of the pines. But he didn’t sell. He rebuilt.

Since Bower and Jane died in the 1980s, two of their daughters and spouses have improved the lake place significantly, digging a well, modernizing the kitchen and adding a new garage. Last winter, they acquired more adjacent forest land, bringing the total property to over 250 acres.

On June 20-22, three generations of Bower and Jane’s descendants will convene to celebrate the cabin’s 50th anniversary. In spite of the improvements, we will still stand on wood floors hand-pegged by Bower himself, and gather around a grand fireplace with field stones he split himself. And a new group (the fourth generation) from toddlers to teenagers will enjoy the cabin.

minnesota

Previous Post

June 19, 2014

Ordaining Trans*

Next Post

June 27, 2014 Book Update

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category bible blogging books christianity in america church church history dissertation divorce Dog Training education emergent church essay family funny glbt jopa productions ministry minnesota movies music parenting philosophy politics Prayer publishing Questions That Haunt random same sex marriage speaking spirituality Teaching technology television theology Travels Uncategorized writing youth ministry

Select a Month January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 June 2006 May 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 June 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 August 2004 February 2004 January 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the primary light source in Biblical times?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Candle Oil lamp Torch Bonfire