Here is a excerpt from an article written by Robert Lee, Iron Mountain, MI, May 2005. The title is North Star Timber Co. and the Davis Lake Timber Sale, Cook County, Minnesota, 1948 - 1952. Robert Lee was the Camp Clerk.

This excerpt outlines how the Camp 27 operation of North Star was built in 1948 and early 1949 on Davis Lake (upper northeast side).

INITIAL CAMP 27 OPERATIONS
During the summer and fall of 1948, materials and
supplies were moved by water to a temporary camp location on
Middle Cone Lake. Supplies were trucked to the FS boat
landing on the south shore of Brule Lake, where it was
loaded on a flat scow powered by two long-shaft outboard
motors for the trip across Brule. There the materials were
reloaded onto drays and skidded to the camp site on Middle
Cone where a shacker camp was established. Cutting began
that fall on the southern portions of the Sale. Hauling that
winter was across Brule and the Cone lakes and a tote road
was built around the east end of Davis Lake to the selected
site of the permanent Camp 27. After the winter haul was
completed tractors skidded the buildings about three miles
to the new location and standard bunkhouses, kitchen,
mess hall, repair shop and other storage buildings were
built. This became the center of operations for the
remainder of the Sale.

To reach the camp in summer, we travelled by 17’ square
stern aluminum canoe powered by a 5 hp. Johnson outboard
motor across Brule and through the three Cone lakes. We
stashed the canoe and walked across the half mile North
Cone-Davis portage trail to the south side of Davis Lake.
Spiked to a tree at the end of the portage was a hand-
cranked fire siren. We cranked-up the siren to signal the
camp and a boat would be sent over to pick us up. After the
cross lake road system was opened each winter, one could
drive directly into camp. It was quite a thrilling first
trip across Brule speeding 60 miles per hour on the smooth
ice.

For a brief period early in the life of the camp, it
was possible to reach it by small float plane flying out of
the Duluth Skyharbor during the ice-free months. Fresh meat
and supplies were flown into the camp weekly. Sometimes
cutters returning to work after a spree in town were flown
in, possibly the first time any of them had been in an
airplane. One cutter was heard to say, when the next weekly
plane arrived, "So that's how I got here!"

Air flights came to a halt after President Truman
signed an Executive Order banning flights under 4,000 feet
over this part of the Superior National Forest. This was the
Airspace Reservation Order. Some view this order as Truman's
bid for the wilderness vote during his hard fought election
in 1948. It's still a very partisan controversy in the canoe
area.

Another aspect of old and new logging methods was
installation of telephone communications between Camp 27 and
the outside world. A rough phone line was strung tree to
tree and underwater across lakes to link up with the FS
phone line at their Brule Lake boathouse. Miles of war
surplus telephone wire were used. It was heavy weight
insulated wire that could be layed underwater. By ringing-up
Grand Marais Central, the camp could contact the Duluth
Office to order parts and supplies. Perhaps some of that
wire still remains to confuse the observant traveler.

Thanks for sharing! That was a neat read.

What a fun piece of history, It is especially interesting since I just traveled through that area last summer.

straighthairedcurly: "What a fun piece of history, It is especially interesting since I just traveled through that area last summer."

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have one more ending segment to post... maybe in December when I get home.