At the time Caryl B. Storrs

was reporting for the

Minneapolis Tribune, the

paper was concerned that

i ts news was too

depressing. Following the

request of his editor to

provide “every day from a

different town a story that

would be cheerful and not

statistical,” Storrs avoided writing about “markets, crops or bank clearings” for “something human and

amusing… stories which show that human nature is everywhere the same, and that the world is a pretty

good sort of an old place after all.”

Storrs spent the summer of 1916 “Visitin’ ‘Round in Minnesota” which is the name of the series of stories

later reprinted as a collected anthology. He wrote about the S.S. America, Chicago Bay, Chippewa City,

and Devil Track Lake. With our current focus on the lighthouse lens and maritime exhibit, we share

excerpts from Caryl B. Storrs’ “Grand Marais: A Harbor of Destiny.”

“Grand Marais is the only real harbor on the north shore between Two Harbors, Minn., and Ft. William,

Ontario. There is a deep natural bay here, two of them in fact, though only the west one is used for harbor

purposes. Points of rock come near enough together to make a pretty good natural harbor, but Uncle Sam

( Continued on page 5 as HARBOR OF DESTINY)

Cook County Historical Society SPRING 2013

OVERLOOK

PINE TREE LINE & COOK COUNTY’S SKY WATCH

The North Shore played an important role in the preparation to defend

the U.S. during the “Cold War,” now over 60 years ago. Running right

through Cook County, the Pine Tree Line was one of the first

coordinated systems for early detection of a Soviet bomber attack on

North America. The Distant Early Warning (DEW) line was north of

the Arctic Circle and the Mid-Canada was located at approximately the

55th parallel. The Pine Tree Line mostly followed the U.S.-Canadian

border.

As early as 1946, the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, a U.S.-

Canadian organization, was planning what would become

the Pine Tree Line. In 1949, Congress put money toward

the project after the Soviet Union’s successful atomic bomb

test. The North American Aerospace Defense Command

(NORAD), a bi-national organization of both the U.S. and

Royal Canadian Air Forces, ran the “Cold War” detection

program.

( Continued on page 4 as PINE TREE LINE)

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Page 2 SOCIETY NEWS

Page 3 JHP HAPPENINGS

Page 4 PINE TREE LINE

Page 5 HARBOR OF DESTINY

“A HARBOR OF DESTINY” by Caryrl B. Storrs

COOK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Gene Erickson President Duane Ege Vice President Eric Humphrey Secretary Eleanor Waha Treasurer

Carrie McHugh Museum Director Don Davison JHP Director

Historical Society Board Members:

Doug Anderson, Wayne Anderson, Dean Einwalter, Hal Greenwood, John Jacobsen, Geraldine Kozlowski, Irene Malner, Alta McQuatters, Patty Nelson, David Peterson, Bob Pratt, Leonard Sobanja, and Mildred Thoreson

Honorary members:

Howard Sivertson and Herb Hedstrom

County representative: Garry Gamble

All rights are reserved in this 2013 issue of the Overlook

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Dear members and friends,

Early in December the Historical Society mailed out 1,200

letters requesting donations to meet our endowment fund

goal of $250,000. This fund was established over 10 years

ago with the Minnesota Foundation, and the goal was set

at that time. The idea was to build up the fund in order to

use the generated interest.

We are getting close! Many thanks to friends and

members who gave close to $5,000. Some members also

renewed or even upgraded their memberships. And, we

gained new members as well.

Please remember March is membership month. Please,

think of the Cook County Historical Society and renew.

Thank you,

Gene Erickson, President

2

MEET THE BOARD: MILDRED THORESON AND DEAN EINWALTER

Mildred Thoreson joined the Board in 2002, but her knowledge of Cook County history reaches back

further than most. Mildred came to Cook County at three months of age when her family moved to the

Hollow Rock area near Grand Portage. The road into their place had just been put in the previous year,

1929. She grew up in a commercial fishing family and helped out at a very young age. Mildred and her

sister Honey shared numerous stories in an oral history in 2012. Visit us to hear it!

Mildred and Edwin Thoreson married in 1948. From then on, she was fully occupied with their excavation

business. She remembers those early days when they would shovel beach gravel by hand. Still involved

with the business today, Mildred knows about all the projects “the guys” are working on. However, she now

take more time to quilt and thankfully share time with a very grateful historical society!

