Edge of the Wilderness
Scenic Overlook at North Star Lake, MN

This beautifully named lake was originally called Potato Lake because of its shape. Indians and voyagers first used it as a means of transportation. Generations later, lumberjacks would cut trees all winter and put the logs on the lake. When the ice melted in the spring, the lumberjacks would float the logs downstream.

The story of Camp Idlewild on North Star Lake is typical of Itasca County's early resort development. Two Indiana brothers, Walter and Lloyd Stickler, and their friend Phil Ernest took the railroad as far as it went in 1907, then walked here. They built a few guest cabins and discovered the value of promotion. After a magazine article about the camp appeared, the resort was born.