Olson Cottages
6846 Highway 57
Baileys Harbor, WI 54202
920.823.2365
Design and Content by Ben Olson - benjamineolson@sbcglobal.net
If these walls could talk, they’d tell stories of generations of people at their best! Tanned, rested and away from the cares of everyday life . . .
. . .daytimes of sun and fun, and evenings of cocktails and great conversation.
Olson Cottages remembers
Alice Olson was always handy with her trusty camera to record the week’s line-up of children. There are literally dozens of these photos from the fifties. Today, people love to pour through the pictures and see how many people they can recognize. It’s amazing how many are still in touch with each other!the family albums.
Lee Brownell, Bruna Nardi (now Krause), Alice Olson and Vincy Slepicka relax on the beach in front of Grandma’s Cottage. Vincy and Bruna, and husbands Eddie and Augie had Ben Olson build cottages of their own down the beach in their own “Slenardi Swamp.” Bruna still has her cottage and Vincy’s daughter Donna and husband Dan Kimminau and family continue the Slepicka tradition.
Gideon and Mary Haynes of Mt. Prospect, IL started bringing their 7 kids to Olson Cottages in the mid 50’s. The family lost Gid in 2001, and Mary, in 2002, but their children and grandchildren and families still enjoy their cottage on the beach and their other properties in nearby Jacksonport. In addition, their friends the Lyons and Kolbergs, have also become a part of the current beach community.
Twin Cedars Cottage was the site of many wild parties. Here Ben Olson (second from left) celebrates with a room full of people who are obviously enjoying themselves. Today, there may be a few less cigarettes, but those good times continue at Olson Cottages.
While the lovely ladies above lounged on the beach, their husbands were out catching dinner? Here Augie Nardi, Frank Hyson, Don Brownell, Eddie Slepicka and Ben Olson show off the day’s catch. Frank Hyson, like Eddie and Augie also had Ben Olson build a cottage up the beach where his sons and families still spend parts of their summers here as they have for over 50 years.
Photos Above, Left to Right;
One: Alice Tressler Olson relaxes with friends in Grandma’s Cottage living room in the late 1920’s.
Two: Ben, Jay and Alice
Olson at an ocassion that called for non-beach attire.
Three: Cousins Jay, Zachary Haley and Brittney Olson enjoy the simple pleasures of the beach.
“FAMILY” ALBUM
The Fabulous Fifties