Dean Einwalter began his tenure on the Board in 1986, the same year he started as Superintendent of

Grand Portage National Monument. Dean felt it was very important for the Monument to have a

relationship with the local history organization. Certainly, the historical society felt the same! Dean retired

from Grand Portage National Monument in 1998, but a sense of connection still remains between the two

organizations. Dean reminds the Historical Society to continue to foster such relationships.

Prior to coming to Cook County, Minnesota, Dean worked as a Ranger, Naturalist and Superintendent at

National Park Service areas in Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Arizona and Missouri. In retirement

now after his 30 year Park Service career, Dean has a wonderful garden surrounded by apple and plum

orchards. He spends many hours working in his barn/woodworking shop creating beautiful handcrafted

pieces in wood. The Historical Society has made good use of these skills at times.

REMINDER: Let us

know when your mail

needs forwarding and

where to send it.

3

JOHNSON HERITAGE POST JOHNSON HERITAGE POST JOHNSON HERITAGE POST 15 WISCONSIN ST. jhp@boreal.org (21815 WISCONSIN ST. jhp@boreal.org (21815 WISCONSIN ST. jhp@boreal.org (218---387387387---2314)2314)2314)

www.JohnsonHeritagePost.org

ANNA C. JOHNSON AND THE JOHNSON HERITAGE POST ART GALLERY

The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery’s west wing is dedicated to the

original artwork of Anna C. Johnson, mother of the benefactor of the Gallery,

Lloyd K. Johnson. Most Cook County residents are very familiar with Anna

Johnson’s famous oil painting of the “Gunflint Pines,” but the gallery has so

much more than that! The permanent exhibit is a lasting testimony to her

leadership in the arts. Anna typified the strength of early 20th century women

pioneers, and she gave this raw frontier her influence as an art teacher. Later

she operated a popular gift shop in the original log trading post which was on

the current site of the Art Gallery. Her gift shop featured her paintings and

etchings as well as her ceramics and stained glass.

She produced and sold many delicately painted ceramic and china items, fired

in her own kiln. At least one of her Tiffany- style lamps is still in use.

Born in Arvika, Varmland, Sweden in 1881, she immigrated with her parents to

Manistee, Michigan when she was 10 and became a frequent visitor to this area at

the turn of the century. Before her 1907 marriage to Charles J. Johnson, her artistic

interests had been stimulated and guided by an older brother. In addition, she had

some more formal, classical training in painting as a student at Augustana College

in Rock Island, Illinois. While her husband’s sincere interests in painting and

music had long been characteristic of his colorful, bachelor life style, Anna

reinforced and deepened those interests in him and for the entire town of Grand

Marais. She left many paintings and drawings that interpret scenes, as well as

relationships between people and nature along the North Shore and up the rugged

Gunflint Wagon Road. Many of these are displayed at the Johnson Heritage Post;

others are preserved in homes throughout the

country. One of the present Gallery Director’s

favorite paintings is the oil painting “Staircase Portage Falls,”

particularly because he knows the waterfall is not easy to get to!

Another of the Director’s favorites is the ink wash of Hollow Rock, a

natural monument on the Lake Superior shoreline on the Grand

Portage Reservation. It was donated by Rev. Gordon and Marie

(Sundquist) Lindemann. The Lindemanns’ cabin home was at Hollow

Rock.

²

Volunteer?

In response to inquires from the public, the Society would like to expand our hours. Do you have three

hours a week when you could volunteer as a gallery docent? Please, call, write, email or stop by the gal-

lery and let us know.

Finland Air Force Base began as a “lashup-permanent” radar site with the 756th

Aircraft and Warning Squadron on Nov 30, 1951. Its role was to guide interceptor

aircraft towards unidentified intruders picked up on radar scope. It was one of 28

radar sites created for the Pine Tree Line. About 350 men were stationed at Finland.

