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BWCA History Book?

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Beavers

11/11/2006 08:40PM

I just finished reading "Lost in the Wilderness". It talks of some of the history of the Forest Center and old logging camps.

I would love to learn more about the history of the old logging camps, locations, ect.

Can anyone recommend any good history books on the area?

"Adventure begins where control ends."

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snakecharmer

11/12/2006 08:55AM

I'm reading a book right now titled "The Voyageur's Highway" by Grace Lee Nute of the Minnesota Historical Society. It's older - 1951, but it has some good historical information. I just picked it up at the library the other day and I've been skimming through it. There are a couple of chapters on the logging days and and logging camps, but probably not in the detail you are looking for.

It has some interesting information on the "Picture Rock" on Crooked Lake that I had not found elsewhere. I've never been there, but now it's on my "must see" list.

"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after"
~ Henry David Thoreau

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starwatcher

11/12/2006 12:21PM

Another book by Nute is "Rainy River Country," 1950, Minnesota Historical Society; which covers the area to the west including the Rainy River and some logging history. You might also check out the Minnesota Historical Society Quarterly: http://www.mnhs.org/market/mhspress/MinnesotaHistory/FeaturedArticles/index.htm

"When one finally arrives at the point where schedules are forgotten, and becomes immersed in ancient rhythms, one begins to live." Sigurd F. Olson

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marsonite

11/12/2006 08:37PM

A really excellent book on the history of the forests in the area (from an ecological point of view) is "Lob Trees in the Wilderness" by Cliff Ahlgren.

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moose plums

11/12/2006 11:07PM

I also enjoy reading about the history of this area. I enjoyed reading "The Voyaguers Highway" and the perspective it has given me about the area and it's people. The Bottle Portage for instance remains virtually unchanged from what it was when Mackenzie and Henry traveled through the area. This past June we traveled through Tanner Lake in the Quetico. The lake is named after a man named John Tanner. Tanner was captured by Indians as a child and spent most of his adult life living among the Ojibwe people. There is a book titled " A Narrative of the Captivity and Adventures of John Tanner", it looks like it would be interesting. Does anyone have any information about this book and where I can find it?

"I am haunted by waters"~Norman Maclean "A River Runs Through It"

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snakecharmer

11/13/2006 05:45AM

MP-

I was thinking the same thing (might be an interesting read) when I came across the John Tanner chapter in "A Voyageur's Highway". I'm going to check the library this week to see if "A Narrative" is available there. Otherwise, a quick Google search pulled up some purchase options. I'll look for some logging history books too while I'm there. I remember seeing some books on logging on my last trip, but I don't recall if they were specific to the BW area.

"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after"
~ Henry David Thoreau

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snakecharmer

11/15/2006 06:51PM

I found references to a number of books on logging history at the local library: Logging Operation and the Lumber Industry in Minnesota in the Early Days - Atwood, George H.; Cinders and Timbers - Harrison, Frederick G.; The Forest for the Trees, How Humans Shaped the Northwoods - Forester, Jeff; and Cutting Across Time, Logging, Rafting and Milling the Forests of Lake Superior - Bell, Mary. None of them were available at my library branch, but the descriptions sounded promising.

"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after"
~ Henry David Thoreau

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Beemer01

Moderator

11/16/2006 08:39AM

The most detailed natural history of the area I've ever read - and this is actually a textbook - is "Boundary Waters: Wilderness Ecosystem" by Miron Heinselman.

('Creationists' can stop reading now)

The author describes this region as having been created by ice and fire, describing and classifying the lakes, the impact the glaciers had in their formation, all the way down to the lake floors (and the reasons that the Man Chain and Knife have featureless lake bottoms 100 or more feet down.)

The types of rock, how the rock was formed or dropped off, the successive waves of forest fires are mapped and traced all the way back to the early 1700s. There is a detailed description of the logging activities - where they logged, how the lakes were dammed to facilitate log transport, where the rail lines were and so forth.

Highly recommended and available on Amazon for about $30.

"You're not serious about wearing sandals on this portage.... are you?"

