boats, bait and fishing tackle for visiting sportsmen. They at once set to work to collect a fleet of boats, and by dint of building some and buying the rest, they soon had one of the most complete fleets of fishing boats ever put on the lake.

About this time the roller skate craze broke out and every place must have its skating rink. A young Norwegian by the name of Louis Kellsen thought to make his fortune by putting in a skating rink. He accordingly effected an arrangement with Mr. Mills whereby they were to erect a suitable building, the basement of which Mills was to occupy as a boat house, while the upper story Mr. Kellsen was to operate as a skating rink. The building was erected and they started in all right, but the skating craze collapsed just about as sudden as it sprung up, and Mr. Kellsen found himself with his rink and several dozen pairs of roller skates on hand. These he finally disposed of to Mr. Mills for much less than they cost him. Mr. Mills parti

tioned off the skating room and moved the postoffice and store business into the front room, while the rear he used for storing and painting boats, for which it was well adapted. About 1888 he sold out to W. S. Wilson & Sons, who continued the same line of business, enlarging and improving it to meet the growing demands of their trade. Mr. Wilson was also appointed postmaster, which position he still retains.

The later resorts on West Okoboji are Manhattan Beach, The Inn, Omaha Beach, Hayward's Bay and Pike's Point, at each of which places accommodations more or less elaborate have been provided for the entertainment of summer tourists.

Manhattan Beach is situated on the west shore of West Okoboji Lake, north of Miller's Bay. The project of making a summer resort of this point was first conceived by D. B. Lyon, Esq., of Des Moines, about 1893. He first purchased a large tract of land having more than a mile of lake shore, and through his efforts a joint stock company was organized. A long line of lake shore lots was laid out and put on the market. Cottages were erected and a large pavilion built with dining room, office and other conveniences requisite for a fashionable resort. A roomy bathhouse and toboggan slide were among the

attractions. The old steamer, Ben Lennox, was purchased and thoroughly overhauled and the name changed to the "Manhattan," and it was run so as to make all the trains at the Arnold's Park station in the interests of the hotel. Another steamer, a flat bottomed sternwheeler, which was built at Spirit Lake and named the "Robert Williams," was also bought with the intention of running her between Spirit Lake and the Okoboji bridge, there to connect with the "Manhattan." But somehow none of their schemes panned out as planned. Both of the steamers, which were old, when they bought them, rotted down on their hands, and none of their projects proved profitable. The lots didn't sell and the hotel didn't pay. It was too far from the railroad and it cost too much to run it. The expenses exceeded the income and the whole concern went into the hands of a receiver, and the property sold for what it would bring.

A new company has since been organized on a more economical basis with a view of running matters more nearly in accordance with business principles. They have erected several new buildings and repaired, renovated and refurnished the old ones, and made other needed improvements, until the place ranks with the finest resorts about the lakes. The location is a charming one, combining luxuriant shade, sandy beach, rocky shore, clear water and cool breezes to a very enjoyable extent.

One of the best known and most popular places on West Okoboji was first known as Maple Grove and next as Bennett's Beach, and later as Dixon's Beach. About 1882 Dixon sold out to the railroad company, or rather to a company composed of a few of the railway officials and a few outsiders who conceived the idea of building up a great summer resort at the railroad company's expense. Their scheme was to pocket the profits while the railroad company paid the bills. The death of President Mitchell and Superintendent Merrill both occurring about this time, the management of the road was thrown

EARLY DAY CAMP ON DIXON'S BEACH.

into the hands of other people who were not in the scheme, and would not, therefore, derive any direct benefit from its success, and they absolutely refused to have anything to do with it, consequently the scheme was abandoned and the parties left to unload their land as best they could.

In the course of a few years, after various vicissitudes, the property came into the hands of J. A. Beck, Esq., an experienced hotel man from Fairfield, Iowa, who at once set to work to perfect plans for a first-class summer resort. The location is an ideal one. For many years "Dixon's Beach" was known as one of the finest in Iowa. It has few equals and no superiors. It was in 1896 that Mr. Beck commenced improvements on the place as a summer resort. Previous to that time he had erected cottages and farm buildings and made other improvements in a general way, and that year he built "The Inn," and