tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555642870481951123.post8139474186121936649..comments2023-02-28T09:07:48.755-06:00Comments on As Shine Sees It: Mystery IslandPShineHayeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03235428643419060726noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555642870481951123.post-58237713165429424462012-08-13T14:35:14.343-05:002012-08-13T14:35:14.343-05:00Hi Jacqui. What I now know is that the place was ...Hi Jacqui. What I now know is that the place was built in 1928 by Mr. Frank Allen. Here is his history: He was born in Leamington, England in 1863 and apprenticed at a Liverpool bank before coming to the US in 1884. He then went to Medical School in New York and became a veterinarian. Doc Allen married Edna Flora Hesselgrave and they raised the seven children he had with his first wife, Ada, who died. The children called Edna "Nan". He worked as the attending veterinarian for a number of large stables in Chicago, including Brink's stable of over 100 horses used to draw the express wagons. He also held contracts for care of horses for Wells Fargo and Adams Express companies. They lived in a suite of rooms at the Edgewater Beach Hotel on Lake Michigan on Chicago's north side. In 1905 he bought his first shares of Brinks, and by 1909 was elected to the company's board of directors. In 1918 he was named president, and he and his son John gained almost complete control of the company. Under their direction Brink's was expanded nationwide and into Canada. Allen is credited with "inventing" the armored car. Frank and Edna built the large home on Denby Island in the 1920's to vacation. It was likely designed by architect Preston Rubush of Chicago. (I have a few photos of him from D. BIllings Swain, of Three Lakes). Local townspeople are said to remember Doc Allen and his workers coming though town in the Brinks wagons. In 1932, Edna drowned at Denby in Medicine Lake. <br /><br />The family has owned that property until recently. I believe the most recent owner was Stuart Pettingell, a son-in-law to Frank Allen Jr. His sister, Nancy passed away about four or five years ago and was the person who used the place most often. I had seen her coming and going from the place a few times. She often brought trinkets, china and odd things to the antiques shop in Three Lakes to sell. The owner of that shop has said there were loads of fresh antiques there. The recent caretaker was Bill Gaffron Jr, son of the original island caretaker. It is through he and Bill Swain, a lumber baron in that area, now very elderly that I obtained several photos of Denby and the Allen family from the 20's. <br /><br />Denby Island takes its name from Frank Allen's mother's maiden name - Carlotta Maria Denby (Allen). His father was Barton Fletcher Allen. <br /><br />Just this past summer (2012) I saw new people on the island, so I'm pretty sure it was finally purchased again. The grounds were newly mown and a young family was walking out to the larger part of the island. Later we saw him working on brush on the big island. I do know there is a barn of sorts with an attached greenhouse on the large island. Frank Allen was said to be a horticulturalist as a hobby, so he probably cultivated plants on the island in his green house. Though I have heard others say the big part of this island may have been a deer farm, I have not uncovered any evidence of this other than hearsay. It seems unlikely that in the north woods someone would be breeding and raising deer, who are otherwise in abundance in the area. I still have not found out why the high chain link fence was installed around the larger island. That remains a mystery I am still trying to solve. PShineHayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03235428643419060726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555642870481951123.post-62904496356974979872011-12-14T13:30:11.722-06:002011-12-14T13:30:11.722-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555642870481951123.post-47696514587723906592011-03-07T20:37:18.106-06:002011-03-07T20:37:18.106-06:00hi! found your blog doing a search for the history...hi! found your blog doing a search for the history of denby island. we just moved to eagle river & i've been wondering the story of that gorgeous old place. would you be willing to tell me what you found out? thanks so much!<br />jacquijacquihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09609423506892931769noreply@blogger.com