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faspich1

11/18/2006 10:03PM

There is a good book in paperback "Our Historic Boundary Waters - from Lake Superior to Lake of the Wood" by Duane R. Lund PHD copyrighted in 1980 with the latest printing being 2000.
Chapter I is Canoe Country-Indian Country ; Chapter 2 is The First Whites; Chapter 3 is The Voyageurs; Chapter 4 is Untangling a Border; Chapter 5 is The Woleseley Expedition; Chapter 6 is Indians Treaties and Land Cessions; Chapter 7 is Gold!; Chapter 8 is Then Came the Lumberjacks; Chapter 9 is The Commercial Fishermen; Chapter 10 is The Farmer; Chapter 11 is Communities of the Border Country and Chapter 11 is Treaties, Orders and Legislation

The author is a past member of the BWCA and National Wilderness Trails Advisory Committee

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starwatcher

12/08/2006 05:38AM

In addition to logging history, there is some interesting mining history on the Eastern end of the Kekakabic Trail. They tried to develop the Gunflint Iron formation and dug some test shafts at the Paulson Mine near Mine Lake. They built a railroad in and shipped some ore out to ThunderBay, but it turned out to be too low grade. You could still see evidence of the railroad trussel, track, mining camp near Mine Lake and find the test shafts off the Kek trail.

"When one finally arrives at the point where schedules are forgotten, and becomes immersed in ancient rhythms, one begins to live." Sigurd F. Olson

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L.T.sully

02/06/2007 08:45AM

I'll bring this back. Yes.

This map has tons of old railways to logging camps. also see lakes info

The creation of a thousand forests is in a single acorn- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Beavers

02/07/2007 07:12PM

L.T.sully,

Could you shoot me an email?
I would like to ask you a couple of questions about your map.

Thanks,
Beavers

"Adventure begins where control ends."

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TuscaroraBorealis

04/13/2012 04:49PM

Some books that I have read that shed (at least some) light on the colorful history of canoe country.

"By water & rail ~ A history of Lake County" Hugh E. Bishop

"Portage into the Past" J. Arnold Bolz

"Sawbill" Mary Alice Hansen

"Trapping the boundary waters" Charles Ira Cook

"Woman of the boundary waters" Justine Kerfoot

"Betsy & Saganaga" Betsy Powell

"Gunflint" John Henrikkson

"A wonderful country" Dave Olesen

"Dorothy Molter ~ The root beer lady" Sarah Guy Levar & Terri Schocke

"You gotta get out of the woods...." Nace Hagemann

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h20

04/14/2012 12:02AM

Another good book by Grace Lee Nute (they are all good) is The Voyageur. It's about the French-Canadians "who manned the great canoes of the fur trade from Montreal to the Pacific" Good reading. I would recommend anything by Ms. Nute for the outdoors enthusiast with an interest in history.

Buy the ticket, take the ride .Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

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RaisedByBears99

04/14/2012 01:34AM

quote moose plums: "I also enjoy reading about the history of this area. I enjoyed reading "The Voyaguers Highway" and the perspective it has given me about the area and it's people. The Bottle Portage for instance remains virtually unchanged from what it was when Mackenzie and Henry traveled through the area. This past June we traveled through Tanner Lake in the Quetico. The lake is named after a man named John Tanner. Tanner was captured by Indians as a child and spent most of his adult life living among the Ojibwe people. There is a book titled " A Narrative of the Captivity and Adventures of John Tanner", it looks like it would be interesting. Does anyone have any information about this book and where I can find it?"

It is called "The Falcon." I believe you can get it on Amazon.

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RaisedByBears99

04/14/2012 01:37AM

Did anyone notice, in the latest Dorothy Molter book, the photo showing Dorothy with a 17 year old Julia Roberts at Isle of Pines?

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TuscaroraBorealis

04/14/2012 08:21PM

quote RaisedByBears99: "
Did anyone notice, in the latest Dorothy Molter book, the photo showing Dorothy with a 17 year old Julia Roberts at Isle of Pines?"

Yup! page 73 :)

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