Cook County News Herald

Down Memory Lane


20 YEARS AGO
JANUARY 29, 2001

Montana musher Doug Swingley was the heavy favorite to win his second consecutive Grand Portage Passage, and the veteran musher didn’t disappoint, cruising to a comfortable three-hour, 26-minute lead when he crossed the finish line at Grand Portage Lodge.

Grand Marais electric crews were called to Third Avenue East, where a beaver caused some problems. Public Works Director Russell Good said a tree had fallen and was hung up on the electrical line. Workers found that the tree had been gnawed down by a busy beaver. Good said the crew found about 10 trees in the area had been chewed over. Further investigation showed that the beaver had used the downed trees to clog a large culvert nearby — an attempt to flood the area with water from the spring thaw and create a new pond.

30 YEARS AGO
JANUARY 28, 1991

A record number of 266 competitors will start in the International 500 Snowmobile Race which starts in Thunder Bay Saturday morning. The racers will arrive in Grand Marais around noon to lay over for the night before resuming Sunday morning on the second leg of the race. The racers will travel from Duluth to the finish at White Bear Lake on day three.

The Lutsen Tofte Tourism Association discussed the controversial Sawbill Trail improvement project last week, but was unable to reach consensus. Members expressed a wide variety of opinions.

There is a group proposing to run an ultra marathon on the Superior Hiking Trail. Ultra marathoners run not less than 50 miles and often run more than 100 miles.

60 YEARS AGO
JANUARY 26, 1961

Glenn Bergstrom left yesterday morning at 8 o’clock by plane bound for San Francisco, where he will examine an electric generator being considered for purchase by the Public Utilities Commission. This is a used engine and will cost less than half the price of a new machine.

A four-foot break in the Village water main near the U.S. Forest Service office gave the maintenance men some cold hours of repair work Tuesday. The relatively new main sprung a leak without apparent reason. It was not due to freezing, according to Manager Iver Lindell. The weather stayed below zero all day Tuesday.

85 YEARS AGO
JANUARY 30, 1936

The Grand Marais grade school basketball team tried its prowess against the MapleHillboyslastnight,andfoundthemselvesontheminusendofa6to9score.

The Hovland Community Club will hold their monthly meeting Saturday night. They will make arrangements to incorporate the club at that time, to give them power to own land, buildings or lease. A proposition is before the club to exchange the present town hall with the forestry department for a different piece of land and building.

Art Allen and Charley Ott returned today from a trapping expedition in the Frost Lake district. They are trapping for the Conservation Department.

115 YEARS AGO
OCTOBER 20, 1906

For voters (only men could vote in 1906), the County Ballot included these candidates: Representative Frank Fulton (Prohibition Party) County Auditor Chris Murphy (Independent) County Treasurer Fred Jackson (Republican) Clerk of District Court George H. Mayhew (Independent) Sheriff C.H. Carhart (Republican)

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 ccnh@boreal.org; or stop by our office at 15 First Avenue West.

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