The story of the Paulson Mine, located in the western part of Cook County, Minnesota, has captivated people for many years. Touted as one of the great mining projects of the era, its failure in the early 1890s had a devastating impact on local economies spanning both sides of the border. For years afterward, many attempts were made to restart the mine, all of which ended with the same result.
The first and last carload of ore from the Paulson Mine, only enough to make a small horseshoe was shipped on August 18, 1893, on the Port Arthur, Duluth & Western Railroad. The ore is on the flatcar between the locomotive and the caboose. (The trail was also carrying dignitaries who stopped at Whitefish Lake for this photograph).
The story is that the iron was brought to Port Arthur and smelted at the Woodside Foundry. Woodside smelted a commemorative penholder in the shape of a horseshoe. It was donated to the Thunder Bay Historical Museum as part of the Art Woodside collection.
Today that small horseshoe or some call it a paperweight has crossed the border and will be on display at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center for the 2024 season.
Dave Battistel is a history teacher and instructional leader at St. Patrick High School in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Since 1994 he has been actively researching and writing about the history of the Port Arthur, Duluth, and Western Railway and other abandoned rail lines, as well as local mining and logging ventures. He is currently writing a book on the Gunflint & Lake Superior Railroad.
All presentations are family-friendly and free to the public.
Donations are always appreciated. Take your time driving up the Gunflint Trail National Scenic Byway!
