BREEZY POINT - Breezy Point Resort is more than just a resort. It could be considered its own little community within the city of Breezy Point.
Captain Billy Fawcett, publishing giant and owner of Fawcett Publishing, creator of the famous Whiz Bang Magazine, in 1921 purchased 80 acres of property on Pelican Lake to be used as his summer home.
Today this property has grown up to 3,500 acres which includes a lot more than just the necessities in life. The resort, which has been owned by Whitebirch Inc., since 1981, was built up as a four-season vacation destination and includes four restaurants, three golf courses, a conference center that hosts up to 450 guests and a ballroom. People from all over the country stay at Breezy Point Resort for vacations, family reunions, weddings, business meetings and other events. On the property also is Breezy Belle, a two-hour guided cruise on Pelican Lake that runs May through September.
And that's not everything that's on the property. The resort recently built a coffee house for its guests and the general public; there are 800 privately owned campsites that were developed by Whitebirch, Inc.; and they own the Breezy Point Ice Arena where the Breezy Point North Stars, a junior hockey team plays.
According to the Pioneer Resort Enterprises- Minnesota, history documents from 1964, in the first two years, Fawcett, originally from Minneapolis, started with a clubhouse, dance hall and cabins, that were named after streets in Minneapolis in alphabetical order. The resort took off from there.
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Fawcett, who is described to have a flamboyant and charismatic personality, had many contacts in the publishing and motion picture industry. Breezy Point Resort became a mecca for the rich and famous during the Roaring 20s, playing host to movie stars including Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Tom Mix and Jack Dempsey, the resort's website states.
In 1922, Fawcett embarked upon a building program at the resort. Construction of the first addition of the hotel began, as well as a barn and workshop. A year later, construction of the main large log hotel, using native Norway pines, some of which exceeded 70 feet in length, was built. The three-story lodge was one of the largest in existence at the time, accommodating up to 700 people. The hotel lodge burned down June 20, 1959, the Pioneer reported. There was a convention at the resort at the time and "quite a few people" were injured, but no lives lost. The cause of the fire is unknown.
The Pioneer stated that the Annex and Hotel cost around $500,000 to build and a 50,000 gallon and a 20,000 gallon water tower and deep well were used to supply the property with water.
Fawcett also built a mansion for himself, known as the Fawcett House in 1925, which has been preserved and remains a focal point of the resort. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first golf course there was built in 1921.
The Pioneer reported that the resort had the same manager, Gene Hawkins, from 1921 to 1940.
More cabins were built and Fawcett sold the resort in 1945 to Tony "Tiny" Holmes, who sold it to Jack Salinger and Brownie Cote, who was a silent partner, in 1947. They operated it as a resort until the fire destroyed the main lodge in 1959. Cote kept it a couple more years and then Calhoun Realty took it over until Jerome Lenz and Leif Trane came in and started developments in 1961. Don Eastvold and Ginny Simms came in 1962.
Whitebirch, Inc. was established in 1974 for the purpose of developing and marketing the then approximately 3,000 acres surrounding Breezy Point Resort. Whitebirch originally concentrated its activity on the development of subdivisions for single family residential lots and camping sites. The resort was acquired by Whitebirch in 1981 and began developing and marketing condominium interval ownership units.
Timesharing at Breezy Point Resort began in 1981 with the remodeling of 10 individual units known today as the Chalets. More than 220 timeshare units have since been constructed with more in the planning. Over the years, approximately 12,000 owners have purchased vacation ownership interests.
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Dave Gravdahl, general manager of the resort, said "Breezy Point and Whitebirch Time Share Resort on its own is the largest resort in Minnesota. Vacation ownership is one of the amenities along with our ice arena and hockey team the Breezy Point North Stars makes us different from other Minnesota resorts."
Gravdahl, who has been with the resort since 1968, said the resort has seen a lot of changes since it was built in the 1900s. He said in the early '30s there was a zoo and a barber shop at the resort. At one time there was a trap shooting area on the property.
The property today, outside of the timeshares, consists of 250 units, with many of them with multiple rooms. Breezy has a variety of different sized lodging buildings that have two or more bedrooms. There is everything from apartment units to cabin-style cottages to boat houses for families to choose from.
The resort employs about 130 people during the winter and more than 600 people during the summer. Positions include everything from grounds and maintenance workers, housekeepers, to restaurant, golf course, coffee shop and staff. Breezy Point employs international staff from five countries each year, including Jamaica, Taiwan and Poland.
Gravdahl said there is always something going on at the property. Currently the resort is developing Whitebirch Village, a place where active older adults can live worry-free having someone care for their lawns, shovel snow and watch their property during the winter months when they are away.
Resort name: Breezy Point Resort.
Year founded: 1921.
Owners: Whitebirch, Inc.
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Amenities: Four-season vacation destination and includes four restaurants, three golf courses, a conference center that hosts up to 450 guests and a ballroom, Breezy Belle, a two-hour guided cruise on Pelican Lake that runs May through September, coffee shop, gift shops and pristine lakeshore of Pelican Lake.
What sets the resort apart: Breezy Point and Whitebirch Time Share Resort are the largest resort in Minnesota. Vacation ownership and its ice arena and hockey team, the Breezy Point North Stars.
Number of employees: More than 600 at peak.
Number of rooms: 250 rental rooms.
Size in acres: 3,500.
How many can sleep there at full capacity: More than 1,500 and this includes and rentals and timeshares.
