Grand Portage National Monument, located within the boreal forest on the north shore of Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota, preserves a vital center of fur trade activity and Anishinaabeg Ojibwe heritage.
The Grand Portage itself is a footpath which bypasses a set of waterfalls on the Pigeon River a few miles from where that stream runs into Lake Superior. This path is part of the historic trade route of the voyageurs between their wintering grounds and their depots to the east. This route, comprised of the Pigeon River and other waterways and Grand Portage and many other portages, was of enormous importance in pre-industrial times, as it provided access from the Canada's settled areas to its interior of Canada. Some 50 miles upstream from Lake Superior, this trade route crosses the Height of Land Portage connecting South Lake on the Pigeon River watershed with North Lake of the Rainy River watershed. This portage crosses the Northern Continental divide and therefore provides passage between the drainage basin of the Arctic Ocean and that of the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean. - Wikipedia

That is a real brief background of Grand Portage National Monument a place I have visited 7 times in the last 13 years. I would of made it all 13 if I was still in state, that is how much I enjoy this historical place.

There are a number of things I like about this National Monument and the first two have nothing to do with it. The weather up on the “north shore” of Minnesota is absolutely fantastic. That alone is worth visiting. In the summer time the temps rarely hit 85 degrees and the over night lows are in the 50’s. The air is filled with the scent of pine and it is so crisp and refreshing that you want to bottle it up and take it home. To get to the “north shore” takes about 2 hours from Duluth and about 5 hours from Minneapolis. There are plenty of great places to stay along the shore and the further north you go the closer you obviously get to the Grand Portage. Cities like Tofte, Lutsen, Grand Marias all have fine resorts and bed and breakfasts to stay at. You can even stay at Grand Portage, the Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe Indians have a casino and a very modern hotel.

Now back to the real reason to visit; Grand Portage Monument entry fee is 3.00 for adult and 6.00 for family. You pay by the honor system at the main entrance to the fort. Once you are in you can either go into the great hall or visit the kitchen. Historical reenactors greet you at each building offering tours and small talk. Depending on the time of the year they will talk about what would be actually happening at the fort at that time. When I was there this past August the cook was exhausted because he had cooked a number of meals for the grand rendezvous which had happened that weekend. This rendezvous is the culmination of a years worth of fur trapping. The fur traders from 150+ fur outposts meet at Grand Portage to load and ship their goods to Sault Ste. Marie and from there to Europe. The cook had all kinds of information about the traders, what they ate, what they did for entertainment, where they were from, and tales from the deep inside the wilderness of present day Canada and the United Stes.

In the Grand Hall you get a tour of the eating area, storage, and offices. There is also a gift shop which has a number of excellent books on the early fur trader, Indian history and culture, and historical prints. You also get some interesting trivia from the guides, for instance there were teas from as far away as China being used at Grand Portage in the early 1700’s. Personally I found that incredible that out in the middle of this wilderness these traders could still have imported tea from the far east.

After visiting the Great Hall you can either go out to the grounds and walk to other building sites which are marked by foundations but no longer stand. You can also go down through the lake gate to the dock and take in the beauty of Lake Superior. From there you can make your way up a trail to the Ojibwe village where historical actors are demonstrating daily life from grinding grain, stitching canoes, or drying hides. West of the village is the canoe shop where a historical actor is building canoes in a 17th century style assembly line. When I was there the actor was actually living the life he was portraying and was filled with knowledge of the fur trade, indian relations at the time, and the politics of competing fur companies. I found him most valuable during my tour.

You can tour the grounds your self using the self guide or you can go on guided tour by one of the actors. I suggest for first time visitors to take these guided tours since a lot of the questions you may have will be answered and you won’t miss anything. After the tour take some time to get into the moment by walking the grounds, visiting with the Indians and actors, smelling the air, feeling the cool breeze of the lake, and if you are adventurous take the hike on the Grand Portage trail which is a 8.5 mile hike up the Pigeon river past the highest falls in Minnesota to Ft. Charlotte.
Grand Portage National Monument

If you are in north shore area this stop is well worth your time not only do you get to take in a piece of early American life but you get to experience the the very best in nature.



Here are some helpful links.

http://www.grandportage.com/
http://www.nps.gov/grpo
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/grand_portage/index.html

HISTORY OF HISTORY HATERS

Anytime the history of anything is announced, we practically cringe in fear for how the interpretation will be skewed. And, we too have our own way of looking at things. Good histories also exhibit good historical practice right down to the last citation. What you are about to read is not necessarily good history, but rather memoir.

The authors of History Haters all met in college in the early 1990s. We all belonged to the history club, meeting regularly and attending and giving programs. After college we continued to remain in contact, despite some of us moving all over the United States. As it happened, David visited Jeff in Virginia one year. Jeff was very kind in showing David the entire 1864-1865 campaign, which included a stop at Richmond National Battlefield. The ranger at the Cold Harbor unit had the surname of Gorman, which prompted Jeff to ask if Ranger Gorman was any relation to Willis A. Gorman, former territorial governor of Minnesota and the first colonel of the First Regiment of Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He was. The glory of history is in making very real connections like this.

Ranger Gorman spotted David's "History Matters" button. History Matters is the marketing campaign of the Minnesota Historical Society. Gorman asked, "What does your pin say? History Haters? If it does, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Instead David gave the ranger the pin. Hopefully he is still wearing it.

For the remainder of Jeff's tour, the two created a fictional TV program called "History Haters." The promotional clips announced, for example: Next week on History Haters, watch as David and Jeff show how different papers shred. "Notice how modern copier paper goes through a cross-shredding machine," Jeff would say. "Now see how this original copy of the Declaration of Independence shreds - not much difference!" Great fun was had with this concept. Jeff and David concluded that what history needs is someone like Bill Nye the Science Guy or Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter to show how fascinating history truly is. On the day of Steve's death, the former history club members, who had gathered for a reunion lunch in Mankato, decided to launch this blog.

So, who are the History Haters?

Bryce is a history teacher, certified for middle and high schools in Minnesota. He also coordinates community efforts to mark and commemorate history.

David works in public history across Minnesota. He particularly enjoys baseball history.

Jeff manages a historic site in Minnesota. A veteran himself, he studies military history.

Mike operates a business in antique history books on the Internet. He travels extensively to historic sites.

Hopefully you will hear from all of us as the blog continues.

Local history is a great medium. It's practical in hundreds of ways, and deeply meaningful to residents who either know, or take time to find out, about their cultural past. One of the best developments in local history has got to be marker systems along public trails. The one pictured here is in Anoka, Minnesota: the Akin Riverside Park, along the banks of the peaceful Rum River.

Pictured is the orientation marker, nearest the mouth on the Mississippi River. Smaller markers are placed in good spots at points further up the river, and toward downtown. What intrigues me about this system of markers is how focused on the story of the City of Anoka itself the text is from start to finish. Many times, great numbers of words go into breathless details about pre-historic, geologic, and other discplines. While that which came before the city is important, the orientation marker stays on target by only briefly recognizing what was in "Anoka" before Anoka. At the end of the text, the writer bravely delves into the city's new reality as a cog in the Twin Cities' metropolitan area. The writer seems to understand being broad and inclusive, without being watered down or cluttered. The other markers on industry, people, and natural disasters likewise stick to the experience of the city.

The system is so well done that visitors to the park even in sub-zero weather stop to soak in local history. That's the practical part of local history. Anoka seems populated with both long time residents and newer commuters. This park and its markers could go a long way toward giving residents with varied backgrounds a common history.

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society.