Radar development was at an early stage with limited usefulness. The system used

a “classic” pulsed mode of radar which was unable to detect targets close to the

ground, therefore “Ground Observer” or “Sky Watch” posts were built. Cook

County people did their part acting as volunteer ground observers. In Grand Marais,

in a small white building on the harbor, volunteers operated 24 hours-a-day to

supplement the Pine Tree Line. They were the Ground Observer Corps, later called

Operation Skywatch. Skywatch also operated, but to a lesser degree, in Hovland

and Grand Portage.

The Ground Observer Corps concept was created during WWI in England. During WWII it was used in the U.S.

where 1.5 million volunteers operated 14,000 posts, mostly on the coasts. The declining threat of German or

Japanese planes led to the end of the GOC in 1944. In 1950, however, with a Russian threat and the Korean

conflict, the concern was the inability of radar detecting low flying aircraft. In response, the Ground Observer Corp

was re-established. The GOC became Operation Skywatch on July 14, 1952 and continued until January 31, 1959.

Skywatch in Grand Marais was “staffed” 24-hours starting May 17, 1952 and

continued until January 1, 1958. Carl Bumgardner was head of the GOC under

Mayor Val Dalbec. Lila Hall took over from Carl and is best remembered as the

Operation Skywatch Manager. Grand Marais identification, “Quebec, Charlie, 3,

4, Black,” was used at each two hour shift when the routine call-in was made to

the 2nd ground Observation Squadron filter center on Lake Street in Minneapolis.

Skywatch depended upon its volunteers. Many were junior and senior high

school students. Social events were planned for them such as dances and queen

and king contests. Most volunteers served at the little white building next to the

Standard Station in Grand Marais. But some, like Mildred Anderson of Maple

Hill, simply watched for airplanes from their own home. By 1956 a total of 531

volunteers were being utilized including students, housewives, business men and

political leaders. Their names appeared in the Cook County News-Herald.

For Lila Hall, Operation Skywatch was a personal mission. Lila received the

Ground Observers Scroll as a citation for outstanding achievement and a merit

badge for her 18,000 hours of service. Volunteers who worked more than 100

hours received Skywatch merit pins at special ceremonies.

By 1956 both Hovland and Grand Portage also had observers. Hovland observers

served from their homes for a half day period. Rather than call in, they relayed their information to Supervisor Alice

Sundquist who then called the Minneapolis filter center. The second telephone to be used was that of Chief Spotter

Harold Schuppel at the Forestry Office. Hovland had a watch tower in an old CCC garage building but it was not

usable without telephone service.

Grand Portage’s spotters were students at school under the supervision of their teachers Everett and Goldie Johnson.

During school hours 44 students were observers, day captains, and recorders. “This joint participation helps the

children realize the need for Air Defense, proper organization and team work,” said Mr. Johnson.

For more on the Pine Tree line see Radomes, Inc, the Air Defense Radar Veterans’ Association, a museum of online

documents (www.radomes.org/museum). See also www.cookcountyhistory.org for more information about Cook

County’s Operation Skywatch, including photographs and a list of volunteer observers.

(Continued from page 1 as PINE TREE LINE) .

4 5

Mayor Val Dalbec, Director Lila Hall,

Jane Furlong with son Jim Furlong

receiving award from Robert Brock

Young Wendy Thoreson in front of

the Grand Marais observation

building where her mother served

as a volunteer

5

( continued from page 1 as HARBOR OF DESTINY)

has improved it by building a breakwater from each point, leaving a narrow passage for boats with a steady white

light on the east side and a revolving red light on the west. The red light is out of order just now, and she doesn't

revolve. There is something the matter with the gas tank--it may be exhausted--so Jim Wood, lighthouse tender,

hangs a red lantern on the top of the tower every evening and it does very well until the government lighthouse

tender can get here to refill the tank and tinker with the revolving machinery. Many of the lesser lights and

thousands of the channel buoys on the Great Lakes are operated by gas. They are filled when navigation opens in the

spring and some of the larger ones burn, with further attention, for five or six months.

Speaking of lighthouse tenders, it is one of Uncle Sam’s odd arrangements not to have a single tender in Lake

Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. There is a station in Buffalo to supply Lake Erie, a station in Milwaukee to

take care of Lake Michigan, and one at Detroit, which has to look after the Detroit river, Lake St. Claire, the St.

Claire River, Lake Huron, St. Mary River and Lake Superior.

