[April 8-9, 1904]

The topography of the country between Two Harbors and Grand Marais is varied, in some places it is very rugged and even mountainous and in places very level. When we first start out of TH we pass through old cuttings, which have been burned over which continues for about 5 miles, then we get farther away from the lake and the country is level and _____ with birch and poplar. This continues till we get about 14 miles out, when we get into quite heavy timber consisting of pine, spruce, cedar and yellow birch and this is particularly what we find all the way to GM, it only differing in the size and quality, some places being heavily timbered, in some places old slashings and in others principally balsams and small trees.

At GM we met our guides. Mr. Andrew Christensen we met in the evening and Mr. Wm Howenstiner we met the next morning. After we had supplied ourselves with the necessary provisions for our journey and after having packed our packs and found a pair of snow-shoes for each one of the party, we started out on our journey into the woods. At GM I was compelled to buy myself a new hat as someone swiped my old one at TH just as I was to start on our journey. We hired a train to take our packs up to Red Cliff 9 miles up the lake shore. Now the fun begins. Here we shouldered new packs and started up into the woods. After going about half a mile we stopped for dinner. After dinner we again started up the incline of about 1200 feet we followed a wide logging road up to the top of the hill on which the Red Cliff L. Co had operated a cable road the winter before last. This was uphill work so when we reached the power house on top of the hill all the boys were puffing like steam engines. Here we stopped a few minutes for rest. Along the incline there was but little snow but when we got up onto the level and into the woods the snow was from 3 to 4 feet deep. We plunged along in this for a while but after a while we found it impossible to wade through so we put on our show shoes, but the snow was so very soft that the shoes sank down a foot or more into the snow.  This we could not stand very long so about 2130 we decided to pitch our tent and wait for developments. Our guides, and especially Wm our very experienced woodsman and they did everything that could be done to make us comfortable in our primitive house. 

Wm who is our cook makes what we call “Dough-gods” “Gullette”. This is a very palatable bread and is made as follows: He mixes a can of baking powder into about 20 pounds of flour and then opens the sack pushes the flour up against the sides so as to get a hollow, into this he pours water and mixes his dough, then takes the dough and puts the dough into the frying pan and places it in the fire. After it has baked there for about 5 to 10 minutes the bread is baked and he puts in some more dough, this is repeated until enough bread has been baked. We went to bed about 8:30 and slept very well until 1:00 when it began to snow. At day light we got up, had our breakfast, which consisted of “dough-gods” bacon and tea and a smoke of tobacco. And what we had for breakfast we will have for dinner and so on infinatism. When we got up we found that the snow had made everything about the camp wet and damp Wm is now (8.10 AM) Apr. 9) making “dough-gods” to take along for dinner and it has now stopped snowing and we are going to start out again to go as far as we can and then again pitch our tent.

We are all in first class spirits and health and determined to reach the tall timber if it takes all summer. 

[April 7, 1904 part 2]

At Little Marais we got supper and it was 11:30 PM.  Mr. Lutzen keeps the stopping place.  This place has an unenviable reputation for its filth and unwholesome cooking.  After supper we went to bed and slept about two hours till 3 o’clock.  After one of the worst breakfasts I ever tasted we again started on our journey about 4 o’clock.  The first part of this journey was very pleasant  as the snow had hardened some during the morning hours.  Our driver was Mr. Bukman, one of the owners of the stage line.  He was a very pleasant jolly fellow.  About six miles from our starting place we passed through Cook Bay, a fisherman’s house.  We next stopped and changed horses at Mr. Dolans Camp, about 12 miles out.  Here we also had a lunch.  After lunch we again drove out till we came to Mr. LutzensNelsons place who keeps the postoffice at NelsenLutzen and is a fisherman and lumberman.  After dinner we started out for GM about 20 miles away.  The road was fairly good till we came to within 3 miles of GM where they were all bare and having been plowed and worked the fall before they were very meiray.  We started in ahead of the other stage which did not get in till an hour after us.  Shortly after the road turns to the east we got sight of Grand Marais which lies 1000 feet below along the shore of Lake Superior.  There is a good natural harbor, with a natural brakewater formed by a rocky reef.  From the northerly end of this reef extends a rocky cape which is about 40 feet higher than the brakewater reef and which extends out into the lake about 1500 feet.

The town of GM has a population of about 500.  The town seems to have taken new life lately.  Many new building have been put up within the past year or two, among which may be mentioned a church, a school-house dwelling houses and a store.  This seems to be a one-mans town.  Charles Johnson a Swede seems to own all the business enterprises.  He owns the only store in town, which is modeled in the department plan and he carries a stock worth about $60,000.  He also owns the Bank of GM and is now building a sawmill.  The town has 2 hotels.  One kept by a Mr. Larson and the other by a Mr. Olson.  There are also 3 saloons.  All their supplies must be shipped in during navigation and one of the saloons has run short of goods so it has been compelled to close up.