All Photos:  Gunflint Historical Society

 

Cook County is blessed to having many passionate and dedicated non-profit organizations that work hard to enhance the lives of the people who live here.  

This month, the Cook County Community Foundation is partnering with Boreal Community Media to salute many of its past grant recipients and how they have put those dollars to work to help make our community a better place to live.  

You can make a difference too – make your tax deductible donation to the Cook County Community Foundation by sending your check to Cook County Community Fund, P.O. Box 763, Grand Marais, MN 55604 or by following this link to make an on-line donation:  https://www.dsacommunityfoundation.org/donate?id=1702


PROFILE IN SERVICE:  GUNFLINT TRAIL HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND CHIK-WAUK  MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER

Cook County Community Foundation supports Gunflint Trail History

By Bonnie Schudy, Campus Director of Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center

A display highlighting two Gunflint Trail authors and their works was created and installed in the Chik-Wauk Musem.

The Gunflint Trail has been the home and inspiration for many authors of all genres; from biographies and memoirs to mysteries, novels, guide books and even cookbooks.  

At Chik-Wauk Museum we like to highlight some of these wonderful people and their works.  One of our current displays funded in part by CCCF presents a bit about John Henricksson and Calvin Rutstrum.  

John is a long time summer resident of Gunflint Lake and has written numerous books about the area as well as been the editor of two collections of Northwriters.  

Calvin Rutstrum was an author and conservationist who lived from 1895-1982. He had homes in Cook County on the Flute Reed River and also had a cabin on Seagull Lake that he lived in for ten years before it became too developed for him.  He spent many years wandering the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness  and Quetico by canoe and on foot.  

Support the Museum!

The Gunflint Trail Historical Society (501c3 nonprofit) oversees operations of Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center.  Since 2005, the Gunflint Trail Historical Society has worked "to build community by connecting people to the Gunflint Trail region by sharing its cultural and natural history."

This work includes:

• Restoring the historic Chik-Wauk Lodge and transforming the building into a premiere Museum and Nature Center.
• Spearheading an effort to restore and repaint the historic Gunflint Trail entrance signs in downtown Grand Marais. The restored Voyageur and Bear signs were installed in autumn 2013.
• Continuing to improve the Chik-Wauk Museum property by adding additional amenities, such as an Intereptive Cabin and Watercraft Exhibit building.