10 Years Ago
Feb. 24, 2006
A house on Tait Lake burned to the ground on the coldest night of the year last week. No one was hurt as the owners and their guests scrambled to safety just in time to run to the neighbors’ in the minus 22-degree darkness and call for help. The Lutsen Volunteer Fire Department covered the distance to the isolated community in record time, but it was too late; the roof of the first story had collapsed in flames and the winds were raining hot embers into the woods and onto neighboring property.
The Cook County commissioners voted to vacate an old portion of the Cramer Road, formerly a county and state-aid highway, to Schroeder Township at a special Feb. 14 meeting held in Schroeder. The section, called Old CSAH No. 1, diagonally intersects Highway 61, and was replaced in 2000 with a new perpendicular road about 200 feet to the west. However, the vacation process was not completed at that time.
20 Years Ago
Feb. 26, 1996
The oldest and largest paper birch known in the state of Minnesota, the Grand Portage Wolf Birch, has joined the growing list of Winter ’96 calamities. “It was a majestic tree,” said Curtis Gagnon, manager of Grand Portage State Park, “but had no real cultural significance.” Gagnon said that on Feb. 10, freezing rain and then snow combined to weigh down the already heavy limbs of the ancient tree. Two big limbs now rest on the ground. The 107-year-old birch stands within 200 feet of the Grand Portage State Park office building on the trail to the Pigeon River. Measured and tested to verify its age in 1994, the Wolf Birch was 68 feet tall with a 114-inch trunk circumference and a crown spread of 84 feet, 9 inches.
Residents of two Grand Marais apartment buildings spent Monday night with friends and family and at area hotels because of a propane tank rupture earlier in the day. A front-end loader used to move snow in the parking lot of Birchwood Apartments hit a 1,000-gallon propane tank. It tore valves off and opened a hole 3 inches in diameter in the top of the tank.
50 Years Ago
Feb. 24, 1966
An “unidentified flying object” was seen by Bernard Hovet of Hovland early Monday morning as he was going about his duties as fireman at the local veneer plant. He said that he watched it off and on for a couple hours. First, he said, it lingered seemingly on the ice on Lake Superior, appearing to him to be but a half-mile or so off shore. It appeared as a bright light with something red sticking up from it. Later it took to the air and kept circling about over the lake before it flew southeast and out of sight. Mr. Hovet said he could hear no sound at all.
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Thomsen have returned from a six-week vacation trip to Tucson. They covered 6,000 trouble-free miles, going first to Indiana to visit their son, then to Minneapolis. The Thomsens had closed their grocery store when they left Jan. 7, but they have opened it now. They conduct the Gofer cabin business and trailer court.
90 Years Ago
Feb. 25, 1926
Mrs. E. Luick and son Ernest returned last Thursday from a visit in Iron River. While away she was taken sick and spent a week in a hospital.
The men who play in the bowling tournament gave a banquet at Sjoberg’s restaurant Monday night. The losers paid.
Mrs. Asta Larson entertained a number of the young people last Sunday evening, who stopped at her home en route to a sleigh ride The evening was spent playing games and doing tricks, each one excelling in his favorite stunt. Fred Brouillette displayed remarkable talent with somebody’s harmonica. With the aid of much lung power, many beautiful and mournful melodies were wafted to the breezes of Lake Superior, whither none knows.
Mr. and Mrs. Dave Lind returned Saturday from a motor trip to several iron range towns.
Do you have an old picture or a story from years gone by that you would like to share with the Cook County News-Herald readers? We’d love to hear your Historical Reflections Call (218) 387-9100; e-mail starnews@boreal.org; or stop by our office at 15 First Avenue West.
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