About Two Harbors, Minnesota

This area of northeastern Minnesota was opened up to white settlement following the Treaty of 1854 with the Ojibwa tribe. Those first settlers who came to this area made their living by fishing and logging.

The earliest pioneers were mostly Swedes, Norwegians, Danes and French or English from Canada. They came to a rugged and often rowdy village. The town was little more than a tent city with a few acres cleaned and forest encroaching all around. One of the most interesting aspects of the new settlement was the existence of "Whiskey Row". Most of the early residents were single men or men who had left their families at home until new homes were built. Whiskey Row offered 22 saloons and dance halls for entertainment. Noise, laughter, music and brawls were common sights. Whiskey Row was located near the Lighthouse.

By 1924, an international highway was under construction along the Lakes Superior's North Shore and our tourism industry began. Visitors to the area either pitched their tents along the road or stayed at the fishermen's homes along the North Shore. The demand for lodging was so great that many fishermen built small cabins on their property, many which still exist today. Thus began the resort industry of the North Shore.