Naniboujou Club Lodge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Naniboujou Club Lodge
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Naniboujou Lodge in 2013
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | East Cook, Minnesota |
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| Nearest city | Grand Marais, Minnesota |
| Built | 1928 |
| Architect | Holstead & Sullivan, Duluth |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000558 |
| Added to NRHP | October 21, 1982 |
The Naniboujou Club Lodge is a unique resort and restaurant found on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Cook County, Minnesota. It's about 15 kilometers (9 miles) east of Grand Marais. The lodge is named after Naniboujou, a spirit from the Cree people's stories. The building's style mixes Native American art with Art Deco designs.
The club was planned during the exciting "Jazz Age" of the 1920s. However, its big plans were stopped by the tough economic times of the Great Depression. Only the main clubhouse was built. This building still looks much like it did originally and is listed as a historic place.
Contents
History of the Lodge
In 1927, rich business people from Duluth, Minnesota, planned a large resort. It was to be built on 3,330 acres (1,348 hectares) of land along the new North Shore Highway. They chose the name Naniboujou, after a Cree spirit of the woods. They used Indian legends to help sell memberships.
Building started in 1928, and the club opened in 1929. Membership was meant to be limited. Famous people like Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, and Ring Lardner were given free memberships. This was done to attract other wealthy members.
The original plans were very grand. They included a golf course, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a marina. There was also a plan for a 150-room clubhouse and a hunting lodge. But because of money problems during the Great Depression, only a smaller clubhouse was finished. The club faced foreclosure in 1935.
The property was sold in 1939. Much of the land became part of Judge C. R. Magney State Park. However, the land by the lake where the lodge stands stayed private. Since then, the lodge has had several owners. It has been part of a hotel chain and later a family resort.
Building Style and Art
The Naniboujou Club Lodge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added to the list in 1982. This is because it has kept its original design very well.
The lodge has special features like round towers and cedar shakes on its roof. It also has a gambrel roof with dormer windows. You can see French doors with pointed tops.
The lodge's main room shows its Cree theme. It has a huge fireplace made of 200 tons (180 metric tons) of native rock. This fireplace is about 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall. Above the fire, there is a welcome symbol shaped like a sunburst. It is made from the same smooth, water-rounded stones as the fireplace.
The walls and ceilings of this room were painted by an artist named Antoine Gouffe. He was French and studied art in Paris. His paintings show native-inspired designs. People have called them a "psychedelic marriage" of Art Deco and traditional Cree patterns.
The Lodge Today
Today, the lodge is known as Naniboujou Lodge and Restaurant. It is a privately owned hotel and restaurant. The hotel rooms are in the sleeping wings of the building. The old common area, which still has its original art, is now the dining hall. Any changes made to the building later have continued the Cree theme.
The lodge has a restaurant in what used to be the Great Hall. It also has a sunroom. Lake Superior and the Brule River are right next to the 9-acre (3.6-hectare) property.
Across the highway, you can find Judge C. R. Magney State Park. This park was created from the club's old lands. It has amazing rock formations and natural beauty, including the Devil's Kettle. Other state parks and the Superior National Forest are also nearby. These areas are great for canoeing, hiking, camping, and fishing in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region.
Naniboujou in Modern Culture
Naniboujou Lodge has been featured in books about tourism in Minnesota and the North Shore. A mystery novel by Monica Ferris, called Unraveled Sleeve, is set at the lodge. The Naniboujou Club Lodge has also been written about in Minnesota Monthly magazine.
Nanabozho
In the stories of the Anishinaabe people, especially the Ojibwa, Nanabozho is a very important spirit. He appears in many of their tales, including stories about how the world was created. Nanabozho is known as a trickster and a hero in Ojibwe myths. These two roles are often combined in the stories of First Nations people. He is similar to Wiisagejaak (Wisakedjak) in Saulteaux and Cree stories.
- Gihring, Tim, "Call of the Wild", Minnesota Monthly, January 2011. Section on Naniboujou is on second page.
Images for kids
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Naniboujou Dining Room entrance
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Naniboujou Lodge common room
