My family history at the Kootenai
Swan Lake - 1960s
My immediate family visited and stayed at Kootenai in the early 1960’s; I was 5 years old when we started visiting and continued to do so until I was 13. When it was sold in 1968 my parents bought a cabin at Yellow Bay on Flathead Lake and we vacationed there until 1978 when dad sold it and bought land at Woods Bay in hopes of building a place there. My father was Tom Keresey - son of Franny Kelley Keresey Wood (4th Con F. Kelley daughter) and my mother was Anne Sory Keresey. We lived on Long Island in New York until my family moved to Palm Bach FL in 1975. Both of my parents have passed now but they loved Montana and our family built a life foundation that included Montana, Swan Lake, Flathead, the Swan and Mission ranges, Glacier, The Bob Marshal Wilderness and more. My parents loved to fish the rivers and lakes, hike and ride into wilderness areas and remote places. We were lucky to grow up with this amazing experience of being a part of open space, wild places, and one of the most majestic environments in the continental United States.
“The Kootenai does not really compare to anywhere else I have ever been.”
Kootenai - as we called it, Swan Lake - was very rustic and remote when we used to vacation there. My grandmother, however, accustomed to a finer life always arranged for housekeepers, cooks, and grounds people to be on staff during our 3-4 week stay each summer. Meals were at a certain time in the dining cabin. Dinner was a dress up affair (smoked dresses and patent leather shoes) and the rest of the time was low key. In the early 60’s it was me, who is the eldest, Tess my sister (2 years younger) and my brother Tommy who was 2 years younger than Tess. We usually had an au pair or nanny to watch over us. The old blue baby stroller and baby carriage were used for my brother in those days. We used to take walks down the long empty road leading up to the gates (then there were no homes and the land was very wild), the local dump was a ways down the road and black bears used to be there foraging in the garbage. Of course, we would go to watch!! Lucky we never had an incident! The bears used to come into the Kootenai camp often as well. They would be sitting on the interior patio many a morning when we woke up. We think they liked coming to the fountain to drink. It was dangerous but we really weren’t afraid, and the bears ran off quickly once they heard our voices.
We used to fish at the end of the dock and would often go fishing down at the end of Johnsons Creek. Before we went fishing, we had to catch our own grasshoppers in the field in front of the Barn which used to be located near the Heritage Cabins.
A few fun facts & highlights from over the years:
The yoga studio, that has now been renovated incredibly well, used to be the pump house when I was a little girl.
The cellar that held liquor during the prohibition years was under a water wishing well and we were not to go near it!
The merry go round push toy set was there and we did play on that. We also had a Pony named John and a donkey that we rode. He pulled a carriage that is now on the porch of the lodge.
The Island that is up the lake a bit was called the Isle of Folly. It was my great grandmother’s garden place - all native plants and flowers grew there. It was very overgrown and wild when I was a child and a little bit scary!
The mosquitos were fierce at Swan Lake! We wore 6-12 repellent daily and George Stube, the caretaker, would blast DDT repellent with a fumigator. It was terrible and smelled bad! Mom used to keep us in during those sessions!
The highlight of the summer was going to the Bigfork Summer Playhouse and seeing summer stock shows, then we would recreate it in the main lodge before dinner. There was always lots and lots of singing!
I learned how to water ski, fish, float and more on Swan Lake.
There was only one telephone located at the Kootenai when I was a little girl. It was in the Telegraph cabin which used to be Con Kelley’s office.
In general, our time at Swan Lake was always memorable and remains special and dear to my heart. We used to take the train out from New York, stop in Chicago and go to the zoo with my grandmother. We also stopped in Minneapolis to see Wa Wee. She was the Native American/African American nurse for my grandmother and her children, my dad Tom and his sister Tess. Wa Wee would come on the train to say hi to us. We were her family and it meant so much for her to see all of us going to Montana each summer.
Photos from my recent visit back to the Kootenai with my youngest sister Caroline
Seriously, the Kootenai does not really compare to anywhere else I have ever been. Flathead Lake Lodge may be the closest similarity, but when I was a child the remoteness and rustic feel of the Kootenai was like nowhere else.
Caroline and my recent visit and tour was lovely. The restoration and renovations of the buildings are incredible. I look forward to seeing the Keresey and Florman cabins once completed. I was glad to see the Telegraph still the way it was but am also excited to see it converted into a home.
We cannot wait to visit again soon!