Following the Fish
Description
The first comprehensive history of commercial fishing and fishing settlements along Minnesota's North Shore shares new conclusions regarding the fishery from 1650 to the present day.
North of Duluth, off of Highway 61, picturesque old fishing structures hint at the era when commercial fishing was the prime pursuit of families in a string of villages and towns that includes Knife River, Tofte, Hovland, and many more. A history of this industry?netting trout, herring, whitefish, and smelt for sale in local communities and beyond?begins with Indigenous fishers who traded and sold their catch to the fur companies, and includes later arrivals hailing from Nordic fishing traditions.
Michael Risku offers a full picture of this way of life: the geography of the lakeshore that determined where boats could land, the types of fish that thrived in Lake Superior's waters, the earliest foot trails between Fond du Lac and Grand Portage, the steamboats that served settlements before construction of the road. Risku details assorted watercraft and nets and hooklines, describes the dangers of being out on the lake in all weather, and explores the challenges of getting fish to market. He also prods the fishery's collapse, exploring overfishing, other extractive industries (logging and mining), and invasive species.
Drawing on oral histories, newspaper accounts, and years of research, Following the Fish highlights the heroism and determination behind the North Shore's rich, vibrant, and unique fishing culture.
More details
Person
Content
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Geography
The Land; The Weather; The Lake
Chapter 2: The Fish
Lake Trout; Lake Herring; Whitefish; Rainbow Smelt; Other Fish
Chapter 3: Ojibwe, French, British, and Americans from 1650: From Fur to Fish
Foreign Fur Trade; American Fur and Fish Companies; The Treaty of 1854, Mining Exploration, and American Settlers; Development and Population Trends
Chapter 4: St. Louis County North Shore Fishing Communities
Fond du Lac; Duluth; Clifton; French River; Palmers; Stoney Point?Buchanan
Chapter 5: Lake County North Shore Fishing Communities
Knife River; Larsmont; Two Harbors; Castle Danger; Beaver Bay; Silver Bay; Little Marais; Thomasville; Indian Trails
Chapter 6: Cook County North Shore Fishing Communities
Schroeder; Tofte; Lutsen and Good Harbor Bay; Grand Marais; Chippewa City; Croftville; Hovland; Grand Portage
Chapter 7: Social, Psychological, Occupational, and Cultural Implications
The Road; The Changing Business of Commercial Fishing and Organizations; A Sense of Place and Daring Deeds; Fisherwomen and Family; Bachelor Fishermen; Smuggling?The Dark Side of the Profession; Occupational Characteristics; A Cultural Shift; The Nordic Impact
Chapter 8: Fishers, Fishing Methods, and Apparatus
Gill Nets; Herring Nets; Lake Trout Nets; Whitefish Pound Nets and Seines; Hooklines; Currents and Net Hazards; Essential and Fundamental Equipment
Chapter 9: Boats and Boatbuilders
Canoes and Bateaux; Schooners; Mackinaws; Herring Skiffs; Steamships and Packet Steamers; Tugs and Mosquito Tugs; Boatbuilders; Harbors
Chapter 10: Marketing: The Challenges and Growth
The Early Days; Other Commercial Fish Houses; Rail Service; Commercial Fish Houses; World War I; The Depression
Chapter 11: Production: Growth and Decline
Doomed Before They Started?; World War I and the Golden Age of Commercial Fishing; The Depression and World War II; Trout, Herring, and the Smelt Problem; The Perfect Storm: Big Boats, Overfishing, Smelt, Lamprey, and Taconite; The Closing of the Season
Conclusion