This seems a ridiculously uneven division of labor, but Uncle Sam’s mills grind slowly, and for many years before

iron ore was discovered or the grain fields of the northwest developed, Lake Superior navigation was inconsiderable

and the lighthouses comparatively few. Now Lake Superior is as busy as any of them, but Uncle Sam hasn’t yet got

around to giving them a lighthouse tender. He has a supply depot at Duluth, but no boat and the Superior lights have

to wait for the Marigold to come up from the lower lakes to get their supplies.

The Grand Marais lights are not very important, so they are of rather low magnitude. I don't think that's the right

words, but it serves the purpose and a term that is good enough for the stars ought to satisfy any reasonable

lighthouse. By “not very important” is meant that they serve only to mark the entrance to the little harbor and as a

guide to long shore boats. The white light would be visible, perhaps10 miles out. From the harbor entrance at Grand

Marais on a clear night, may be seen the Rock of Ages light at Isle Royale, over 60 miles away, and sometimes a

glimpse may be caught of the Apostle Island light on Outer Island, 70 miles over on the south shore. But these

powerful lights are needed by the big steamers going to and from Port Arthur and around Keewenaw point in

northern Michigan, and have to be visible for great distances.

The dock inside the Grand Marais harbor is a busy little place, for it receives freight not only for Grand Marais, but

for all the back country of Cook County, the wildest region in Minnesota. There are no railroads yet nearer than the

old Alger logging road at Kramer, and though there is a new automobile road which the state and county are

building through Pigeon River, where it will be met this fall by a similar Canadian road from Port Arthur, there is no

freight transportation by land.

The exports from Grand Marais are a little lumber and tons and tons of fish. The fresh lake trout you serve on your

table next January may have come from Grand Marais by one of the Booth steamers that has fought its stalwart way

from Duluth against freezing gales and through floes of dangerous ice in order to pass between the white and red

lights of the breakwater and reach the wharf. If, when you are eating it, you refuse to sympathize with the captain

and crew of the Booth steamer, at least send a friendly thought to the fishermen who have perhaps spent some long

night when you were curled up in a warm bed, out in the

pitiless lake, the temperature 30 below zero, the wind

blowing 40 miles an hour and every breaker covering them

with a spray that freezes solid as soon as it touches them.

That’s the industry of Grand Marais in the winter time, and

I take back what I said about its lighthouses being “not

very important.” The gasoline boat of one north shore

fisherman means more to him than a 600 foot freighter

does to the steel trust, and the little light which can guide

the former to safety is surely of at least the same

importance as the big light that shows the freighter the way

around Keewenaw Point.” Fish houses and skiffs in the Grand Marais Harbor c1920

6

A PROCLAMATION FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR RUDY PERPICH, 1986

WHEREAS: Sled dog teams were the principle means of wintertime transportation and communication

used by Minnesota’s original inhabitants, long before the advent of the first white explorers;

and

WHEREAS: Legislators from the northern districts of Minnesota traveled to the sessions of the

Territorial Legislature by dogteam; and

WHEREAS: The first sled dog race on record in the world took place in Minnesota in 1858; and

WHEREAS: During the 1800’s through the first years of this century mail was delivered along the north

shore of Lake Superior and in other parts of the state in the winter by coureurs des bois and

mail carriers using dog teams, preeminent among them being John Beargrease, the “intrepid

Chippewa dog puncher;” and

WHEREAS: Minnesota dogs and mushers continue to be at the forefront of winter sports and sled dog

activity and accomplishment; and

WHEREAS: In 1986 a team of mushers and dogs lead by Will Steger and Paul Schurcke of Minnesota

became the first confirmed unsupported sled dog expedition to reach the North Pole; and

WHEREAS: The largest and most famous long distance sled dog race outside Alaska, The John

Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, commemorating the exploits of mail carrier John

Beargrease, is run each year along Minnesota’s North Shore, attracting competitors and fans

from across North America;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Rudy Perpich, Governor of the State of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim the first week

of January to be SLED DOG HERITAGE WEEK in Minnesota in appreciation of the contributions of sled

dogs and mushers to Minnesota’s colorful history.

MEMBERSHIP MARCH & SUMMER VOLUNTEERS

Please, renew your memberships each March.

