Art & History Haven

Spend a day experiencing the rich history of the Sayner-Star Lake area. Begin your day at the Vilas Historical Museum, which was founded in August 1959 by Mabel Sayner Dewitt (daughter of Orrin Sayner, for whom the town was named). The museum contains more than 40,000 items portraying the history of Vilas County and the surrounding area, as well as an extraordinary collection of snowmobiles, including the original machine built by Carl Eliason in 1924. A small gift shop features books by local authors and old-fashioned toys. Down the road, you’ll find Eliason Lumber and Hardware, the birthplace of the modern snowmobile and the location of one of the oldest and most unique stores in northern Wisconsin. Check out Eliason’s storefront window display, where you’ll find many antique collectables, including a player piano and snowmobile. Be sure to stop inside to learn more about Sayner’s history.

Art & History Lovers Flock to Star Lake Anchoring Star Lake as a base for Northwoods artisans is The Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery, open June through October, Thursday-Saturday, 11am to 4pm. The Friends of Star Lake – a group dedicated to preserving and restoring historic Star Lake sites – offers its members’ fine art, photography, and other artifacts for sale at the Gallery, which also serves as a gift store and historical museum. The Gallery itself is steeped in history. In 2005, Bill Hintz, a longtime Star Lake resident and owner of Hintz’s North Star Lodge, restored Star Lake’s original 90-year-old, one-room schoolhouse, converting it into to a gallery/gift shop and museum. Meanwhile, Friends of Star Lake replicated the town’s Old Milltown Depot, which is directly adjacent to the Old Schoolhouse Gallery. The group recently relocated the Frederickson House – the Star Lake home of two beloved sisters for nearly 100 years and an original logger’s home – to become part of the historic community park. The Fredrickson house will serve as a museum illustrating Star Lake’s history and will be full of artifacts dating from 1895. The Depot serves as a museum dedicated to Star Lake’s historical logging and railroad days. Just down the road is the picturesque Fredrickson Bait Shop, made from an old boxcar, which rests on the shores of Star Lake, just as it has since the area’s logging days. The bait shop has been an integral part of the Star Lake community and has been painted and photographed by many people over the years. End your journey through history at Hintz’s North Star Lodge. The Lodge on Star Lake was built in 1894-95 as a home and retreat for railroad and lumber company officials and guests. Sayner-Star Lake is rich with history 14 2020 VISITOR GUIDE | WWW.SAYNER-STARLAKE.ORG