This Week's Program: Carlton County History

This Week's Program: President Ryan called Rachael Martin to the podium for the program. She explained that Mike McKinney was the program chair for today, and since he is away in Italy, he asked her to do the program for him. Rachael, the Executive Director of the Carlton County Historical Society, had prepared a 20 Question Trivia Game about the history of Carlton County.

We had to cover 20 questions in 20 minutes and move right along, so everyone was encouraged to call out answers and guesses and keep it lively. This quiz covered many obscurities from 1842 to the early 1900s, so obscure that even our Historian, Ron Hanson , was stumped a time or two. Did you know that the official border between Minnesota and Canada almost became the St. Louis River? How about the ghost towns of Komoko, Iverson and Forbay? Or what the 3 county seats of Carlton

County have been. Former names of current towns were dredged up, such as Northern Pacific Junction, Pine Grove and Knife Falls. But only President Ryan knew what town in Carlton County was named after a Confederate Army Captain. Ask him. After the Trivia Game, Rachael passed out the questions and answers, so Rotarians could go out and quiz their friends and families. After all, Rachael explained, the mission of the Carlton County Historical Society is to "Collect, preserve and disseminate the history of Carlton County". Thank you, Rotarians, for sharing Carlton County history.

Photo of Charles Christopher Wrenshall, courtesy of Carlton County Historical Society

Excerpts taken from the Cloquet Rotary log, edited by Rachel Martin. 