Remember to invite your friends and family

members to join the Cook County Historical

Society. Let’s share this wonderful county’s stories

with the next generations.

We are seeking summer front desk volunteers at the

Museum. Can you help us by taking a 2 1/2 hour

shift at the museum’s front desk? Call Carrie at

387-2883. It is a fun experience to greet visitors and

help them learn about the county’s history—no

experience required!

Lighthouse display drawing (above) by

Mary Olson and David Gredzens who

continue to work on designs for our

Maritime Heritage Exhibit—thanks to

Lake Superior Coastal Funding and

matching CCHS funds

THANKS TO TIM WHITE FOR HIS PRESENTATION ON DOG SLED HISTORY. HE SHARED THE FOLLOWING PROCLAMATION FROM THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE.

COOK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

We invite you to join our society, supporting its museum

and our ongoing projects. If you are interested in

supporting our work, please select a category below:

_____ $10.00 Single Annual Membership

_____ $15.00 Dual Annual Membership

_____ $25.00 Supporting Membership

_____ $50.00 Commercial Membership

_____$100.00 Patron

_____$500.00 Life Membership

_____ Other Donation Amount: ________

_____ Other Endowment Fund: ________

Please clip and return this form along with your check to:

Cook County Historical Society, P.O. Box 1293 Grand Marais, Minnesota 55604

Name: _____________________________

Address: ___________________________

City, State: __________________________

Phone: _____________________________

E-mail: _____________________________

JOHNSON HERITAGE POST

ART GALLERY

Your memberships are very important to JHP.

Membership privileges include free admissions,

invitations to openings, newsletter mailings, and

discounts on book sales. Join today!

_____ $20.00 Annual Membership (Single)

_____ $30.00 Annual Membership (Family)

_____ $50.00 Sustaining Membership

_____ $100.00 Sponsoring Membership

_____ $250.00 Patron Membership

_____ $1000.00 Lifetime Membership

Please send your membership check to: Johnson Heritage Post, P.O. Box 35

Grand Marais, Minnesota 55604-0035

Name: _____________________________

Address: ___________________________

City, State: __________________________

Phone: _____________________________

7

Preserving Cook County’s History for Future Generations. OUR MISSION: The purpose of the Society shall be the collection, preservation, and dissemination of

knowledge about the history of Cook County and to relate it to the history of the State of Minnesota.

Become a member of the Cook County Historical Society Museum and/or

the Johnson Heritage Post Today

RUTH HUMPHREY We are so sad to announce the passing of Ruth Humphrey on January 31st

this year. Ruth served faithfully as a front desk volunteer at the Museum

starting in the 1970s until last year. Her friendly smile and soft demeanor

was very welcoming to our visitors. She will be missed.

In 2010 Ruth was reunited with her favorite childhood doll at the Museum.

It had been donated to a museum in Duluth, and she requested that it be

returned to Grand Marais. Ruth was so grateful. When she held Georgina

in her arms again, recalling the tea parties they once shared, Ruth’s eyes

tinkled like she was a small girl again.

Ruth leaves behind many loving friends and family. Her contribution to the

Society and the whole community will be remembered for years to come.

Historical Society Events Everyone is invited to come share good stories and good food.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for Saturday, March 9th at 3:00 p.m. The Historical

Society presents a panel of speakers at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts.

Stories You’ve Never Heard and Good Ones to Hear Again: Hosted by Billy

Blackwell, featuring Tim Cochrane, Victor Aubid, Alta McQuatters, Sue Kerfoot, Milton

Powell, Chester Lindskog and Gene Erickson - and original art by Alice Powell, Jan

Attridge, David Hahn, and Heidi Sobanja

.

For more information call the

museum (218) 387-2883 and for

updates visit

www.cookcountyhistory.org

COOK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY P.O. Box 1293 Grand Marais, MN 55604 218-387-2883 history@boreal.org www.cookcountyhistory.org Address Service Requested

MUSEUM IS OPEN: October-May

Friday 1-4 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

OFFICE HOURS WEEKDAYS

Call for research appointment

Nonprofit Org

Standard Rate

US Postage PAID Grand Marais, MN

Permit # 19