Lake Avenue was once one of White Bear's most traveled streets, used by residents and visitors alike. State Highway 1 roughly followed the route of today's Highway 61 from the south, curved around this corner along the lakeshore, met present-day Stewart Avenue, then turned north and continued out of town; in 1935 it was rerouted and renamed Highway 61. The St. Paul & Duluth Railroad completed its line from St. Paul to White Bear in the fall of 1868 and reached Duluth by 1871, helping begin White Bear's golden resort era. Travelers came by train from St. Paul and farther south, often first reaching Minnesota by steamboat and then continuing by rail. Several depots and stations stood in this area, including the Lakeshore depot near what is today Veteran's Park, the main depot at Fourth Street and today's Highway 61, a small stop at Tenth Street, and the Bald Eagle depot at the junction with the Soo Line just north of downtown. White Bear, known as Minnesota's first resort town, had grand lakeshore resorts with main hotels and cottages that could accommodate up to 300 guests. From the 1870s until about 1910, Lake Avenue was lined with many private lakeside cottages and several larger resorts, including the Williams House and the Chateaugay. Steamers commonly trolled the water between this spot and Manitou Island, often carrying orchestras on their decks to entertain hotel guests. Evidence of that early leisure era remains in the steep underwater drop-off where the lake bottom was dredged so steamers could approach the shore, and the trail along Lake Avenue continues to draw people to its views and fresh air.