Dr. and Mrs. Crocker [Jane?] occupied the "white house" (it is no longer painted white) at the right angle turn in Highway K in Star Lake. The property was originally part of the Oliver Lodge property and was sold to the Crockers by Mr. John Oliver. (The date could be obtained from the Vilas County land records.)

Their next door neighbors were the Morrison Sisters .

How the Crockers came to Star Lake and knew the Olivers well enough to buy property from John Oliver I do not know. There are a number of references to both Dr. and Mrs. Crocker in Mary Forbes (my grandmother) diary, and the first talks of visiting the Crockers in Eagle River in 1926. The complete diary entries relating to the Crockers are at the Miscellany tab above.

Mary Schilling provided notes about the Crockers that indicated that he had practiced medicine in Chicago, but left his practice and moved to Georgia where he had a pecan plantation until about 1931. Then he spent summers in Star Lake and winters in California until his death in 1933. Mrs. Crocker continued to come to Star Lake until 1941, when she sold the house to the Morrisons.

Ownership of the Crocker home following the Crockers was: Maude and Sarah Morrison, Pat Wilsie, Mr. Alexander, Elaine Gust and Mary Schilling (~1976), Bill Sprinkman (~1984), Bill Hintz.

Mrs. Crocker's sister was Mrs. English, who had a daughter Frances. Frances was a single woman who later lived in Chicago where she was the secretary to an estate. Late in life she married Gen. Henry (Hank) Hoeffer, and they continued to live in Chicago. She was a good friend of my aunt, Harriet Forbes Aldous, who first came to Star Lake with her brother (my father) and my grandparents in 1908. I presume that her friendship with Frances English was formed in Star Lake. Frances visited my aunt at her cottage quite often, and in later years with her husband Hank.

**** indicates no known author.

Major References

Minor References

All mentions of Dr. and Mrs. Crocker or Maude and Sarah Morrison in the diary of Mary Lewis Forbes (Mrs. Robert M. Forbes):

August 9, 1926: Charles and Loretta [Forbes] arrived about 11 AM and went to Eagle River to Dr. and Mrs. Crocker.

August 27, 1926: The Morrisons [Maude and Sarah] gave a lovely party tonight.

July 31, 1938: Harriet [Aldous] and Dr. Crocker went to Partridge today fishing.

August 26, 1929: Went to a picnic at White Sands. The Morrisons and Crockers. Dr. Crocker and Harriet fished. Got a fine muskie.

September 1, 1929: Wilsons and Shepherds at Morrisons.

August 23, 1930: Dr. and Mrs. Crocker, Harriet and Joe, and I left early for trip to Duluth. Fine food and a good time all around.

September 9, 1930: Dr. Crocker took us to ride this PM around the lake and we say twelve deer. Wonderful sight.

August 21, 1931. Dr. Crocker very sick. I [Mary Forbes] stayed there last night.

September 11, 1931: They [Harriet and Mrs. Aldous] saw Dr. Crocker at the hospital in Chicago.

September 14, 1931: Mrs. Crocker came back to Star Lake to close her cottage.

July 7, 1932: Went for a ride with Dr. and Mrs. Crocker.

July 4, 1933: Drove to Eagle River with Dr. Crocker and Mrs. Aldous.

July 11, 1933: Mrs. Pilsbury [sic] came this AM. Took her and the Morrisons to ride.

September 14, 1935: Took Aunt Sue, Sarah and Maude Morrison, Mrs. Oliver, Joe and Harriet to Stickleys. Lovely organ music. Foliage is getter very beautiful.

September 17, 1935: Had a picnic on the shore of Lake Superior. Mrs. Crocker dropped her grand cake in the sand.

July 21, 1937: Mrs. Crocker, Mrs. Aldous, Sadie [Graham, a Forbes relative] and I, with Robert Warner driving, went on a all day jaunt to Michigan.

July 22, 1937: Mrs. Crocker has a lovely new Buick automobile, and the Blairs a grand station wagon.

August 17, 1937: Picnic at Lake Superior, Webbs, Deans, Mrs. English [Mrs. Crocker’s sister], Francis [English], Mollie Crocker [unrelated to Dr. and Mrs. Crocker? She came to North Star Lodge for a number of years following WWII] and Sadie.

August 20, 1938: Mrs. Crocker had to go to Chicago as her sister, Mrs. English, is sick.

[The diary ends with the summer of 1941. There are no further entries for Morrison or Crocker.]