The Big Lake Community, on the west side of Big Marine Lake, thrived from the 1860s through the 1890s. Mayberry Trail was then an oxcart path cut through the woods by the pioneers. This settlement of mostly Swedes, many from Småland, revolved around the Kuno Store and Big Lake School on what is now County Road 15 (Manning Trail), but the nucleus of a village never developed.
Locals as well as St. Paulites flocked to resorts on Big Marine Lake. The Veterans’ Rest Camp and a Girl Scout camp were also established on the lake. The neighborhood around Big Lake was a popular vacation area, and there are many stories that St. Paul mobsters liked to hang out at the various resorts back in the 1920s and '30s. John Dillinger is supposed to have hidden out in a cabin on Big Marine Lake. The local story is that he bought his eggs and milk from neighbor Joseph Dahlquist. Mobsters were also said to have been seen in Scandia.
Scandia is Washington County’s newest city, incorporated from the former New Scandia Township January 1, 2006.
About Scandia--
Scandia, Minnesota is a rural community located in northern Washington County, at the edge of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. Known as New Scandia Township until its incorporation on January 1, 2007 as the City of Scandia, the community has a rich history as the first Swedish immigrants to Minnesota settled here. The historic village area (located around the intersection of Oakhill Rd. and Olinda Trail) business community provides many goods and services and is the focal point of community life. Scandia's 39.7 square miles represent a scenic, rolling landscape dotted with lakes, woodlands, farms and low density rural development. The St. Croix River and Big Marine Lake are two of the natural gems that attract residents and visitors to our area. Scandia's population (2010 Census) is 3,934 persons in 1,703 households.