By Dorie Carlson as published in the Cook County Historical Society Overlook – Summer 2019 edition.
The Superior North Coast Guard Station in Grand Marais became a reality when it was fully staffed in April of 1929. The commercial fishermen along the North Shore were glad to see some protection and assistance given to them. However, Lake Superior’s extreme weather still existed and fishing was a dangerous business. The local fishermen relied on each other for assistance; often they attempted rescues first and alerted the U.S. Coast Guard later because they knew that time was their enemy.
The patrol boat, USCGC Crawford, spent time along the North Shore and, if it was stationed in the Grand Marais Harbor, got involved in rescues. Normally it was stationed in Two Harbors and took almost four hours to get to Grand Marais once it was notified of an emergency. In the frigid waters and winds, it would usually be too late, the incident becoming a recovery rather than a rescue.
The following are lesser known stories of the early years, illustrating the bravery and determination of both the fishermen and the Coast Guard crews that had to venture out in all weather to rescue others.
On Saturday, January 12, 1929, fisherman Magnus Martinson, his brother, Berger, and friend, Gus Johnson, set out from Hollow Rock about 35 miles east of Grand Marais. They were rowing two fishing skiffs and the weather was a typical January cold snap of 35 to 40 degrees below zero. A sudden gale blew up, and Magnus anchored himself to his nets as he watched his brother and friend be swept farther and farther out into the lake. By the time the wind died down, he was severely frostbitten but still managed to row to shore.
Art Eliasen, a fisherman from Hovland, alerted the Crawford, then gathered a crew and an outboard motor for his skiff and set out to find the two men. His crew and skiff became coated in ice, and they nearly didn’t make it back to shore. By the time the Crawford arrived, Captain C.T. Christianson and his crew of 17 men and six fishermen did not hold out much hope for the two lost men in the extreme cold. They searched the area Saturday, and all day Sunday and Monday. Berger Martinson and Gus Johnson were never found. The Crawford continued the search, even as they headed to Isle Royale to rescue Arthur Anderson, another storm victim, who was reported stranded on the island without provisions.
Local fisherman, Ole Kreutzer was one of the first to be rescued by the new Coast Guard Station crew. While rowing back to his home east of Grand Marais in February of 1930, he encountered a large ice jam preventing him from getting to shore. Attempts to cut through the ice were unsuccessful and a strong wind was pushing him out into the lake. People on shore called the Coast Guard who sent out the “lifeguards” in a truck towing a boat. Unsuccessful attempts were made to row out to him and “taking chances by walking on the ice.” The crew finally used a shoulder gun to shoot a line out to Ole and pull him to shore.
Kreutzer was not so lucky in 1943 when he and his partner Elmer Schupp were thrown out of their skiff while checking their nets about a half mile out on the lake near Croftville. The motor continued running with the boat going in circles, but Schupp managed to grab the skiff. By the time he climbed into the skiff, Kreutzer had disappeared. Eventually, Schupp had to throw the motor overboard to keep the skiff from sinking from the extra weight. Without anything to row with, Schupp tore up a seat in the boat and used it to paddle to shore. It took over two hours to get to shore, where he alerted the Coast Guard who had been unable to see them in the high waters. They attributed Kreutzer’s inability to stay afloat to the heavy rubberized boots and clothing he wore.
On November 28, 1931, a group of fourteen people in two boats left Grand Portage for Isle Royale early on Thanksgiving Day, escorted by a Coast Guard cutter. On board the two boats were three fishermen, one of whom had his wife and five children, ages seven to 16 years old. They were towing a third boat with supplies. The party reached the island just as a November gale hit, with the waves coming over the sides of the boats. The cutter could not return until the winds calmed so it sheltered in a bay. Meanwhile, three cutters were sent from stations in Michigan. Concerned for the safety of the party, they searched around Isle Royale. The cutter that had escorted them returned safely to Grand Marais after a very stormy night. November was traditionally a lucrative time of year for commercial fishing and worth facing the dangers of Lake Superior storms.
On June 24, 1932, local fisherman Karl Johnson was setting nets when he broke one of his oars and did not have an extra pair. Many fishermen at the time did not own a gasoline engine and relied on rowing ability. A strong wind was rolling in from the east, and he made the decision to hang on to his anchored nets to wait out the storm. This was a common practice of fishermen to help anchor their boats and keep from being swept farther into the lake. Captain Rogers and three crewmen were out patrolling in their gas launch and saw Karl’s signal. They were able to throw him a line and tow him to shore.
In February of 1933 a young fisherman, Wallace Larson, whose brother George was a member of the Coast Guard crew, was tending his nets when the wind became too strong to return to shore. He held onto a buoy until three members of the Coast Guard came to rescue him. Larson seemed to be especially unfortunate, when the next day he was skating on the ice and fell into 20 feet of water. He managed to pull himself out of the water. However, Larson lost his life ten years later in October of 1943, while fishing with John Zimmerman off Monker Point by Chippewa City. Large waves washed the men overboard, but they managed to cling to the overturned skiff for a time. Zimmerman lost his hold and was lucky to be swept into shore, while Wallace disappeared. He was 35 years old.
Small incidents would happen near Grand Marais such as when Leonard Ronning and Gordon Sandeno found themselves a half-mile out and the bearing on their gas engine burned out. Fishermen would signal the watch-person stationed in the tower on the Point near the station and hoped they would be seen.
Changing winds would blow in ice floes and block the fishermen from returning to shore.
“The fishermen of Croftville wish to thank Captain Rogers and his crew of the Coast Guard for coming to their shore to help break ice on Tuesday, and also for coming to help in rescuing Joe Croft from the lake.”
-March 1933,
Cook County News- Herald.
Many of the successful rescues probably went unreported in the papers, since the Coast Guard routinely assisted fishermen who were in distress and it was not noteworthy for the paper. Captain George Hill stated at a 20th Anniversary event in 1949, when he estimated over 60 persons had been saved since the opening of the Station, “the number of deaths have been greatly reduced due to the presence of the Coast Guard station.”
Over the years, the Coast Guard in Grand Marais has had a great impact on the town. Coast Guard crews have assisted other government agencies in many local emergencies. In the early years, they were always called out to fight fires in Grand Marais and even the Maple Hill area. The crewman in the watchtower was the first to signal the alarm when the Sjoberg’s Restaurant caught fire in December, 1934, and the crew helped to stop the spread of the fire to other buildings. Over the years, they have assisted in accidental drownings along the rivers that flow into Lake Superior; and crewmen have provided security and assistance at public events, such as the Fisherman’s Picnic boat parade, Dragon Boat Festival, canoe races, and snowmobile water-skipping in the harbor.
The daily operations and events of the Coast Guard are in the logbooks, but the location of those early logbooks remain a mystery.
Celebrate Cook County’s heritage this September! Cook County Historical Society was established in 1924, before the road to Grand Marais was completed and during a time when visitors still arrived by steamship or dog sled. Since that time, the organization has been fulfilling its mission to collect, preserve and share the history and art of Minnesota’s northeastern most county. This month, those who become sustaining members, new members, or existing lifetime members donating again – will be entered into drawings featuring wonderful prizes from area businesses. Visit www.cookcountyhistory.org to find out more!
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