Madden's on Gull Lake history

Arthur Roberts became the sole owner and operator of the hotel in 1930 when he bought out the other partners and renamed the enterprise Roberts Pine Beach Hotel.

In 1931 a young vacationer named Jack Madden summered at the Pine Beach Hotel on Gull Lake.

By 1932, Harrison and Start were in deep financial trouble and leased out the golf course to Jack Madden and his Uncle Tom for $500 for the season.

The new owners incorporated the business in 1934, though Start maintained a stake in the company for a few years.

In 1936, Jack Madden and Chester Start built Mission Point, a simple vacation resort featuring three small cabins, several garages, and a maids' quarters.

By 1941, the two brothers, Jim and Jack, had become the sole partners in Mission Point and the Pine Beach Golf Course.

The 1946 remodeling included the old golf clubhouse which was turned into guest rooms.

1957: John Arnold becomes a co-owner.

The Maddens also opened their first convention facility in 1959, known as Town Hall.

In 1969, Madden’s bought Ruttger’s Pine Beach Lodge on the Peninsula’s west shore, giving Madden’s ownership of all resorts at the base of the Pine Beach Peninsula.

C. Brian Thuringer, who had managed the Madden-owned Pine Edge Inn in Little Falls, joined the resort management staff in 1973.

In early January 1978 Jack Madden suffered a heart attack while vacationing in Florida.

The corporation added a new family partner in 1989.

1997: The Classic, a new championship golf course, opens.