Forgotten Cottages or Homes of North Shore

E. R. and B. B. Culver, Sr., were just like twins when it came to business. What one said, the other agreed to. They wanted me to buy the little hotel where the motel is now, and I said I would. The day of the closing, neither of them were in town, so I borrowed the money in the name of E. R. and B. B., kept the deed for security, and paid the fellow. When E. R. got back, I asked them how they thought I was going to pay for the hotel. He said he forgot and made me take interest on the money. I didn't ask him for that. Those were the days when they owned the school.

Harvard University made a survey of the Academy's needs for the next 50 years and among the things they pointed out was the land from where the motel is now, over the high bluff to the town park. It used to be called the Lakeview ground, and now its known as the Indian Trail.

E. R. and B. B. Culver, Sr., bought the land to protect the school and wanted todeed it to the Academy.... One of the other five Culver brothers also was pressuring to build the campus up by the State Rad 10 and not own any lake frontage, to be ornery....

I saw B. B. Culver, Sr. sign over the family's holdings in the school to the Foundation with one stroke of a pen in front of the Main Barracks. He made a little speech and turned over the title tot he Foundation....
Lake View Hotel aka Lake View or Plymouth Club:

1850-1876 - I. N. Morris [Isaac N. Morris]

• 1880 - Lake View Club - 15A




• 1898 - T.H. & I RR Lake View Club Hotel



• 1908 Lake View Club Hotel - There was camping facilities as well as individual cottages which could be the lots indicated on the 1908 plat map.




• Lot 9
• Lot 8
• Lot 7
• Lot 6
• Lot 5
• Lot 4
• Lot 3
• Lot 2
• Lot 1
• Then in 1922 is depicted the area of 1908 above directly behind these and the hotels as the Lakeview Club Grounds
• Lot 29
• Lot 28
• Lot 27
• Lot 26
• Lot 25
• Lot 24
• 1929 - Burned
• Culver Military Academy
• Left undeveloped - The Indian Trails area

This is the Lake View Club or Lake View Hotel area today:


The 1908 Plat map does not bear any lot owners except for the hotels and Ed Morris.


This is the 1922 Plat map of the entire area of the 'Unkonwn or Forgotten' Cottages -

1850 - I. N. Morris [Isaac N. Morris]


Mc Donald States: In 1850, Isaac N. Morris, father of Capt. Ed Morris, moved to the lake, locating on the north shore, on the farm now owned by A. N. Bogardus, His land ran down to the lake, taking in all the laker front from the Lake View Hotel grounds to and including the Palmer house.


The Lakeview Hotel - Indian Trails

1850 - I. N. Morris [Isaac N. Morris]
By 1922 these 2 lots had been partly combined into one addition called:
     The Ed Morris Lake Front Plat - no owners listed:
     Lot 1
     Lot 2 - building on it
     Lot 3 - building on it
     Lot 4
     Lot 5

The Jungle Hotel (was in back of these five lots by the 1922 plat map below)




1916 May - built by M. V. Outland 1925 - March - the Outland's sold it to C. C. Longfellow and Oscar Maddoux/Mondoux
19__ - Acquired by the Culver Military Acadmey
1930 - Was torn down in 1930 [sic]. Because of the weight of the hotel was sinking out of site because the ground it sat on was spring-fed and was marsh land in essence. The Jungle Hotel without direct access to the lake and accessible only from Academy Road, was deemed expendable and was razed.
This area became the Culver Motels of the - Culver Inn and Culver Academy and were built about 1959.


This area today:


This photo was taken about 1905 and was en captioned where lake and forest meet. This depicts the entrance into the area known as the "Indian Trails" from the Academy side where the Culver Motels sit today:


E. Morris [Edmund Morris /Morris Boat House] area:


1850 - I. N. Morris [Isaac N. Morris]
This is not within a subdivision as yet:
Lot 38

1850 - I. N. Morris [Isaac N. Morris]
1908 - The Morris Lake Front Lots 12-15
1922 - The Morris Lake Front:
     Lot 15
     Lot 14
     Lot 13
     Lot 12

1850 - I. N. Morris [Isaac N. Morris]
1908 - The Morris Lake Front Lots 5-11
1922 - The Morris Lake Front(these were only shown on the plat map of 1898):
     Lot 11
     Lot 10
     Lot 9
     Lot 8
     Lot 7
     Lot 6

and as it is today:



