History



WA-GA-THA-KA
(in Chippewa, the language of the Ojibwa Indians),
means “dwelling place among the birch trees”.

Morey and Barbara Miner, two school teachers looking for a fun way to earn some extra income in the summer, purchased the resort in the mid 1920’s. With son’s Jon and Doug, they operated the resort for over 60 years. Morey and Barbara passed on in the 80’s, but their legecy lives on. Now grandson’s Mark and Jay, with their families, take care of WA-GA-THA-KA. In recent years, there have been many updates and changes. The one thing that remains the same is our commitment to family vacations and fun in one of the most special spots in northern Minnesota, WA-GA-THA-KA!

We wanted to give you a sense of what the resort looked like in the 1920’s.

Here are a few photos from the archives.

The pictures below where shared by past guests

This picture was taken circa 1947 with our pet deer in front of the cabins by the lake.

Here is a link to a video series called “Gems of Itasca”. This episode talks about resorts and features WA-GA-THA-KA and the Wabana Chain among others.

We have also received some great exposure over the years. Below, one of our cabins was featured in Cabins of Minnesota.