Self Guided Tour

Self Guided Tour around Maxwell Bay

1. Starting from the Americinn in Long Lake drive south on Willow Drive for about 0.4 mile

2. Turn right on Watertown Road travel west about 1 mile, crossing Old Crystal Bay Road to Cygnet Place

3. Turn left on Cygnet and drive through the original homestead of Edwin Turnham and Emily Maxwell Turnham, noting Turnham Creek that runs through the property. At the stop sign turn left onto Leaf Street. The Turnham place was a stop on the Watertown Road stagecoach line to Watertown and offered a spring to water horses and humans.

4. Cross the Luce Line trail and go on to Bayside Road. Go straight at the stop sign.

5. On your right is the northern end of the John McDowell Maxwell, Sr. homestead.

6. Travel past Wood’s Retreat. This is now an event center that is a popular wedding venue. It was previously the site of a Spiritualist Temple organized in 1904. On this site the founding meeting of the Western Hennepin Pioneer’s Association was held in 1907.

7. Drive to the corner to Fox Street. The private driveway going straight ahead leads to the site of John McDowell Maxwell’s log cabin which was located about 600 feet from this corner at the top of a slope going down to Maxwell Bay.

8. To the right Fox Street goes out to the point of land between Stubbs Bay and Maxwell Bay. This was John McDowell Maxwell homestead, Joel Stubbs later owned this land.

9. Going on to the left down Fox Street (east) the next driveway has stone pillars made by Frank Maxwell.

10. To the right is the homestead of George Maxwell and Delilah Slane Maxwell.

11. Driving another 1000 feet turn right onto Fairview Lane. Drive along Fairview Lane through George Maxwell’s homestead, you can see Maxwell Bay through the trees.

12. Continue on to Old Crystal Bay Road and turn right.

13. To your immediate right is property once owned by Francis Maxwell. Continue on to North Shore Drive.

14. Noerenberg Gardens is straight ahead across North Shore Drive. To the right is property once owned by John McDowell Maxwell, Jr. Enter Noerenberg Gardens and enjoy the flowers.

15. After enjoying Noerenberg Gardens go back to North Shore Drive and turn right (east) to Crystal Bay. Travel just under 1 mile to Brown Road. For the first 0.3 mile the property on the left was once owned by James Maxwell. For the next 0.5 mile the land on the left was once the property of Robert Maxwell.

16. Now turn around when it’s safe to do so and head back to North Shore Drive. Travel back west past Noerenberg Gardens. The water you see on your right is the south end of Maxwell Bay.

17. At Tonkawa Road turn right and park in the Maxwell Bay launch area if there is a spot. From here you can look across the bay to the Maxwell homestead areas on the northeast side of the bay. You can also check out the fishing pier 200 feet to the north along Tonkawa Road near the channel between North Arm and Maxwell Bay.

18. Proceed north along Tonkawa Road. Just north of the channel, the body of Peter Courtney was found in June of 1939. Although his death certificate listed his death as a possible drowning, friends suspected that Peter had been the victim of foul play, and the cause of his demise was never solved. He was married to Nina Elnora Smith, daughter of Emma Ellen Maxwell, daughter of George Slane Maxwell and Delilah Slane Maxwell.

19. Continue north along Tonkawa and you may see Stubbs Bay on your right. Continue to Bayside Road and turn right.

20. Travel east along Bayside around Stubbs Bay to Stubbs Bay Road. You will see John McDowell Maxwell’s land across the bay.

21. Turn left to go north on Stubbs Bay Road until you reach Watertown Road. You will see the old Stubbs Bay Scool at the intersection. The school was built in 1916 by Cecil Gideon. Cecil was a grandson of Joel Stubbs and he married Maxwell descendant Elma Mary Stubbs (daughter of Elizabeth Turnham and Milton Stubbs). Cecil went on to built the State Game Lodge near the National Monument in South Dakota.

22. Turn right and travel back along Watertown Road (once called Turnham Road), past Leaf Street and the Turnham homestead and then back to Old Crystal Bay Road and return to the Americinn in Long Lake.