—by Wallace J. Schutz; originally written in 1954 (reprinted in the Belle Taine Lake Association newsletter)
No doubt many tourists coming to spend a few weeks on the shores of beautiful Lake Belle Taine wonder what the name of the lake really means. A number of people have asked me about it, which has led me to write a brief explanation for all to read.
The first written record of the name, Belle Taine, is found in the survey notes made by Mahlon Black, deputy surveyor, who surveyed Nevis Township in the fall of 1870. Black used this name in reference to the lake as they surveyed its shores.
Back in 1919 Grover Conzet, a former resident of Nevis and the later director of the State forestry service, was going through these old survey notes, and came across the name Belle Taine. At that time Belle Taine was called Elbow Lake and as there were a number of Elbow Lakes in the State, it was very confusing.
As all know, “Belle” in French means beautiful, and according to French dictionary the French word “etain” means tin and the word “tain” means silvering or foil. In the early days of the French fur traders, tin mirrors were a common article of trade with the Indians.
No doubt these traders upon seeing our lovely lake thought it as a “beautiful mirror”, and now that Belle Taine is back to its old and higher level, we can easily see why they gave it this name. Belle Taine has also had a nuber of other names during the past 150 years. The Chippewa Indians’ name for the lake meant “the lake into which the river pitches and ceases to flow-it dies there.” On U.I. Nicollet’s excellent map of 1836, Belle Taine is called Lake of the Isles. In the early pioneer days it received the name Elbow Lake. All in all Belle Taine has had more names than any lake in the region, but we hope this one sticks.
Shady Shores 