Lake Superior

To prepare to write about sailing on Lake Superior.

very interesting info on Lake Superior

Part of the first round of the American Lake Series; Lake Superior by Grace Lee Nute documents the regional history of Lake Superior. Ms. Nute was a keen Upper Midwest historian and gained significant recognition for her writings on the French-Canadian voyageurs - hired canoemen who transported people, fur, and cargo. These voyageurs cut a romantic figure, especially in the U.S.-Canadian borderlands (think cowboys in the American West). Ms. Nute avoids the pitfalls of making Lake Superior history into a history of the voyageurs. Ms. Nute devotes an entire book aptly titled, Voyageurs, to the historical canoemen. Ms. Nute writes geographically, which means she details Lake Superior history starting on the Upper Peninsula's eastern south shore; then detailing the unique Keweenaw Peninsula; next she writes westwards towards the Wisconsin and Minnesota lakeshore regions. Importantly, Ms. Nute does not exclude the extensive Canadian north shore history. There are several pictures and photographs throughout, but by far the most helpful is the detailed maps on the inside front cover (of the original '40s hardback) as it documents every single geographic position mentioned in the text. Ms. Nute wisely does not jump directly into the various geographic regions and their histories (respectively). Instead, Ms. Nute devotes over seventy pages to the French exploration, colonization, and trading practices of early Lake Superior. Once the historical stage is set, Ms. Nute uses historical guides, such as Radisson and Groseilles (also topics of Ms. Nute's other writings) to carry the historical narrative forward. The voyageurs are given their due in this early section of the book. Towards the book's end, Ms. Nute documents the wartime (World War II) preparations of the region and the industrial growth of the area, specifically focusing on Duluth, MN and Superior, WI and their respective iron ore productions. Clearly, this is dated information. When published in 1943, the so-called Rust Belt didn't exist as we know it today and industrial manufacturing, heavy shipping, and large-scale mining ruled the region. This latter section is where the book really shows its age, but it paints an intriguing window into the past. With that stated, Ms. Nute is very knowledgeable concerning the overall economic history of fishing, logging, and mining in-and-around Lake Superior. In addition, Ms. Nute makes the reader very aware of the varied ethnic history of the region, although, unfortunately, Ms. Nute holds back more in-depth information here (i.e. the Finns, Chippewa, etc.). Dated facts and figures aside, Ms. Nute's contribution to the American Lake Series: Lake Superior is a great regional history written in a swift narrative style and succinctly flowing in an east-to-west geographic pattern. Recommended for lake historians, regional historians, or prospective tourists.[Note: If planning a trip to the Lake Superior region; this book is a wonderful read to "get you into the spirit."]

Although I have the original book, I'm sure the reprint is very similar, same author, same title. It has wonderful illustrations and stories that historians would enjoy! An entire American Lake Series included other authors with each great lake as a title.