LAKE SHORE – Cass County’s largest town is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
Lake Shore – incorporated in 1947 – marked the milestone on March 19 and will celebrate with a public event from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, June 9 at Fritz Loven Park.
The event will include food and beverages provided by local restaurants, raffles for local restaurant gift cards, history talks and a bouncy house for the kids. The Black Bear 4-H Club will be offering face painting and a scavenger hunt for the kids.
Police, fire and emergency medical services will be present with emergency vehicles.
If you’ve traveled scenic Upper County State Aid Route 77 or Interlachen Road, you’ve been to Lake Shore.
This 18 square mile town is nestled on the north shore of Gull Lake, as well as Margaret Lake, and is home to just over 1,000 year-round residents. The city reaches a population of nearly 3,000 during the summer months due to seasonal properties scattered throughout the Lake District, the city’s website says.
Although close in population to East Gull Lake, Lake Shore has long been the most populous town in Cass County.
In 2018, travel writers at the Expedia Viewfinder blog chose Lake Shore as the best place to get away from it all in Minnesota.
“We love Lake Shore for its small size but its status as a getaway spot with enough relaxing activities to make it a true retreat,” said one travel writer.
The city will celebrate its 75th anniversary in the park named after one of the city’s most famous residents, Fritz Loven.
“Described as a sociable hermit, Loven lived in the Gull area for nearly 50 years – mostly on 80 acres of land he owned along Stony Book,” reads a Lake Country story. Echo.
Loven died in 1975 at the age of 84, and in 1976 the city of Lake Shore acquired this land for $18,000 and established Fritz Loven Park, according to the newspaper.
“Until the day he died, Loven lived without electricity or plumbing on his Stony Brook acreage, which he called his ‘Golden 80’,” the Lake Country Echo story said.
Lake Shore is governed by a four-person city council and a mayor. City Hall is located on Interlachen Road and is staffed by a City Administrator/Planning and Zoning Administrator and a City Clerk. The city has a chief of police and a police officer and contracts with Nisswa for fire services.
The town has popular dining establishments accessible by vehicle and boat, as well as a church. Mount Ski Gull and the Lakeshore Gun Club are also found along Interlachen Road.
Nancy Vogt, Managing Editor, can be reached at 218-855-5877 or [email protected]. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@PEJ_Nancy.
