Rock the Canoe: Some of our readers know Tamara Thomsen, a frequent speaker at the Gales of November program in Duluth and the underwater archaeologist for the Wisconsin Historical Society. She also smiles quite a lot, but those smiles seem even broader lately. That's because her most recent discovery really rocks the boat … or in this case, the 1,200-year-old dugout canoe. Diving in Lake Mendota in southern Wisconsin this summer, Tamara and Mallory Dragt, both of whom work with Diversions Scuba, saw what they thought was a log sticking out of the bottom.
Carbon dating proved it to be an ancient canoe in 27 feet of water, most likely buried under the bottom until fairly recently. The rush was then on to extract it, very carefully, and to get it to a place of safe preservation (perhaps in liquid?). News of the discovery made it around the world, from Madison.com to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel to the Daily Mail in London. The tribal historic preservation officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation also visited the canoe before it was moved.
We love the post by Dean Witter with this beaming photo of her: "Tamara Thomsen, a Hall of Fame maritime archaeologist in her 18th year at the Society, discovered the canoe while on a dive this summer. Think she was excited to see it successfully recovered for preservation?!?"
Finding the canoe was one thing, getting it to the surface intact yet another challenge … and finally moving it across town to a preservation and research site extremely unnerving,
admits Tamara on her latest Facebook post with a DNR dude: "This is my new friend Nick (he works for DNR) who came through at the 11th hour with a trailer that fit the canoe with 2 inches to spare. 2 inches!! And he drove it across town on very bumpy streets under Madison Police escort at a total of 5 mph. And somehow the canoe came through this without any damage. How could I get so lucky? Unbelievable luck!" It might not just be luck. Tamara is also frequent, accomplished diver and diving instructor and has, we believe, aided the work to get more Lake Superior shipwrecks onto the National Register of Historic Places than any other person. So we'll watch as the story of this amazing find unfolds.
Prickly Situation: Just had to share this video, posted by Cindy Long on The Neebing Forum with the note: "A lynx makes the right decision. Near West Oliver Lake." It appears that lynx know to stay back from a well-armed porcupine.
November Gales & Such: Next week will bring a number of maritime noteables. On Wednesday, November 10, two Big Lake region history organizations will be doing commemorations for the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in eastern Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. As usual, Split Rock Lighthouse will light its beacon as a memorial. The lighthouse, fog signal building and visitor center will be open. Costumed interpreters will greet visitors and provide historic site and shipwreck information. Throughout the afternoon, visitors can view a film about the Edmund Fitzgerald in the visitor center. At 4:30 pm, the lighthouse will close temporarily while the names of the crew members are read to the tolling of a ship's bell. Following the ceremony, the beacon will be lit, and the tower will be open again to tour. Be sure to bring a flashlight or headlamp as the grounds and trails are unlit. The weather is unpredictable, please dress accordingly. A portion of the ceremony will be streamed on Facebook. Then, on the eastern end of the Lake, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum will have a closed commemoration with only surviving family members in attendance, but the ceremony will be aired on 9 &10 News.
Meanwhile, starting Thursday (Nov. 11) through Saturday (Nov. 13) there will be a series of speakers for the virtual Gales of November Program, hosted by the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. Here are the topics and the Zoom links connect through the titles:
Lee Radzak, The View from Split Rock. 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11
Lee Radzak spent nearly 40 years as the "keeper" of Split Rock Lighthouse, living at the remote site with his family and working as site manager there for the Minnesota Historical Society. Lee talks about his and his family's life at the lighthouse and about his new memoir, The View from Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life. (Zoom Passcode: 292704)
Dan Rau, Netting the Heritage & History of Commercial Fishing, 7 p.m, Friday, Nov. 12
Lake Superior Marine Museum Association board member Dan Rau has mainly spent his adult life on the waters of Lake Superior, either as a boat captain, a fisherman or research. Working with the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association board member and videographer Fred Dudderar Jr., he is helping to capture the oral stories of commercial fishing, a vital part of the Big Lake's history and, one hopes, its future. (Zoom Passcode: 967256)
Bruce Lynn, Preserving & Discovering History Above & Below the Waves, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13
Bruce Lynn, executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Point and of the Great Lakes Shipwreck History Society, reviews 2021 with its new, exciting developments at the museum and a spectacular season of underwater shipwreck discoveries in Lake Superior. (Zoom Passcode: 828247)
Roger LeLievre, Because of the Boats: How I Became the Luckiest Boatnerd in the World! 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 13
In retrospect, Roger’s path was inevitable. Born just blocks from the Soo Locks, summers spent with his grandparents at their cottage on the St. Marys River gave him a firm foundation for the years to follow. A chance meeting with boat photographer and Know Your Ships book publisher Tom Manse – who taught a young Roger to take pictures and work in the darkroom – was a turning point in his life. For the past four decades, Roger has been living his childhood passion watching and recording the freighters that ply the Great Lakes waters and, after taking over from Tom, publishing Know Your Ships, a go-to classic for boatnerds. (Zoom Passcode: 580560)
Outflow News: The International Lake Superior Board of Control released its monthly report on the water levels and outflow expectations for the Big Lake. Lake Superior continued its seasonal decline in October. As a result of the continued drier-than-average weather and water supply conditions, water levels on Lake Superior remain slightly below the seasonal long-term average. Lake Superior declined 2 inches in October, while on average the water level drops 1.2 inches. The Lake begins November 2.4 inches below its long-term average water level (1918-2020) and 11.4 inches below the level of a year ago. Lake Superior typically continues its decline in November, perhaps by as much as 4 inches.
Last Time We're Telling You This: One more appeal to those of you with great nominations for the new BusinessNorth Northland Entrepreneur Awards. This is last time because the deadline is next Wednesday … before the next Around The Circle This Week comes out. Categories include Small Business of the Year; Young Entrepreneur of the Year (under 40) and Noteworthy Start-Up. Nominations must be in by Nov. 10, and nominees must be based in Northern Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin. Winners will be announced in the December BusinessNorth. The Nomination Form can be found online. Thanks for supporting local businesses with your nominations.
Photo & graphic credits: Tamara Thomsen; Dean Witter; Cindy Long; Split Rock Lighthouse; International Lake Superior Board of Control