GUNFLINT TIMES - Gunflint Trail Historical Society

GUNFLINT TIMES
Volume III
Gunflint Trail Historical Society Newsletter
The President’s Corner
We are on the last lap toward opening
the museum. The grand opening is July 4,
2010. When this project started in 2005,
the plan was to open five years later and
it seemed like an eternity away. Well, it is
coming much sooner than expected. The
good news is that we are getting everything
done on time. The bad news is that there
are still things to be done. The second good
news is that it will all get done in time for the
grand opening.
While the Board of Trustees has been
important, this is not about a board. This
is about the hundreds of people who have
often done mind-numbing projects. I think
about those who worked re-glazing the
windows in the museum – all 400 plus
panes. Or how about all the photographers
on the Trail who reviewed hundreds of
pictures to get the ones needed to us? And
the people who studied a new subject in
order to write 250 words needed on a
particular topic. Luckily the Trail is blessed
with many handy men and women who
painted, sanded, dusted, and cleaned. Also,
let’s not forget those who built trails, marked
wildflower locations, planted flowers and
cut brush. And those people who donated
money, baked cookies and sold raffle tickets.
It is an endless list.
On the day of the grand opening, every
one of you can sit a little taller. This museum
is YOUR museum. There is a part of you in it.
It would not have happened without your
contribution.
Yet the grand opening is not the end.
After the ribbon has been cut, the words
have been spoken, and the doors are open,
the real work begins. A museum is a living,
changing facility. All of you are needed. A
site manager is only a part of the operations.
Volunteers are needed to help tell the story
of the Gunflint Trail to visitors. Who is going
to describe the hiking trails to guests? Better
get out and hike them yourself. There will
also be routine tasks – dusting shelves, folding shirts, cleaning bathrooms, cutting grass.
Beyond all the chores, museum guests
must be greeted with a welcoming smile.
Each of you has a story to tell about your
time on the Trail. Slowly we will all learn
new stories about different parts of our
neighborhood. A real bonus is that once
again you are going to make new friends
from other lakes. Just think about all the
new people you have already met while
working on the museum. There are more
people out there to meet and gather
into our community. If you have a few days
to spend at the museum, let us know.
Sue Kerfoot, President
Fall 2009
We’re in the
Final Stretch
Together, we can meet our goal!
Current funds are approximately
$150,000 away from meeting the financial
goal. This amount is necessary to “open the
doors” of Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature
Center. Despite generous contributions,
the amount is not insignificant. Various
sources are being approached, but nothing
is certain at this point. An example of funding potential is a $45,000 grant request recently submitted to the State of Minnesota’s
Legacy Fund. The source of the dollars for
this fund comes from a 3/8ths percent sales
tax, administered by the Minnesota Historical Society. Because the fund is just getting
started, the timing for an answer to our request is uncertain but is expected sometime
after the first of the year.
So, we are not quite there. Keep
Chik-Wauk in mind as you consider yearend charitable giving. Individual giving has
been a great source of funding for us to date.
Thanks to all of you who have contributed,
it is much appreciated!
Tom Schank, Finance Chair
Grand
Opening:
Chik-Wauk
Museum &
Nature Center
JULY 4, 2010!
Chik-Wauk Land, Trails
and Nature News
Tamarack are amazing trees. In the
spring swollen yellow green buds grow
to little clumps of soft green needles,
excelling in fall with bright gold color,
turning rusty brown in early November
and carpeting the woods. Tamarack Alley
at Chik-Wauk is aptly named. The other
trails are named, too, thanks to Lynnette
Leuty. Rubaboo Road honors a Voyageur
food staple. Moccasin Lane showcases
moccasin flowers. Big Sag Trail winds
its way up to a ridge overlooking the
Saganaga channel. And finally, Amikwiish
Way. “Amikwiish” is the Ojibwe word for
beaver lodge, found next to the accessible
trail. Hopefully, next summer all the trails
will be signed and become well-trodden.
The trails received lots of attention
in July through the efforts of a fantastic
crew from MCC (Minnesota Conservation
Corps). The U.S. Forest Service received
federal funds to hire these young folks.
The results are stunning — definitely
pushing the trail projects forward by
many months. The MCC crew enjoys trail
work, being outdoors and seeing progress
each day, even after hours of rain and
becoming covered in black from charred
trees. A huge thank you to the crew and
the MCC program.
From the
Treasurer
You can design and create, and build the
most wonderful place in the world. But it
takes people to make the dream a reality.
— Walt Disney
MCC motto…”Resources restored,
lives changed.”
