Jungle Hotel or Kinderhook Lodge

1850 - I. N. Morris

McDonald states: In 1850, Isaac N. Morris, father of Capt. Ed Morris, moved to the lake, locating on the north shore, on the farm now owned by A. N. Bogardus, His land ran down to the lake taking in all the lake front from the Lake View Hotel grounds to and including the Palmer house.

It sat where partially the Culver Inn Motel sat and where the Schrage Leadership Center sits today.

1911 - MAr 20 - Edmund Morris to Helena dn Virgil Outland, lots 1 and 6 Morris' Lake Frotn add. Union $15--

1911 - Nov 9 - Edmund Morris to Helen and Virgil Outland, lot 2 block 1, also 50 foot strip in Morris Lake Front, Lake Maxinkuckee, $1500. - Citizen.

1911 Sep. 21 - New Summer cottages

Grading has been commenced on a strip of ground 100 feet wide leading north from the lake to the Bogardus home, on which are to be erected a number of cottages by the owner of the ground Mr. Outland of Indianapolis.
The cottages will be furnished with light, heat and water from a control plant

We shall be able to give further details next week

1911 Sept 28 - The Outland cottages

The immediate project which Mr. Outland of Indianapolis has in view is the building of two three room bungalow's on his recently purchased land east of the Lake View Hotel.

This work will be done next spring.

Ultimately if his plans work out successfully, he will add cottages to cover the entire tract and will install a central heating, lighting and water plant to serve all the cottages .

1912 - Mar 18 - Bungalow Village on Lake Is Planned By Local Man

Twenty-eight Small cottages at Culver Will Be Built for Summer Renting

Virgil F. Outland, 2850 Capitol avenue has had plans prepared for the erection of a bungalow village on Lake Maxinkuckee at Culver, Ind. Twenty-eight houses of three or four rooms each are to be bult at a cost of from $600 to $1,00 a house.

Mr. Outland is in the lumber business. It is intended to begin construction work on two, of the houses by May 3. The buildings will be of wood construction with a combination of boulders and mission brick. A carload of each of brick and boulders, have been shipped to Culver preparatory to beginning construction work.

Mr. Outland owns a total of ground having a frontage of 100 feeet on the lake and extending back 840 feet.

It is intended to build a crushed stone roadway through the center of the tract and bungalows will be erected along tohis.

The tract of ground is situated along the north shore of the lake and within three blocks of Culver Military Academy.

Mr. Outland expects to rent the houses for the summer months.

1912, April 25 - Mr Outland is getting the material on the ground for his cottages at the north end of the lake near the Lakeview Hotel

1914 - Sept 1914 - The Outland Buildings.

0. F. Outland, the owner of a considerable strip of land adjoin. the Morris plat, is making quite extensive improvements

They include a bungalow, a log cottage and a garage. Tbe bungalow is 30x36 with five rooms below and a large unpartitioned attic. Tho log cottage is a novelty, two stories high and contains seven or eight rooms.

The garage is 18x24, with room for three cars.

A. A. Keen has the bungalow contract. The other buildings are being put up by day work.

New Culver HOTEL O. F. Outland, the owner of a number of cottages near Culver Academy, announces that he will this season put up a 40-room hotel. It will have its own electric light and water service and will be modern in every respect.- Rochester Sentinel, Friday, April 21,1916

It was built in May of 1916 by M. V. Outland.

Begin Work On New Hotel

M. V. Oultland this week began excavating for his new hotel, the Jungle Inn, to be erected on the corner opposite Mrs. Bogardus's near the academu.

It will 216X90 feetm two storie high and will contain 40 rooms and 20 baths.


It will be constructed of Suthern pine logs, and will be modern in every particular.

Mr. Outland does not intend to complete the building this year. The foundations will be put in and he will got to Tennessee next winter to supeintend the milling of the lumber.

An experienced man from Atlantic City had been engaged as manager od the Jundgle Inn. - May 25, 1916 - Citizen

There were also 3 to 4 cottages 10 by 10 feet in size. It was completed and opened in 1917.

