Originally from Seneca, New York, the Rowland Gardners, nine members in all, came to the Spirit Lake region by covered wagon in 1856. In 1857, amidst rising tensions between Native Americans and new settlers, 13-year-old Abbie Gardner’s family was killed by men of the Dakota Indian nation. This tragedy became known as the Spirit Lake Massacre. Young Abbie was taken hostage by the Dakota band and released 84 days later. Decades after the massacre, in 1891, Abbie returned to Arnolds Park and purchased the cabin, operating it as one of Iowa’s earliest tourist attractions until her death in 1921.
The historical marker for the cabin was placed by the Ladies of the Lake Chapter in 1928.
