Fred Bruckmann, owner of Bruckmann Brewery in Cincinnati, Ohio, built the Blue Boar Lodge in 1950. Its original use was a vacation retreat for Bruckmann's business associates and friends. In those days the drive from Robbinsville was an adventure in itself. The winding gravel roads were at the mercy of the elements and often washed-out completely.
Many bear and wild boar hunts were organized at the lodge. During the 1950s and early 1960s Bruckmann earned the reputation as one of the best blue boar hunters in the region. He often led groups on successful hunts into the wilderness.
Bob Senior of Ohio and Pompano Beach, Florida, purchased the hunting resort in 1967. Bob opened the lodge to paying guests who found access much easier with the modern paved road that led to Joyce Kilmer National Forest. The new Blue Boar Lodge was featured in a Southern Living article in 1975. Business grew with both summer tourists and fall/winter hunters enjoying the natural setting.
Bob Senior retired and sold the lodge to Roy and Kathy Wilson in 1981. They operated the business until 1997. The lodge continued to cater primarily to the hunting crowd with Roy leading group hunts much as Bruckmann had in the past.
The Blue Boar Lodge changed very little in the first fifty years. The rooms were small - the setting rustic and informal. Meals were cooked by the owners and served family style on a huge round table with a lazy Susan in the middle.
Today the newly renovated Blue Boar Inn has kept its natural setting while completely upgrading the old lodge. The original roof supported by hand-made trusses was retained. It was made from by rough cut full dimensional lumber bolted together solid as a rock. Some of the oak flooring still graces the lounge and dining area. The enlarged rooms are spacious and individually decorated; televisions and telephones were added for your convenience; the lobby and lounge are luxuriously furnished; and the dining room has a completely new look. The new Blue Boar Inn has become much more formal to please a new clientele.
