Normally we choose seasonappropriate photos for Historical Reflections—why are we running a “bathing beauty” this week? The reason is because we received an answer to our December 17, 2011 Historical Reflections question. Back in December we ran a delightful photo of “Queen Janet Nelson” and asked if readers knew what event she was presiding over. The Queen—now Janet Nelson Hennessy—responded to tell us that the photo was taken in 1949 or 1950 at a Winter Carnival sponsored by the Grand Marais Lions.
Janet said the weekend featured skiing on the Sawtooth Mountain Ski Hill and some hockey teams from Thunder Bay (which was Fort William and Port Arthur at that time).
Janet recalls that the Lions Club contacted Grand Marais High School asking for a queen selection on rather short notice. The school decided to let every girl in high school be eligible. After the student body voted they would have a queen and two attendants and escorts.
Janet remembers sitting, “studying of course,” in study hall when two student council members told her she had won the election. “I was so surprised I thought I’d faint!” she told the News-Herald.
Her two attendants were Shirley Ott and Kathy Kenna.
The photo published in the Historical Reflections back in December was taken on an ice rink near the Municipal Liquor Store when it was 20 degrees below zero. “My face was frozen!” said Janet.
Janet also told the News-Herald that she was the first “Miss North Shore” when that contest began in 1951. This photo was taken shortly after Janet earned her summer crown. Janet is posing with a nice fish on the historic
Nee-Gee, which has been restored by the Cook County Historical Society and can be seen on the waterfront at the Grand Marais Recreation Park.
Janet said the picture was taken by M.J. Humphrey as publicity for the Fisherman’s Picnic. It was used in a campaign to get people from the Twin Cities to visit Grand Marais.
Janet fondly remembers the Miss North Shore contest and the boat parade that was part of Fisherman’s Picnic. “Each candidate was featured on a decorated and lighted boat. The girls wore suits, not gowns. People lined the shores and it was a colorful event,” she recalled.
The very first boat parade had to be cancelled because of a “tremendous storm” but on Saturday the lake calmed and the parade took place, with Earl Henton from KDAL radio acting as master of ceremonies. She also remembered that one of the judges of the contest was Lee Nelson (now Lee Zopff), wife of Jocko Nelson, the high school football coach at that time.
Janet said she is sad that Cook County no longer has a Miss North Shore contest. She said being chosen Miss North Shore turned out to be a big part of her “growing up.”
In her note to the News-Herald, Janet said, “I was not a very confident young lady at that time. I was a ‘country bumpkin’ from Lutsen. It was an experience that helped me gain some selfconfidence.”
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