Handberg's Marina reached a milestone this year that few businesses ever see: 100 years in operation.
The family-owned marina near Crane Lake traces its history to 1926, when it began serving people traveling and recreating on the lakes of northern Minnesota. A century later, the business remains in the Handberg's family.
Much has changed during those 100 years.
Boats and motors have evolved, roads and technology have changed how people reach the area, and generations of visitors have come and gone. The marina has changed with them, while continuing to serve as a stopping point for people heading onto the interconnected lakes along the Minnesota-Canada border.
That longevity has also made Handberg's Marina part of the history of the Crane Lake area itself.
Over the decades, family members have grown up around the business before taking their own turns keeping it running. Customers have followed a similar pattern, with people who first visited as children eventually returning with children and grandchildren of their own.
Reaching the century mark offers a chance to look at that history not simply in years, but in generations.
For Lake Country Power, Handberg's Marina is one of many member-owned businesses scattered throughout a service territory where small businesses are often closely tied to the communities around them.
At Handberg's Marina, that connection has now lasted 100 years — through changing generations, changing technology and countless summers on the water.