The accessible trail now has a gravel
surface, thanks to the efforts of Gunflint
Trail Excavating. The elevated boardwalk
is installed. Wandering the trail is a real
pleasure. The best addition from summer
is a log bench made by Bob Baker, Sr. He
has promised to construct more benches.
Plan to “come on up and set a spell.”
The trails received a very generous
monetary memorial honoring Merlene
Sherman, to cover the costs of trail sign
construction and installation. Hopefully,
Merlene is walking beside us as the project
progresses. Thank you.
Kathy Lande, Secretary & Grounds Chair
Membership
Dues & Notes
Collections
Policy
We hit the 500 mark in August, however,
some renewals are late so the number is
lower now. Delinquent members will be
contacted over the winter months to retain
a minimum of 500 members by the time
the museum opens. Your membership provides free entry to the museum for you and
your guests; your name is in the computer
and membership cards will be available this
spring. To check on your status, contact
Barb Tuttle, [email protected] or Lee Zopff,
[email protected].
Lee Zopff, Membership Chair
The Gunflint Trail Historical Society
Board adopted a collections policy for ChikWauk Museum and Nature Center at its
October meeting. The policy is intended to
ensure that collection items have proper
accession, care, display or disposal. It is
necessary to provide guidance to the new,
as well as existing, officers, staff, volunteers
assisting in the relevant operations, membership and future donors. “A Legal Primer
on Managing Museum Collections” was
used as the primary reference document in
compiling the collections policy.
The collections policy is digitized and
available online, upon request, to members
of the Gunflint Trail Historical Society at
GunflintTrailHistoricalSociety.org .
Bill Boissenin
Because of all of you, our dream is close to
a reality. Thank you for all the memorials,
honorariums, memberships and numerous
contributions made to the GTHS. The names
of the people honored and memorialized
will be preserved and displayed at the
museum along with the full list of charter
members and volunteers.
It is a pleasure to be your treasurer
and I hope if you havons, you will call or
write. Ongoing regular contributions and
memberships are even more important
once Chik-Wauk’s doors are open to help
with operating expenses of the museum
and the historical society. Please continue
your support.
Barb Tuttle, Treasurer
Quilt
Fundraiser
Raffle tickets for the gorgeous quilt
created by Melissa Anderson and shown
below (quilt measures 75” X 99”) are $5
each or $20 for a book of 5 tickets. The
drawing will be held on July 4, 2010.
Ready and Waiting!
The list of things to do in restoration
of the historic building dwindled to almost
nothing, as the 2009 construction season
ended. A few items that need fine tuning
await completion, in anticipation of the
big moment next spring when Split Rock
Studios arrives with displays.
When the weather warms next April,
the process of installing our telephone
hook-up, a building security system and
an internet satellite connection ends what
has been a historic five year process for the
friends of the GTHS.
It has been a labor of love to see the
deteriorated lodge rise again, and although
it will not be busy with the liveliness of
years gone by as a resort operation, a new
hum of activity will be saving and spreading the word about those “good old days”
along the Gunflint Trail.
As building restoration manager, I
need to recognize several who carried the
ball this past summer as we focused on
completing several projects in the kitchen.
Nace Hagemann and his crew did an outstanding job of completing some much
needed carpentry details around the upper
ceiling periphery.
Then it was onto kitchen walls and
windows when the homegrown flavor of
Gunflint Community volunteers came onto
the scene with their energy and skills. In no
time at all, the new carpentry was stained
to match the existing timber frame ceiling
and plaster patching, priming and painting
brought the room to life once again.
A second coat of paint was needed on
the frames of over 400 panes of window
glass and door trim, so the call went out
inviting volunteers to a painting party. The
first of two parties did the insides while a
second gathering (some of the same folks)
was scheduled to do the outside (in the fall
after bug season). Again, two groups of ten,
volunteer window painters extraordinaire
stepped to the plate and got the job done!
Gunflint resident rock mason, Bruce
Kerfoot, installed the base for the geological display and placed the slate pad at the
museum entrance. New door thresholds
were installed, by volunteers.
After some cleaning and dusting, and
the last indoor project for the summer commenced. The pre-purchased carpet was installed under the expertise of Jeff Boutin
and Tracy, bringing a warm finishing touch
to the dream that is soon to come alive.
Another good friend of the project,
Mike Lande, added on roof guttering while
Michael Valentini assisted with getting
seasonal window treatments (insulated
coverings) ordered and installed.
We commend and thank the many
people who made things happen over the
past four summers. We’re gettin’ it done
because of a great historical effort to preserve
history! But this is not the end, as history is
made each day. It is just the beginning! See
you next spring when we gather once again
to finish what we started.
