dodges point has been a focal point of clear lake's development for many years. it was the location of many of the earliest and finest homes along the lakeshore and an enclave, of sorts, for the very wealthy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

the present-day history of dodges point goes back to the civil war era, when congress passed the railroad act of 1862 to facilitate the building of new transportation systems across the prairies to the rocky mountains. the goal was to bring in silver and gold from the western territories to bolster the union's war chests.

president lincoln commissioned the dodge brothers of council bluffs to build the union pacific railroad, which was to run from omaha to a point on the nevada border, where it would connect with the central pacific, being built by a california group that included mark hopkins and leland stanford. grenville dodge, the chief engineer of the union pacific, and his brother nathanial reconnoitered possible railroad sites throughout the midwest, including north iowa. during those travels, they explored the area around clear lake.

after the war, the dodge brothers returned to clear lake and purchased ten acres of property that included the point from edward c. davis, who had previously purchased the land from the government for timber. that property became dodges point park. later, around 1875, they purchased an additional 104 acres, including long beach, which then became known as dodges point beach. that completed the dodge family's holdings, which were platted into lots and sold over a period of time. the n. p. dodge summer home was built right on the point. one of the later purchasers along dodges point beach was dr. roy woodward of mason city, who purchased the lot where the woodward family cottage, pei tai ho, was later built, in 1925.

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