Lake McDonald Lodge centennial celebration Saturday
<p>Mike Bridgewater of Indianapolis, Ind. relaxes on a bench below the Lake McDonald Lodge in this file photo.</p>
The public is invited to the shores of Lake McDonald on Saturday, June 14, for a free celebration program marking the 100th year of Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park.
Lewis Glacier Hotel, now called Lake McDonald Lodge, was built during the winter of 1913-1914. Though in keeping with the design of Great Northern Railroad hotels built elsewhere in and around Glacier National Park, it was not a Great Northern enterprise.
The lodge was constructed of locally available materials, native stone and western red cedar, ferried by boat from Apgar across Lake McDonald. In the winter of 1913, the lake froze solid and construction materials were skidded across the ice. In 1930, owners John and Oliver Lewis sold the hotel to the National Park Service.
The centennial program will feature historic walking tours, a ranger talk and presentations by the Glacier Park Foundation, movies and a lodge dedication.
A silent auction featuring a replica Old Hickory Glacier Park Rocker will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Old Hickory furniture filled the lodge when it was built 100 years ago, and is still featured prominently today.
Visitors are encouraged to use the complimentary red bus transportation between the Apgar Visitor Center and Lake McDonald Lodge from 12:30 to 8 p.m., as parking at the lodge is limited. The event is hosted by Glacier National Park Lodges and the Glacier National Park Conservancy.
“We anticipate a fun day of history and celebration at Lake McDonald, and a rare opportunity to hear from some of Glacier’s history experts about this unique part of Glacier’s heritage,” Glacier Conservancy president and CEO Mark Preiss said.
“Glacier National Park Lodges looks forward to welcoming Glacier visitors from far away places and folks across the Flathead Valley to Lake McDonald Lodge’s second century, and to kick off the summer season,” Glacier National Park Lodges general manager Marc Ducharme said.
Full program details can be found online at http://glacierconservancy.org/newsblog/lakemcdonaldcentennial.