Fred Smith, Building Chair
The Gunflint Trail Historical Society
201 South Gunflint Lake Rd. • Grand Marais, MN 55604
(218) 388-0876
www.GunflintTrailHistoricalSociety.org
From the
Museum
Committee
Last spring the individual members
of the Museum Committee had very long
“to-do” lists for the summer. I’m happy
to report that all the essential work was
accomplished under their able leadership.
Split Rock’s October deadlines were
met except for only a few loose ends.
These deadlines meant that all the plans,
including text, photos and artifact information for every exhibit in the museum,
were delivered to Split Rock. Yes, we can
now tell you what will be in each corner
of the museum.
Split Rock began the final working
drawings for the construction of each
exhibit area. We are in close contact with
them from now to our Grand Opening.
Lest you think that our work is over,
the list has only been whittled down by
about 50%. Our volunteer “elves” are busy
making selections for the Museum Store,
mounting artifact bells near the entrance,
checking with the taxidermist, making
benches for the video area, purchasing
office equipment, selecting hardware for
the video area, working on the grounds,
constructing the moose antler chandelier,
constructing and hand-carving entrance
signs, having prints made from original
art work, etc.
Another of our works-in-progress
is the completion of the hand-made
wooden books, and gathering and
preparing all the information to be
included: residents’ stories, contributions
(time, artifacts, money), memorials, and
honorariums.
Roma Leuty is busy writing a
“History of Chik-Wauk” book. It begins
with the construction of the first ChikWauk Lodge building and continues right
up to our Grand Opening in 2010. She
would appreciate receiving photos (either
in an email or 4x6 hard copies) that you
might have that tell the story of ChikWauk’s renovation. Contact Roma Leuty at
(763-434-3295) or [email protected].
Thanks to all of the volunteers. We
couldn’t have accomplished this without you.
Betty Hemstad, Museum Committee Chair
201 S. Gunflint Lake
Grand Marais, MN 55604
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Resident
History Pages
Reading
Library
Calling
All Artists!
The pages are nearly done and very
interesting. Thanks to everyone who has
contributed.
Requirements have changed to include
those who have not yet submitted history
pages. To submit, go to the web page,
gunflinttrailhistoricalsociety.org then click
“THE PEOPLE” on the left side and scroll to
the bottom of that page for the form. Send
as much as you want. We will use 300 - 400
words and two pictures per page, and the
remainder will be kept on file.
To nominate books for Chik-Wauk’s reading corner, send suggested titles (including
a brief content description) to:
Alice Weck
1355 Phalen Boulevard, #214
St. Paul 55106
[email protected]
651-772-3320
Eligible works must include Gunflint
Trail 1) authors; 2) area information; or
3) subject matter with some connection to
the Gunflint Trail. Category “3” includes
resource books, nature books for children,
and “how to” books about recreational
activities on the Gunflint Trail.
Tell us if you are able to donate a book
or two and the name(s) of the book(s).
It isn’t necessary to nominate books by
Helen Hoover or Justine Kerfoot. Each is
the subject of a separate museum exhibit.
Donations of their books, however, are
appreciated.
The Chik-Wauk Museum Store Committee
is continuing to work on creating a charming
and delightful retail gift shop. This shop will
be located in its own special little corner of
the museum.
T-Shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and mugs
have been purchased. All of these items are
of very high quality, and have been designed
to include the beautiful museum logo. The
items are currently in storage for the winter,
but will be available by the grand opening
day – July 4, 2010.
Many artists have expressed interest
in selling their creations. Items include,
but aren’t limited to wooden art, fiber arts,
jewelry, photography, paintings, basketry,
and pottery. There will be an incredible
number of hand crafted items displayed on
the store’s shelves!
To include your art for sale at ChikWauk, please contact us before March
15th. Send a digital photo of the item(s),
retail pricing, and your contact information.
The store policy is to sell items at retail
asking price, with the store retaining a 30%
commission. You may submit your photos
and information to either: Melissa Anderson,
[email protected] or Jo Ann Krause,
[email protected]
As David Grabitske said at our meeting
October 26, “Today’s stories are tomorrow’s
history.” Tell us about your experiences on
the trail for future residents to enjoy. Anyone who has or had property on the trail
may be included.
Lee Zopff
The Gunflint Trail Historical Society
201 South Gunflint Lake Rd. • Grand Marais, MN 55604
(218) 388-0876
www.GunflintTrailHistoricalSociety.org