Here are two views of the hotel:



1918 - May 11 = M. V. Outlad is adding to his colony of summer cottages a convenience which will make "The Jundgle", as the colony is named, still more distinctive in the summer life of the lake. It is a building about 30X60 comprising a communinty dining room on the first florr and nine sleeping rooms above. The nearness of the Jungle to the academy, the landings and the station makes its accommodations much sought after, and by a class of people who do not care to have their vacation limited with the routine of housekeeping; and the new dining hall will, in a small mearsure, carry out Mr. Outland's idea of a summer hotel which he ahd in view a couple of seasons ago

1918 - Oct 9 - Mr. and Mrs. Outland have closed the Jungles for the winter.

It consisted of one main hotel or lodge - the Jungle and in the brochure was refered to as the "Kinderhook Lodge" and there were 8 cottages or bunaglows by the names of Windy Ghoul - Oriole - Kingfisher - Limberlost - The cockoo - Le Petite Maison - Ailanthus - Will-o-wisp The names were found listed in a brochure on the hotel.

The brochure:



1919 - Dec 3 - New Candy Shack

The Outlands are planning to build a one-room bungalow at the entrance to "The Jungle" where cadets may come and buy home made pieas and cakes. There will be a big fireplace at one end, and lots of big comfortable chairs. They will have ice cream and hot chocolate, sandwiches and fruit for sale. - Citizen

1921 - Jan. 3 - The Jungle Hotel building, the large cottage, and three of the bungalows are being equipped with steam heat to enable them to stay open during the winter months

It is said that by 1922 the Lake View had mereged with the Jungle Hotel but this account has been found:

1922 - Mar 8 - Something is looked for this week in the negotiations which Mr. and Mrs. Outland are making with the Pennsylvania railroad company for the purchase of the Lake View Property.

It was sold by the Vandalia Railroad in March of 1922 to V. F. and H. M. Outland owners of the Jungle Hotel but before they had full possession of it 2 cottages caught fire and another was destroyed to contain the fire to the area. The Vandalia Railroad re-built these cottages for the new owners. Another source says that - While the Outland's owned it the meals for this hotel were served out of the Jungle Hotel kitchen.

The Arlington at Rochester lost a cook she came the Jungle:

CLOSES DINING ROOM Traveling men and reg ular guests of the Arlington Hotel were surprised Tuesday when they read the announcement that hereafter the dining room of the hostelry would be closed permanently.

Mrs. Charles Knight, who has been chef at the Arlington for a number of years was made a very attractive offer by the Jungle Hotel at Culver and has accepted. Thereupon the Arlington management decided that without a cook they could have no food to serve and so they closed the dining room doors. - Rochester Sentinel, Tuesday, April 25, 1922

It's location is pin pointed on the 1922 plat map and in relation to its location to the Lakeview and Palmer hotel can be found here for locations of north shore hotels.

An ad from the 1923 Automobile Blue Book, Volume 3

1923 - Nov 21 - Firemen Feast and Frolic

Mr. and Mrs. V. F. Outland of the "Jungles" gave a banquet for the firemen and their families last Thursday evening to show their gratitude for the efficient work of the firemen in putting out the fire at the hotel last week.

A delicious, three course, fried chicken denner was served to the guests at 6:30.

As the guests were seated Mr. Outland presented each of the ladies with a poinsetta and each of the men with a beautiful lether billfold

Those present were Mr. and Mrs. fred Cook and children; Mr. and Mrs. Cleve Crabb; Mr. and Mrs. Roy Swigart and daughter; Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Blanchard and son; Mr. and Mrs. William Crossgrove; Mr. and Mrs. Bert Rector and Mr. and Mrs. Bryon SPangler.

The guest all left secretly wishing that Mr. and Mrs. Outland's dog hous might burn in the near future.

