ESTABLISHED: JANUARY 27, 1960
ACRES: 710
Starting in the late 16th century and lasting through the 18th and 19th centuries, beaver felt hats became a massive status symbol for the elite in Europe.
To supply this demand the Northwest Company worked with the local Anishinaabe tribe. The Anishinaabe trapped the beaver, ate the meat and transferred the pelts to the Grand Portage. Demand was so high that the local beaver population was driven close to extinction.
- TIMELINE
- Pre-18th Century: The Grand Portage trail is used for centuries by early Americans, including the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe). The portage is a vital link connecting Lake Superior to inland river systems.
- Late 18th Century: The North West Company establishes its headquarters and a major summer rendezvous depot at Grand Portage, making it a central hub for the North American fur trade.
- 1842: The Webster-Ashburton Treaty helps define the U.S.–Canada border along the Pigeon River region.
- 1854: The Ojibwe sign a treaty with the U.S. government establishing the Grand Portage Reservation.
- 1856: A local post office and school are established in the area.
- 1887: The U.S. government moves to abolish the reservation and open the land to general settlement.
- September 2, 1951: The site is officially designated as a National Historic Site.
- 1958: The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe donate land, and Congress authorizes the creation of the national monument.
- 1960: Grand Portage National Monument is formally established following land cessions.
The company managers were not roughing it in the wilderness.
We talked to this couple for awhile as we ate lunch. They were on the last day of a 100 hundred mile canoe trip. Their last day was going to be rough. They had to carry their canoe for 8.5 miles.
Apparently someone got tired of carrying this canoe and just left it by the trail.
Fort Charlotte campsite
Take out point for paddlers headed down the Pigeon River.
HAPPY TRAILS, STEVE