Listing Type: Places

Historical information provided by Iowa Lakeside Laboratory ____ Lakeside’s 147-acre campus is located on scenic West Okoboji Lake, on Little Millers Bay. The bay and adjacent natural areas are used as outdoor classrooms for Lakeside’s university courses and Outreach Programs. The campus is open year round, and visitors are welcome to visit during daylight hours.…

Historical information provided by Jonathan Reed _ Golf at Its Finest The West Okoboji Golf and Country Club was founded in 1917, disappeared after WW II and was reincarnated in 1949 as the Prairie Gold Area Boy Scout Camp. Today, much of the original 9 holes—enlarged to 18 at some point—have been allowed to return…

Historical information provided by Jonathan Reed _ Floete Mansion Franklin Floete was a successful lumberman in the grandest style, and he demonstrated it to the world when, in 1917, he built a mansion on the west shore of West Lake Okoboji. Owner of more than 20 lumber yards throughout South Dakota and Iowa—including yards in…

Historical information provided by Jonathan Reed _ Triboji Beach/Lazy Lagoon Lazy Lagoon was part of the Triboji development between the Percival family and the Sioux City Tribune, which helped promote investment in the property beginning in 1928. The lagoon was dug as a shelter for boats during rough weather. Businessman Alex Percival had established a…

Historical information provided by Jonathan Reed _ Northwest Iowa was not graced with many ethnic foods, especially Italian. But for locals and tourists alike, Tony’s Drive-In was hard to pass up. Located just north of Milford at the intersection of Highways 86 and 71 in front of the Lakeland Drive-In Theater, Tony and Almeda Compiano…

This is a wonderful stop to stretch the legs! Elinor Bedell State Park is one of Iowa’s newer (1998) state parks. It is located on the shores of East Lake Okoboji and represents one of the last remaining open spaces in a region that is among Iowa’s most popular tourist destination. The eighty acre park…

Historical information provided by Jonathan Reed _ Until a series of floods came along, Old Town Milford was known for its dam and grist mill. The town was relocated one mile to the north, on the new Milwaukee Railroad line.  A series of dams to control water level was repeatedly dynamited over the years by…

Historical information provided by Jonathan Reed _ LEGACY OF THE ARNOLDS PARK HOTEL Wesley B. Arnold was no dummy. He saw that with planned railroad land coming within yards of his house that overlooked West Okoboji, there would be some opportunity coming to town. When workers began arriving to perform grading and build the trestle…

Historical information provided by Jonathan Reed _ This small water body is part of the Iowa DNR’s Garlock Slough Wildlife Management Area on both sides of Hwy. 86. In the distance to the north are the Jones Beach area—once a popular resort area originally called Milford Beach — and Pocahontas Point, settled by vacationers from…