Extra Credit is video series that examines topics related to history in the Thunder Bay District and exploring that history.
The Pigeon River Lumber Company operated in what is now the city of Thunder Bay from 1900 until the late 1920s. It had a profound impact on the industrial development of the area and was the largest local employer until the opening op the Port Arthur Shipbuilding Company in 1911. The company built a large sawmill on the waterfront and harvested logs from several areas, most notably the Pigeon River area which forms the border between Ontario and Minnesota. They also had a sizable operation on the Minnesota side of Gunflint Lake, hauling the logs to Port Arthur via their own rail line, the Gunflint and Lake Superior, as well as the Canadian Northern Railway Duluth Extension (former Port Arthur, Duluth and Western or Pee Dee Railway). This episode, the first of several, tells about the formation of the company and its impact on local history.
The Gunflint and Lake Superior Railroad was a logging line operated by the Pigeon River Lumber Company from 1902 to 1909. It connected to the Canadian Northern Railway Duluth Extension/North Lake Subdivision (ex-Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway) at Milepost 79. It travelled six miles from the Ontario side of Gunflint Lake into Minnesota passing Crab and Whisker Lakes to near Topper Lake.
This video covers the northern end of the corduroy trestle and embankment as the grade then passes through a 330-foot rock cut on the ridges south of Gunflint Lake beside the Crab River and Bridal Falls. The gradient here is steep, over 10 percent, which necessitated the use of a Shay locomotive.
The Gunflint and Lake Superior Railroad was a logging line operated by the Pigeon River Lumber Company from 1902 to 1909. It connected to the Canadian Northern Railway Duluth Extension/North Lake Subdivision (ex-Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway) at Milepost 79. It travelled six miles from the Ontario side of Gunflint Lake into Minnesota passing Crab and Whisker Lakes to near Topper Lake.
This video covers the approaches and the remains of a former large corduroy wood trestle that was used by the line to climb the ridges south of Gunflint Lake. It was damaged in a 1999 windstorm and then burned by the 2007 Ham Lake Fire. The logs continued to smolder throughout the winter, so in March 2008 the US Forest Service was forced to dynamite the trestle to extinguish the fire. Be sure to view the 1997 video to see what it looked like before its demise Gunflint & Lake Superior Railroad MP 2.4-2.5 (Corduroy Trestle 1997) https://youtu.be/nHhwDx3yLWw
The Gunflint and Lake Superior Railroad was a logging line operated by the Pigeon River Lumber Company from 1902 to 1909. It connected to the Canadian Northern Railway Duluth Extension/North Lake Subdivision (ex-Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway) at Milepost 79. It travelled six miles from the Ontario side of Gunflint Lake into Minnesota passing Crab and Whisker Lakes to near Topper Lake.
This video covers the large corduroy wood trestle that was used by the line to climb the ridges south of Gunflint Lake. Extending the line in 1904, the logging company had to cross a valley without expending large sums of money. The structure they built, likely in the winter of 1904-1905, was probably one of the most unique rail trestles in all of North America and lasted 103 years. This is the only known video of the trestle before its demise as a result of the 2007 Ham Lake Fire.
The Gunflint and Lake Superior Railroad was a logging line operated by the Pigeon River Lumber Company from 1902 to 1909. It connected to the Canadian Northern Railway Duluth Extension/North Lake Subdivision (ex-Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway) at Milepost 79. It travelled six miles from the Ontario side of Gunflint Lake into Minnesota passing Crab and Whisker Lakes to near Topper Lake.
This video covers where the railroad leaves a flooded area and proceeds to the southwest on the south side of a large ridge on the southeast side of Gunflint Lake. In two places a few rails remain in place, one of which contains double rails and parts of a junction, indicating that there was a siding in the area.
The Gunflint and Lake Superior Railroad was a logging line operated by the Pigeon River Lumber Company from 1902 to 1909. It connected to the Canadian Northern Railway Duluth Extension/North Lake Subdivision (ex-Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway) at Milepost 79. It travelled six miles from the Ontario side of Gunflint Lake into Minnesota passing Crab and Whisker Lakes to near Topper Lake.
This video covers the grade just northwest and at one of the two logging camps on the line, Camp 4 on Gunflint Lake. Features rock cuts, telegraph wire and rails.
The Gunflint and Lake Superior Railroad was a logging line operated by the Pigeon River Lumber Company from 1902 to 1909. It connected to the Canadian Northern Railway Duluth Extension/North Lake Subdivision (ex-Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway) at Milepost 79. It travelled six miles from the Ontario side of Gunflint Lake into Minnesota passing Crab and Whisker Lakes to near Topper Lake.
This video covers the area where the railroad crosses a small creek beside Gunflint Lake with corduroyed logs and bridge cribs that are still visible as well as a short section to the southwest. *Please note that removing artifacts from federal lands is prohibited by law.
The Gunflint and Lake Superior Railroad was a logging line operated by the Pigeon River Lumber Company from 1902 to 1909. It connected to the Canadian Northern Railway Duluth Extension/North Lake Subdivision (ex-Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway) at Milepost 79. It travelled six miles from the Ontario side of Gunflint Lake into Minnesota passing Crab and Whisker Lakes to near Topper Lake.
This video covers the 300 metre section from south of the international crossing to a creek crossing, and includes corduroyed logs and rock cuts on Gunflint Lake.
The Gunflint and Lake Superior Railroad was a logging line operated by the Pigeon River Lumber Company from 1902 to 1909. It connected to the Canadian Northern Railway Duluth Extension/North Lake Subdivision (ex-Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway) at Milepost 79. It travelled six miles from the Ontario side of Gunflint Lake into Minnesota passing Crab and Whisker Lakes to near Topper Lake.
This video covers the site of the US Customs buildings at the narrows between Little Gunflint Lake and Gunflint Lake. The Customs agent was Richard Dowman. The land was owned by the Merritt Family of Marquette, MI and is often referred to as “Merritt’s Camp.”
The Gunflint and Lake Superior Railroad was a logging line operated by the Pigeon River Lumber Company from 1902 to 1909. It connected to the Canadian Northern Railway Duluth Extension/North Lake Subdivision (ex-Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway) at Milepost 79. It travelled six miles from the Ontario side of Gunflint Lake into Minnesota passing Crab and Whisker Lakes to near Topper Lake.
This video covers the crossing of the Canada-US border from Ontario to Minnesota at the narrows between Little Gunflint Lake and Gunflint Lake. Remains include spikes, rail connectors, rails, telegraph wire and rock cuts.
Poverty, Agony, Distress & Want! 