The totem pole that was deteriorating at Clearwater Lodge has been replaced with a replica, hand-carved by Clearwater Lake resident Bob Olson. On June 13, the new pole was unveiled at a community gathering.
There was a festive gathering at Clearwater Lodge on Thursday, June 13 when a new totem pole was unveiled at the historic Gunflint Trail lodge. The carver, Bob Olson, was on hand to talk about his work to re-create the totem pole that had been standing at Clearwater Lodge since 1948.
Olson had noticed that the original totem pole, built by Billy Needham, had become weatherworn. The eagle atop the pole had even lost its wings, and Olson decided to do something about it.
Bob and his wife Kay unveiled the remarkable totem pole, which like the original, features Paul Bunyan, Babe the Blue Ox, an Indian maiden, and an eagle.
Members of the Schliep family assisted with the unveiling. The original totem pole was built by Billy Needham and given to Lavern Schliep.
The current owners of the lodge, Kasey and Adam Van Tassell, were delighted to have the community take part in the dedication of the totem pole.
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