Cook County News Herald

Down Memory Lane




10 Years Ago · Dec. 10, 2001

In light of state pollution control red tape, the planned sewer project in the West End appeared to come to a halt late last fall, but was temporarily brought back to life at the last county board meeting. At that time, commissioners voted to pay for a number of pipes to be installed under the roadbed now under construction by the state Department of Transportation. The pipes will not be used until and unless the state pollution control requirements for the project could be satisfied.

Loggers, paper mills and lumber mills received some good news last week when the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced it plans on increasing the state’s timber harvest on state lands by 15 percent over the next three years.

In a move to strengthen its administrative capabilities and firm up its legislative ties, the Sawtooth Elementary and Cook County Middle School parent teacher organizations (PTOs) have decided to soon merge to become the Grand Marais Community Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Under the new proposal, grades K-12 would be represented. Currently, only grades K-8 are covered under the two organizations.

20 Years Ago · Dec. 9, 1991

Until two weeks ago, the idea of upgrading Highway 61 from Schroeder to Grand Marais was just a distant dream for highway planners. Suddenly, however, the project has been moved to the front burner after being earmarked for $18 million in federal funds as part of the transportation bill passed last month by Congress. Having the money means the project itself will probably be started within the current highway bill, sometime within six years.

For members of two local families a snowmobile outing Thanksgiving evening turned into a frightening and probably expensive experience. When it was all over, four Polaris Indys had been lost through the ice and three people had been in the frigid water of Devil’s Track Lake before reaching safety. Attempts to locate and recover the snowmobiles in the two following days failed because of thin ice and poor light.

50 Years Ago · Dec. 7, 1961

Twenty-eight sailors spent a night drifting in Lake Superior when the Canadian coal carrier Capt. C.D. Secord broke loose from the steamer Thomas Shaughennessy in heavy seas Monday. The ship went adrift about nine miles southeast of Rock of Ages lighthouse near Isle Royale.

An all-night drizzle Sunday night may have been largely responsible for loosening tons of rock at the Silver Creek cliff, blocking Highway 61 nearly half an hour Monday morning. One car and a Greyhound bus arrived just after the rock slide had happened. A volunteer crew hastily removed enough rock to let traffic pass. A backlog of cars had formed while the first rocks were tossed or pushed lakeward.

NOTICE: There has been some vandalism at my place in Colvill. If this continues I shall have to resort to the law. — Noreen.

90 Years Ago · Dec. 15, 1921

John V. Nelson is in receipt of a new violin, a very fine instrument so we are informed.

The loggers are rejoicing as much over the snow as the mail drivers are regretting it.

Emil Anderson of Colvill was in town this week buying his household furniture for his new home.

On the way to Duluth Tuesday the mail bus was stalled at Cramer where an axle was broken.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.