Shady Shore is the culmination of four generations’ progress. Homesteaded by Swedish immigrant Nils August Hedquist in 1892, the resort land initially served as logging property. Choosing the land not only for its mature White Pines, but also for its location bordering the outlet creek, Gust utilized the creek as a means of transporting logs from Moose and Deer Lakes onto the Mississippi River.
One generation later Carl, Gust’s only son, dreamed up plans for Shady Shore over a conversation with his father overlooking the bay. Carl’s dream is perhaps best captured by an early Shady Shore Resort postcard dubbing the business as a “family resort… no taverns or night clubs.”
Feeling that the land’s natural beauty and excellent sandy shoreline made the property an ideal location for a summer resort, Carl personally cut and milled the wood for the cottages from his homestead. With the first cabin completed in 1936 and the last in 1954, Carl and Dorothy Hedquist ran Shady Shore in its early years.
After acquiring the land in 1976 Linda (Hedquist) Heikkinen and her late husband Jim Jorgenson followed the family tradition, continuing to provide simple, rejuvenating vacations to Midwestern families. While Linda and her family Dave (husband), Andrew (son), Kiara (daughter-in-law), John Jorgenson (son) and Natalie (daughter-in-law) have taken steps to modernize the resort grounds and buildings the original vision and flavor of Shady Shore remains.