The 1924 Sanborn Fire Map shows the Jungle Hotel and its cottages :

A Full Week's Outing at "The Jungle," Lake Maxinkuckee, Culver, Indiana. ' The Indianapolis Star will entertain a number of its carriers, and agents by giving them a full week's vacation at - beautiful Lake Maxinkuckee, with all expenses of the trip to be paid by The Indianapolis Star. Give Your Star Carrier a Boost Every reader of The Daily or Sunday Star can help his favorite carrier win one of these vacation trips. ... These trips are given to The Star carriers and agents as a reward for securing new subscriptions to The Star... - -February 24, 1924 Indianapolis Star

1925 - Mar 11 - Mrs. Outland, who has been wintering in FLordia, has been here sor several days getting the Jungles im shae for Spring opening

In March 1925 the Outland's sold it to C. C. Longfellow and Oscar Mondoux

1925 Mar 18 - Jungle Changes Hands

C. C. Longfellow and Oscar Mondoux Are New Proprietors

A deal was just closed yeserday closed whereby C. C. Longfellow and Oscar Mondoux became the proprietors of the Jungle Hotel.

They have purchased the furnishing and the buildings for a period of years from Mr. and Mrs. V. F. Outland who have operated the hotel for a number of years.

Both Mr. Longfellow and Mr. Mondoux are well known in Culver and viciity, the former having been at the Palmer House for the past six year and the latter for about two years. They are now busily engaged in making the place in readiness for the Easter operning.

Mr. and Mrs. Outland, who have made several trips to FLordia the past few winters, have decided to make that their permanent residence

1925 - Apr. 15 - Mrs. H. A. Outland who has been in CUlver for the past three weeks looking after the transfer of the Jungle Hotel propertyu to the new owners, departed last week for Florida. -

15 Dec 1926 - Mondoux Sell Interest in Hotels to Longfellow

Last Thursday a transacion was completed whereby Oscas Mondoux sold his interests in the Jungle HOtel and CLub HOuse to his partner, C. C. Longfellow.

Mr. Mondoux and Mr. Longfellow ohave been managing the Jungle hotel for the pat two and a half years and just recently added the club house to their ownership. Mr. Mondoux plans to enter the commerical hotel business in the southern end of Indiana, while Mr. Longfellow will continue to operate both hotels under his personal uspervision. The Culver Citizen

1928, - 0ct 24 - Helen M. Outland and husb. to Harry A. rockaway lots 1,2, 6 and block 1 all in e. Morris Lake plat in 16,32,1 $1.00

1929 - Dec 11 - Injunction filed on purchase of properties

In 1931 the Culver Reality and Investment Company was established by Bretram and Edwin II Culver . Through this they bought up the north shore property of the lake between the Culver Town Park and the original acreage H. H. Culver had bought and the academy sat on. This was done to stop speculators from buying it up and decreasing the outside development by other on the area around the academy. All that could not be bought up at the time was the railroad right-a-way. Thus this property became part of Culver Military /Culver Educational Foundation.

Was torn down in 1930 [sic]. Because of the weight of the hotel was sinking out of site because the ground it sat on was spring-fed and was marsh land in essence. The Jungle Hotel without direct access to the lake and accessible only from Academy Road, was deemed expendable and was razed.

In 1932-3 - it as listed as being under the management of the Palmer House Hotel by an ad place in the 1932-3 Messenger

Here is a view before the fish ponds existed.It shows that the Jungle is there at that date, it is the single drive way in that splits and makes a ircle in front of the main hotel building and your can see a cottage/house on the lake front also

And here is an aerial view and one can see the driveway and ground to the left, it shows the fish hatchery ponds that dates the photo into the 1930's and the main building for the Jungle is still visible.

The Sanborn Fire Map of 1937 - also proves that the Jungle Hotel was still existed as late as November 1937 but it is captioned as listed as "vacant & dismantled windows broken & boarded up"; the cottages are not depicted so one would assume that they had already been razed

The Jungle Hotel being ran down, having no direct access to the lake and only being accessible from Academy Road was razed, around 1939 as it was deemed expendable.