Grand Marais Archaeology Project

Open House- Grand Marais Archaeology Project 4/16/26

In 2023 the MN SHIP Office proposed to the city the following two projects:

·         A Statewide Survey Project of the City of Grand Marais

·         National Register Nomination for Grand Marais Harbor

The city council approved the project and now 2 years later, they are ready to begin.

The Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund funds the Statewide Survey program. The program is administered by an Oversight Board consisting of representatives from the Minnesota Historical Society, the Office of the State Archaeologist, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, and the State Historic Preservation Office.

The National Register is the country’s official list of places considered worthy of preservation. This project will look to designate the shoreline and Harbor as an historical district defined by a Maritime Cultural Landscape, which is a first for Minnesota. This listing provides a recognition of significance, and for public agencies and funding, it connects to aspects of federal and state law.

The contract for this work was awarded to EARTH Systems Research Laboratory at Minnesota State University – Mankato.

Ron Schirmer, Ph. D and Andy Brown of Minnesota State University-Mankato are leading the upcoming archaeological study. They work with an excellent team of archaeologists and earth scientists, including a geomorphologist with past research on the Lake Superior Basin

The team is consulting with the Grand Portage Tribal Historic Preservation Office along with the Cook County Historical Society and the city. 

Ron and Andy were here last summer/fall to begin work. Next step is the Open House to gather information from our community. People can bring local artifacts, stories, etc to help inform them about the area. They return this summer to continue their project. Ron & Andy would be happy to interview with you or answer questions for an article.

This is an exciting project for the city. As the transfer of the Coast Guard station back to the city nears reality, this project will be invaluable to our community visioning project for the site.