"A Taste of the Gunflint Trail" Offers a Glimpse of History
DATE: September 13, 2008TIME: 1 - 5 PM
Discover Gunflint Trail history and enjoy early fall colors
- a progressive open house fundraiser for the Gunflint Trail Historical Society -
Featured Historic Lodges with historians present:
Clearwater Lodge - carrot cake bars, rice krispie treats, applesauce cake, monster bars - 774 Clearwater Road (Clearwater Lake)
Nor'Wester Lodge - Mother Bunn Angel Cookies, Aspen Lodge 2 layer brownies, Moosehorn Ugly Duckling Pudding Cake, Seagull Pumpkin Bread - 7778 Gunflint Trail (Poplar Lake)
Chik-Wauk Lodge - offering assorted taste treats - approximately 56 miles from Grand Marais on 28 Moose Pond Road (Cook County Road 81, Saganaga Lake), future home of museum and nature center
Tours of historic Gunflint Trail lodges with local taste treats and screenings of the short documentary, "A Taste of the Gunflint Trail."
Other participating businesses, offering tastes, cookbook sales, and collecting donations:
Bearskin Lodge - Acorn Squash Soup - 124 East Bearskin Road (East Bearskin Lake)
Golden Eagle Lodge - Carrot Cake - 468 Clearwater Road (Flour Lake)
Hungry Jack Outfitters - Mother Bunn's Angel Cookies - 318 South Hungry Jack Road (Hungry Jack Lake)
Gunflint Lodge - Cranberry Pecan Tarts - 143 South Gunflint Lake Road (Gunflint Lake)
Gunflint Pines - Pesto Shrimp - 217 South Gunflint Lake Road (Gunflint Lake)
Tuscarora Lodge & Outfitters -Cookies - 193 Round Lake Road (Round Lake)
Way of the Wilderness - 12582 Gunflint Trail (Gull Lake)
Voyageur Canoe Outfitters - Sour Cream Raisin Pie -189 Sag Lake Trail (Saganaga Lake)
Event is free of charge: donations accepted and Gunflint Trail Historical Society memberships encouraged.
Watch for the "Taste" signs.
The Gunflint Trail (Cook County #12) is a paved road that begins in Grand Marais, Minnesota and traverses 60 miles of forested wilderness to end at Saganaga Lake on the Canadian border.
Get a glimpse of Gunflint Trail history and a taste of good eats during A Taste of the Gunflint Trail on Saturday, September 13 from 1-5 p.m. Three historic lodges will be open for free tours during this benefit for the Gunflint Trail Historical Society, which is raising money for the Chik-Wauk Musem and Nature Center, scheduled to open in 2010.
During A Taste of the Gunflint, Historical Society volunteers will greet visitors at Clearwater, Nor'Wester, and Chik-Wauk lodges to explain the museum project and talk about Gunflint Trail history. They will also serve goodies from the popular A Taste of the Gunflint cookbook. Lodge visitors also can view a new short film about the Gunflint Trail. The event is free, but memberships and donations to the Society will be accepted. Proceeds from cookbook sales are being donated to the Society as well.
The new museum will be housed in the former Chik-Wauk Lodge, a distinctive rock structure built in 1934 and operated as a resort until the business was bought out by the federal government as part of the 1978 Boundary Waters legislation. Because the building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the structural restoration must adhere to strict guidelines. Once the restoration is complete, work will begin on the museum and exhibits. The 50-acre property will be managed as a natural area.
"The Chik-Wauk Museum will represent the history of the Gunflint Trail from the earliest archaeological period through the present," explains local resident Sue Weber McDonnell. "The main focus will be on the 20th Century and the people who founded the Gunflint resorts that still exist today."
Originating in Grand Marais, Minnesota, the Gunflint Trail is a 60-mile paved road ending at Saganaga Lake on the Canadian border. Bordered by the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the Trail has long attracted canoeists and other lovers of wild country, many of whom stay in family-owned lodges that have been in operation for nearly a century.
Two of the oldest lodges, Clearwater and Nor'Wester, are included in the tour. Built in 1926 by Gunflint pioneer Charlie Boostrom, Clearwater Lodge is on the National Register of Historic Places. Owner Lynn Pauloski is looking forward to the event.
"We have wonderful fall colors and beautiful weather in September," she said. "It's a great time of year to explore the Gunflint Trail."
Norwester Lodge on Poplar Lake has been home to the Brandt family since Carl Brandt, Sr. built the lodge in 1934. Originally known as Balsam Grove Resort, the name was changed to Nor'wester in 1968, says owner and "resident historian" Luana Brandt, who will be greeting visitors during A Taste of the Gunflint Trail.
"We'll talk about life in the early days along the Gunflint," Brandt says, "and about activities such as cutting ice on the lake in winter for cold storage during the summer."
The short, documentary video, "A Taste of the Gunflint Trail" takes the name of the historical story collection and cookbook published by the women of the Gunflint Trail in 2005. The book tells the stories of the women resort owners and residents of the Gunflint Trail, and is the basis of 16-minute video. Historic lodges of the Gunflint Trail, including Chik-Wauk, provide the settings for the video, which includes historical photographs and the voices will be actual Gunflint Trail residents. The video entices visitors to the area through interesting "tastes of history."
"The video includes sound effects recorded on location," says filmmaker Lisa Wagner, "such as the sounds of loons, rushing water, and even mosquitos."
