Exterior view of the Gag family home, built in 1894. Wanda Gag was born March 11, 1893, to Anton and Lissi Gag in New Ulm. She was the first of their seven children. Wanda Gag lived there until age 20. After the death of her parents, Wanda was forced to provide for her sisters and one brother. She also wanted to pursue her dream of becoming an artist. She wrote and illustrated "Millions of Cats", which was published in 1928. Wanda Gag died in 1946. The Gag house is located at 226 North Washington Street and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Working Man's Reading Room at Minnesota Avenue, circa 1900 (description from, "The Bemidji Area Looking Back" Pediment Publishing, 2004). Next door to the Reading Room is The People's Barber Shop and a shoe repair shop.
Peterson's Restaurant in Beltrami County, circa 1900 (description from, "The Bemidji Area Looking Back" Pediment Publishing, 2004). The sign reads, "Log Cabin Restaurant Lodging."
City Opera House was located at 401 Minnesota Avenue, Bemidji, circa 1905 (description from,"The Bemidji Area Looking Back" Pediment Publishing, 2004).
W. B. Mclachlan was captain of the cruise boat, "City of Bemidji" around the turn of the last century (description from,"The Bemidji Area Looking Back" Pediment Publishing, 2004).
Chief Bemidji, whose real name was " Shay-Now-Ish -Kung," received his new name from Lake Bemidji which was called Bay-me-ji-ga, or "lake with cross waters." He was born near Inger, Minnesota, in 1833 or 1834 and lived in the Leech Lake and Cass Lake area. In 1860, he married a Leech Lake Pillager Indian woman and they had eight children, three boys of whom died at early ages. Four daughters and one son grew up and lived to older ages. In 1882, Chief Bemidji's wife died. Saddened by her death, he loaded all his possessions and children in his birch bark canoe and paddled up the Mississippi River to settle on the south shore of Lake Bemidji. He was the first permanent settler of Bemidji (from p. 107,"The Bemidji Area Looking Back" 2004).
Third Street looking toward Lake Bemidji in 1898. On the left is a shoe store, Schroeder Brothers Feed and Seed, and Naylor and Young furniture. On the right is a furniture store, Hotel Northern, and Bank of Bemidji. (description from, "The Bemidji Area Looking Back" Pediment Publishing, 2004).
Bemidji basketball team, December 1901. Players in the back are Arthur Brannon and Harry Geil. In the front are Erton Geil and William Boskell. John Raymond is in the middle. Note the picture of Chief Bemidji on their uniforms (description from,"The Bemidji Area Looking Back" Pediment Publishing, 2004). The basketball is inscribed, "B.A.C. 1902."
View of an early 1900's hunting party hauling a moose out of the timber. Emil Falk in the first man on the left (description from,"The Bemidji Area Looking Back" Pediment Publishing, 2004). The moose is on a handmade sled.
Horse and buggy parked in front of Hakkerup's Photo Studio located at 113 3rd Street in Bemidji (description from,"The Bemidji Area Looking Back" Pediment Publishing, 2004).
Engine on the Minnesota and International railroad bridge over the Battle River. Claude Ritchie is the engineer, Art Setterholm is the fireman, John Vanhouse, is the brakeman and Roy Rice is the pilot. (description from,"The Bemidji Area Looking Back" Pediment Publishing, 2004).
The paddlewheel steamboat "J. B. Bassett" was a Mississippi "Wanagun" which was a cook boat that followed the log drives. Here the Bassett is moored at the landing on the Rum River.
Forest L. Pinney, one of the early settlers of the state, came to Minnesota in 1856 and located himself at Monticello and Anoka where he worked as a surveyor.
Children's library program held on the second floor of the Ticknor Building at Second Avenue and Main Street. This was the Anoka Public Library at that time.