“Lake Herman State Park”

Lake Herman was one of the chain of Lakes known to the early traders and trappers as ‘skunk lakes,' was named by Herman N. Luce, who took ‘Squatter rights’ on its eastern shore here in 1870. This log house, the second built in Lake County, was built for Luce by William Lee and John Walker in 1871 after building the first for Lee at Lake Madison in 1870.

This area was an early day camping ground for Indians going east to the Pipestone Quarries in Minnesota.

The renegade Wahpekute Sioux, Inkpaduta and his band camped one half mile north of here after the Spirit Lake Massacre in 1857, and Mrs. Marble, one of the four women captives, was rescued here by two Christian Indians, Seahota (Grey Foot) and Maypeyahahotan (Sounding Heavens).

This campsite, the best in the area, was used for camp meetings, religious gatherings and picnics from the earliest days.

The four graves near the log house were for: Mary, 8 year old daughter of Herman Luce; Mr. Abbott, a trapper, brother of Mrs. Luce lost in a blizzard in 1878; Mrs. Abbott, the mother of Mrs. Luce, and Mrs. Herman N. Luce, burnt to death in 1881.

Part of the park was purchased by City of Madison in 1941 and 118 acres thereof given to State Park Board in 1946 and 30 acres was purchased from O.O. Lanvehaug by the Park Board.”

Lake County, 3 mi S of US 81 on road to Park (1988)