A piece of history goes up in smoke

How sad.

How ironic.

What remained of Rudy Illgen's tourist empire on Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior, on Highway 61, caught fire the morning of November 11th, 2009.

Check out the link to the story http://www.twoharborsmn.com/event/article/id/19260/


The Whispering Pines Motel was built after Illgen's Aztec Hotel burned. That is the irony. The motel was built pretty much in the footprint of the old Aztec. The original alignment of Highway 61 is the motel's driveway. How cool is that? Check out this great photo of the hotel. It was quite a landmark on the North Shore for early tourists.


Who was Rudy Illgen? A dreamer. A visionary really. An inventor and a builder. Early on, in the 1920's, Rudy figured the North Shore would be a tourist magnet once a road came through.

He was right.


He built the Aztec on land that was right next to what became Highway 61. It was an odd looking building. He patterned it after an Aztec temple he saw as a young man while traveling in Mexico.

Along with the Aztec, Rudy brought the concept of tourist cabins to the North Shore where motorists could park their cars next to tiny, almost doll-house like accomodations with a bed and a small bathroom inside. He called his creations "Cabinolas" and patented the design.

Rudy had quite a business. Too bad the last remmant of it went up in smoke. I hope that the current owner rebuilds. I know he appreciates North Shore history and the Whispering Pines Motel was/is a part of that history.