The Logging Era at LY oyageurs National Park Historic Contexts and Property Types Barbara Wyatt, ASLA Institute for Environmental Studies Department of Landscape Architecture University of Wisconsin-Madison Midwest Support Office National Park Service Omaha, Nebraska This report was prepared as part of a Cooperative Park Service Unit (CPSU) between the Midwest Support Office of the National Park Service and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The grant was supervised by Professor Arnold R. Alanen of the Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and administered by the Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin­ Madison. Cover Photo: Logging railroad through a northern Minnesota pine forest. The Virginia & Rainy Lake Company, Virginia, Minnesota, c. 1928 (Minnesota Historical Society). - -~------- ------ - --- ---------------------- -- The Logging Era at Voyageurs National Park Historic Contexts and Property Types Barbara Wyatt, ASLA Institute for Environmental Studies Department of Landscape Architecture University of Wisconsin-Madison Midwest Support Office National Park Service Omaha, Nebraska 1999 This report was prepared as part of a Cooperative Park Service Unit (CPSU) between the Midwest Support Office of the National Park Service and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The grant was supervised by Professor Arnold R. Alanen of the Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and administered by the Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Cover Photo: Logging railroad through a northern Minnesota pine forest. The Virginia & Rainy Loke Company, Virginia, Minnesota, c. 1928 (Minnesota Historical Society). CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... l The Logging Legacy in Today's Landscape .............................................................................................. 3 Northern Minnesota Logging: Sub-Contexts at Voyageurs National Park ........................ --.,. ..... ,. ............ 6 Voices from the Past ............................. ,. ................... ,. ......... ,. .................. ,. ............ ,. ............. " ............ --··· 8 2. EARLY LOGGING IN MINNESOTA ................................................................................................. 11 3. SUB-CONTEXT 1: EARLY LOGGING AT VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK, PRIOR TO 1907 ..................................................................................................................................... 21 The Logging Process in the Early Logging Period,. ......... ,. ......................... ,. .......... -- ....................... ,. ...... 24 Early Logging Camps ............................................................... ,. ....... -- .................................. ,. ................ 28 The Early Logging Landscape ......................... -- ....... ,. .............................................................................. 30 The End of the Early Logging Period ................................................................. -- .................................... 31 4. SUB-CONTEXT 2: RAILROAD LOGGING AT VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK, 1907 . 1937 ............................................................................................................................................. 33 The Virginia and Rainy Lake Company ....................................................................... ,. ........................... 35 E. W. Backus and the International Lumber Company ............................................................................. 40 The Logging Process in the Railroad Era ................................................................................................. 46 Railroad Era Logging Camps................................................................................................................... 52 The Landscape of the Railroad Era .......................................................................................................... 54 End of the Railroad Era .............................. -- ........................................................................................... 56 5. SUB-CONTEXT 3: LATE LOGGING AT VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK, 1938 . 1970 ............................................................................................................................................. 63 The Logging Process ................................................................................................................................ 66 Lote Logging Camps ................................................................................................................................ 69 The Late Logging Landscape ................................................................................................................... 70 The End of Logging in Voyageurs National Park ..................................................................................... 71 6. PROPERTY TYPE 1: CAMPS AND RELATED STRUCTURES ...................................................... 75 Early Logging: Shanties and Small Camps ........................................................_. ..................................... 75 Railroad Era Logging: Virginia and Rainy Lake Company and International Lumber Company Camps. 77 Late Logging: International Lumber Company and Mando Camps .......................................................... 88 Related Property Types: Stopping Places/Hotels and Stills ..................................................................... 93 Integrity Requirements for Camps and Related Structures ........................................................................ 94 7. PROPERTY TYPE 2: TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS .................................................................... 97 Roads ....................................................................................................................................................... 99 Railroads ............................................................................................................................................... 103 Watenvays and Logging ......................................................................................................................... 108 Integrity Requirements for Transponation Systems ................................................................... -- ........... 1 I 1 8. PROPERTY TYPE 3: RURAL IllSTORIC DISTRICTS AND IllSTORIC ARCHEOLOGICAL DISTRICTS ...................................................................................................... 115 Rural Historic Districts: Essential Qualities .... -- ................................................................................... 115 The Integrity of Historic Archeological Districts .................................................................................... 119 Other Logging Regions: Property Types and Integrity Issues ................................................................ I 19 Potential Rural Historic Districts at Voyageurs National Park ............................................................... 122 JPPENDIX 1: THE CHANGING FORESTS AT VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK......................... 127 Pte-Settlement Vegetation at Voyageurs National Park .......................................................................... 127 !ecent Land Cover ................................................................................................................................ 131 AP~IX 2: THE ACQUISITION OF TIMBER LANDS IN MINNESOTA..................................... 135 DL<ribution of Land in Minnesota by the Federal Government .............................................................. 136 The Preemption and Homestead Acts ..................................................................................................... 137 Othtr Laws Affecting Land Distribution in the Border Country .............................................................. 139 Abus1 of the Homestead and Preemption Laws ....................................................................................... 142 Sale of State Lands................................................................................................................................. 146 Voyageurs National Park ....................................................................................................................... 149 Concluion ............................................................................................................................................. 149 APPENDIX 3: MINNESOTA SHPO CONTEXT DESCRIPTION NORTHERN MINNESOTA LUMBERING, 1870-1930s .................................................................................................................. l51 APPENDIX 4: HISTORY OF FORESTRY IN MINNESOTA ............................................................... I55 APPENDIX 5: VIRGINIA AND RAINY LAKE COMPANY LOGGING CAMPS .•••••••••••.•••.•••.•••..•.•• 163 APPENDIX 6: TERMS USED IN LOGGING......................................................................................... 175 BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................................... I93 Books and Periodicals ..........................................................................................................................