Tourist's Home Resort

Half a dozen canoes are pulled up in front of Tourist's Home in September of 1910.

Minnesota Historical Society

History

Scandinavian fisherman Erick Johnson opened the Tourist's Home Resort in 1907, on what is currently known as Davidson Island in Rock Harbor. Tourist's Home was rustic, and consisted of several simple one- and two-room cottages clustered on the small island. Johnson claimed he could offer accommodations for as many as 50 people at one time. There was a large central dining room where hearty meals were served. The chief attraction of Tourist Home was inexpensive rates, which ran $10 for a week's room and board.(Karamanski et al., 1988)

Johnson sold the property to the Davidson family of St. Paul in 1910. Many of the resort cabins were sold to the Tobin's Harbor Resort to be used as sleeping cabins. By 1922, the Davidsons had constructed a substantial two-story house with Colonial Revival style influences. This summerhouse was an anomaly on Isle Royale, where the majority of private recreational structures were small, one-story frame cabins with unfinished interiors. The Davidson's home remains in use as seasonal lodging for Park Service employees.

Rock Harbor Lodge

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