The lakes that make up the over 13,000 acre Whitefish Chain were surprisingly not always interconnected.

From the early 1870s until the early 1900s logging was the sole industry in the area.  In 1836 Congress appropriated funds to build the Pine River Dam. The dam, which was built by 1886, elevated the water levels to help move heavy lumber through the lakes and into the Pine River and eventually into the Mississippi River.  

The dam changed the topography of the area by connecting the 14 lakes creating what is now the Whitefish Chain. The dam remains in place today to maintain the water levels for recreation. As the logging industry moved north, people began to see the potential for fishing and recreation on the Whitefish Chain. Resorts grew out of logging camps and the tourism industry in the area started to take shape.    

This pristine chain of lakes once used out of necessity, now provides visitors and residents with a special kind of joy and relaxation that can only be found looking out over crystal clear blue waters under a pine-scented canopy.

For additional information on the history of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes visit the Crosslake Historical Society website at www.crosslakehistoricalsociety.org.