Fish House Replica

Fish House Replica. . , Native peoples harvested Lake Superior fish for thousands of years prior to 1835, when John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company established a commercial fishing post in Grand Marais. The company employed these same Native peoples, as well as former voyageurs to harvest lake trout, whitefish, herring and sturgeon. A few white settlers joined these fishermen after the Treaty of La Pointe was signed in 1854. By the end of the century, Scandinavian immigrants dominated commercial fishing along Lake Superior's North Shore. , The natural harbor at Grand Marais was protected from the ravages of the big lake when an outer breakwater was constructed toward the east in 1883 and-west in 1901. The harbor was also dredged and a dock was constructed by Henry "Hazael" Mayhew to accommodate steamers such as the T.H. Camp, the Dixon and the America. These boats hauled fish, supplies, mail and passengers. Fish houses and a small cooperage, that made fish barrels, lined Mayhew's dock on the southeast side of the harbor. Scattered along the inner harbor were docks, fish houses, net houses, net reels, ice houses, smoke houses, herring skiffs, slides and winches. Fires and major storms destroyed all but remnants by the late 1950's. , Mid-twentieth century lake conditions caused drastic declines in commercial fishing. Exotic species such as the lamprey eel and smelt entered the lake, attacking and destroying native fish: lake trout, whitefish and herring. The dumping of tailings by the taconite industry caused further devastation of spawning grounds and water quality. These conditions were eventually identified; after which marked improvements have been made. , Lake trout are again being caught but under controlled harvest. Commercial fishing of other species is again becoming marginally profitable for the few commercial fishermen left on Lake Superior. Fishing is, and has been, one of the most dangerous of all occupations. This fishery exhibit is dedicated to the families who fished on the North Shore and may help us understand how this once successful industry operated along the shore. , The Cook County Historical Society and its many friends who offered support have developed this exhibit. It was made possible in part by a grant provided by the MN Department of Natural Resources - Water Division, and Minnesota's Lake Superior Coastal Program through the Coastal Zone Management Act, administered by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.