1850 - I. N. Morris [Isaac N. Morris]
1880 - not stated
1875 - June 1928 - Palmer Housebuilt by by J. W. Palmer
June 1928-1931 - bought by B.B. and E. R. Culver - Palmer House
1931-1932 - Palmer House - Culver Hotel Operating Company
1932-March 1954 - Maxinkuckee Inn - it was sold to the Culver Reality and Investment      Company
March 1954-1989/90 - Culver Inn



The 1898 - Plat map - places names to some of the lots or cottages on the north shore:


Names decipher or found as having cottages on the north end are:
    E. Morris
    M. W. Simmons?
    J. M. _uruer?
    _. _. Albretcht? [William H. Albrecht]
    Adolph Herz
    Palmer House - J. W. Palmer
    N. Schurrgin?
    O. D. Bohlan [Oscar D. Bohlen]
    W. F/E. Kuhn [William F. Kuhn]
    T. Conzeleman "The Roost" [Theolpilus Conzelman]
        Of which in 1903 George Taylor purchased - the cottage is one of the above pictured in         the Logo area.
    H. H. Culver

1850 - I. N. Morris [Isaac N. Morris]
1908 - The Morris Lake Front Lots. 1- 4 - These are the only ones listed on the 1898 plat map
1922 The Morris Lake Front:
      Lot 4
      Lot 3
      Lot 2
      Lot 1 there appears to be a name attached to this lot

This very last lot bordered the orginial Main campus bought by Henry Harrison Culver in 1893-1894; it also on one the the plat maps bears 'H H Culver'. This could be the house at 301 North Shore Lane - which is stated as being the 'Orginial Culver farmhouse'.

The 'orgignial farmhouse' is the Homestead - which is on the East Shore Drive - it is the first piece of property acquired by Henry Harrison Culver - it had the orginial 'Founders Cabin' on it which was moved in order to build a new modern farmhouse of the day.

Some accountings:

And the the Culver Assembly Bulletin of July 1889 the Culver Farm and residence was described:


In 1883 H. H. Culver bought an old farm and home on the east side, and began to improve it. Then the road ran alongside the lake and the house was on the bluff above the lake shore. He removed it a few feet, and built a handsome cottage at a cost of $8,000, on the site. The road was chaged to its present line back of the cottage, and the lovely bluff site was improved until it has been made one of the prettiest parks and summer seats in Indiana...



Also Mark Roeder in his book states that the "Culver Farmhouse" is located next door to the Culver Homestead - at 480 E. Shore Dr.


He met and Married Emily J. Hand in 1864; and purchased his first property of the area - the John Hissong farm 28 March 1884. He further states that the Culver farmhouse was that also the Hissong farmhouse and Thompson farmehouse - the long cabin or "founder's cabin" that is annoateded on some of the lake maps.

He built a home near the "Founders cabin" a Mr. Thompson - this cabin was moved in 1886 just a little was north of the present residence so it could be built and called it "Homestead".



The Sanborn fire maps as labeld - shows 7 dwellings, 2 with out buildings, the Palmer House; and another dwelling to the east [probably the home Edwin R. Culver built]:


below is a mid-1920's map and it still shows the Lake View Hotel and 2 cottages, The Jungle & its cottages, a cottage/house in front of it and there were still 6 cottages on the northern shore existing to the Palmer House and then 2 more.


As one sees 4 of the six dwellings or cottages were either moved or razed in between 1924 and 1937; since there is nor accounting for the 5 lots to the east of the Palmer House - tho one has to be the lot for the Edwin Raymond Culver Home in existence until 1989.


the 1937 Sanborn Fire Maps shows 2 dewellings; the Club [North Lodge]; and the Maxinkuckee Inn. But does not go fully on east of it the one house north and east was still in existence [probably the home Edwin R. Culver built] as it was not razed until 1989/1990 to make way for the Huffington Library. The lots are not defined in this map.

Also recently surfaced is a picture of the A. R. Underwood cottage which was to have been located around the Palmer House:


written on back was that is was located at or near the site of the Palmer House.

The remaining homes on the lakefront - were moved as an quip is found as follows: 1947 - December 3 – Work has started on moving houses at C. M. A. for expansion program.

This is an aerial view of the north lake front soon after all the acquistions of the north shore.



It seems that all the cottages/homes on the lake front has disaapeared forexcept for the one in front of the Jungle Hotel area (it looks as if the hotel does not exist either), the "club House' and the Palmer house seem to be the remaining structures only here are a larger size and an extra large size.

Below is the entire general area of the forgotten cottages. It also depicts the "Bogardus Farm" or "Bogardus Subdivision" which is in relation to the western edge of the academy Campus.


and this shows the lake front area as it is today: