Rumors of gold that had prospectors scouring the Lake Vermilion area in the 1860s, but it was the discovery of iron ore to which Tower and Soudan owe their existence.
The deposits they found were rich and plentiful, leading to the establishment of the Soudan Mine in 1884, from which more than 15.5 million tons of iron ore were removed during its operation.
The city of Soudan grew up around the mine. Nearby a town site was surveyed to serve the business needs of the residents. Named Tower, it was incorporated in 1884, making it the oldest city north of Duluth. Today, Soudan still holds many of the area's residents and Tower remains the commercial district.
With nearby Lake Vermilion, the towns' populations swell during the summer. During the rest of the year, it's quite small.
Jodi Summit, editor of the local newspaper the Timberjay, calls it a classic friendly community. "Everybody knows each other. It's the kind of place where nobody locks their doors."
There are no fast food restaurants and no chain stores. Downtown Tower is home to locally owned businesses, including a small grocery store, the Good Ol' Days Bar and Grill, North Country Quilts, and Bonita's Nordic Imports.
Nearby attractions include Fortune Bay Casino. In addition to gambling, there's a scenic 18-hole golf course along the shore and the Bois Forte Heritage Museum.
In 1962, the Soudan Mine ceased operation, and the U.S. Steel Corporation donated the mine and surrounding land to the state. That same year, the legislature voted to turn the mine into a state park, which was later designated a National Historic Landmark.
The Soudan Underground Mine State Park features old mining buildings, hiking trails with views of the open pits, and two tours of the underground mine. The first is a historical mine tour, which takes visitors one-half mile underground and then by train three-quarters of a mile to where the miners worked.
The other is a tour of an underground laboratory where the University of Minnesota, along with scientists around the world, is conducting two major physics experiments: the Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search (MINOS) and the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search.
MINOS is an experiment where tiny subatomic particles, called neutrinos, are transferred from the Fermi Lab in Chicago to the lab in the Soudan mine via energy beam in order to determine if these particles have mass. The second project is the search for WIMPs or weakly interacting massive particles. Both experiments could have implications regarding the origin of the universe if scientists can prove they make up part of the "dark matter" created after the Big Bang. James Pointer, interpretive supervisor for the park, calls the experience a once in a lifetime opportunity. "There are not many places you can go and see what you can see here."
Because of mining's role in Minnesota, Pointer says the site is historically important because it's the oldest, deepest and richest grade ore in the state. "Here you can learn about the processes and innovations that went on here and the impact it had on the United States as a whole during its industrialization."
Nearby Lake Vermilion is more than 40,000 acres in size and holds 365 islands. It is bordered by the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Superior National Forest.
Tower is beginning a multimillion-dollar project to restore the old harbor and landing and expand the town toward the water. Work is slated to begin spring of 2007.
Locals believe Lake Vermilion is one of the most beautiful lakes around. In the 1940s, the National Geographic Society agreed, calling it one of the top ten most scenic lakes in the country. Its name is derived from a translation of "Onamuni," Ojibwe for "lake of the sunset glow."
Summit says the lake is characterized by classic northern boreal forests, ledge rock and big pine. She also notes that large portions of it are fairly undeveloped. "You can spend a lot of time on the lake and feel like you are in the wilderness."
Contributed by Kelly Harth. Kelly is a freelance writer based out of Duluth, MN.
