Along the Shore

Cooper currently works on the Apostle Islands. | SUBMITTED

By Eric Weicht

APOSTLE ISLANDS—The John L. Cotter Award for Excellence in National Park Service (NPS) Archeology is awarded annually to “recognize the archeological accomplishments of NPS staff or partnership researchers within the NPS,” and this year’s ‘Cotter Award’ was awarded to local archeologist and cultural resource specialist David J. Cooper.

“Throughout my career,” says Cooper, “I have had the privilege of working closely with all sorts of incredible people and incredible cultural resources on this Lake [Superior]. Shipwrecks, lighthouses, traditional blueberry sites, ancient fishing sites… it’s been a heck of an experience, and I am very honored to have been recognized for it.”

Archeology is not something often associated with the North Shore, or Lake Superior for that matter, despite having a human history that goes back thousands of years. People have been living along Lake Superior ever since the glaciers receded after the most recent ice age, and Cooper has devoted the better part of his career to learning and preserving their stories.

Cooper was born and raised in Northern Wisconsin along the shores of Lake Michigan. He has always been drawn to the history of the Great Lakes and considers this place to be his home.

“Where I grew up had a similar feel to where I am now,” says Cooper, referring to his current home in Bayfield, Wisc. “There were lots of orchards, good ‘big lake’ fishing, summer tourism, and the expected long winters.”

Cooper completed his undergrad at UW Madison, before moving to the southeast to finish grad school at North Carolina. Shortly after graduation, Cooper took a job excavating a revolutionary war battleship for the state of Virginia, which is where he got his start in marine archeology.

“It was a little bit of being in the right place at the right time,” says Cooper, referring to his early involvement with Wisconsin’s underwater archeology program and the U.S. Navy’s marine archeological program, respectively.

“Right around the time that I was gaining experience working for the state of Virginia,” continues Cooper, “federal legislation passed regarding the preservation of shipwrecks. This was when the Titanic was discovered, which sparked a realization that there were lots of historical shipwrecks in American waters that, up until then, had not received much protection or even recognition as historical resources.”

Cooper has had a storied career as an archeologist and as a cultural resource specialist with the NPS. Prior to his time with the NPS, Cooper founded Wisconsin’s underwater archeology program; helped create the U.S. Navy’s marine archeology program that focuses on submerged revolutionary war, civil war, and WWII sites; and spent time in Great Britain doing medieval archeology on “fortifications, monasteries, and other archeological sites from similar periods.”

In 1998 Cooper became the Archeologist and Cultural Resource Specialist at Grand Portage National Monument, a position he held for over a decade. While working at Grand Portage, Cooper also became involved with the North House Folk School, joining, among other things, in a cooperative effort between the North House and the NPS to reconstruct a historic Mackinaw boat.

“Doing archeology in the Minnesota Northwoods is like finding a needle in a haystack,” says Cooper, “more so then, let’s say, excavating a shipwreck or a medieval monastery.”

“The archeological remains [around Grand Portage] are subtle,” continues Cooper, “and what people left behind is very sparse. Sometimes all we find are stains in the soil, or maybe a few scattered piles of artifacts.”

Much of Cooper’s archeological work from his time on the North Shore is on display today in the new visitor’s center at the Grand Portage National Monument. It is well worth the visit for anyone who has yet to experience the new exhibits.

In 2010, Cooper transitioned to his current role with the NPS on the South Shore preserving the cultural resources of the Apostle Islands.

“I went from working in a fairly small park unit in Grand Portage,” says Cooper, “to working at the Apostle Islands, an area the size of Rocky Mountain National Park.”

“In Grand Portage,” continues Cooper, “my job was defined by intensive work on a very focused and specific area. In the Apostles, now, my work covers a much broader area with bigger environmental and archeological challenges to overcome.”

Working for the NPS as a cultural resource specialist has required Cooper to “wear many hats.” In addition to working as an archeologist for the parks that he is involved with, Cooper serves as historian, manages the museum’s collections and archives, is responsible for “environmental compliance and reviews” of actions taken by or within the park, and has responsibilities related to programming and special events.

Today, much of Cooper’s work in the Apostle Islands revolves around the restoration of historic lighthouses on the islands—a multiyear, multi-million-dollar endeavor that has been ongoing for quite a few years now.

Outside of lighthouse preservation, though, Cooper has a number of other projects on his plate, including excavating sites from the time when the Apostle Islands first emerged from the Lake 5,000-6,000 years ago and overseeing a traditional blueberry burn on Stockton Island.

“Studying the earliest sites on the Apostle Islands is a very important opportunity for us,” says Cooper, “but perhaps even more so for the tribes.”

“The tribes,” continues Cooper, “have been particularly excited about the recently discovered ancient heritage sites, and furthering their understanding of how long their ancestors have been a part of this area, using the waters and Islands of Lake Superior.”

To learn more about the Apostle Islands and David Cooper’s ongoing work, visit the official NPS Apostle Island website: nps.gov/ apis/learn/index.htm.

By Chris Pascone

SUPERIOR—The soft light, warm glow and gentle hum of a gas lantern burning in the night has captivated our primitive needs for generations. Everybody understands—you’re in the woods, it’s nighttime, it’s dark—you’ve got to have your own autonomous lighting out there. It’s human instinct to want the safety and security of illumination.

But for Damian Wilmot, of Superior WI, one specific lantern—the Coleman gas lantern—is the pinnacle of cool. In fact, Wilmot’s appreciation and respect for the Coleman lantern has led to somewhat of an addiction for collecting vintage models. Wilmot collects lanterns the way other people might collect art. He treasures every piece, and puts valuable time and attention into restoring each lantern to its rightful beauty. Wilmot ignores today’s plethora of battery-powered, rechargeable LED headlamps and lanterns, giving preference instead to the “timeless” gas Colemans.

He’s not joking about the timeless part—Wilmot’s collection of 65 lanterns (and growing) is largely based around Coleman models made in the 1920s. For Wilmot, the older—the better. But how did he get started collecting the lanterns?

“I’ve always had Coleman gas lanterns, starting from my Boy Scout days as a teenager,” says Wilmot. “Then, about 25 years ago, I stopped at a rummage sale, and they had an old Coleman lantern there for five bucks. I’d never seen one that looked like that—it looked really old and super cool. So, I grabbed it, but I never really did get it running. Then, about six years ago, a friend posted some photos of an old Coleman lantern with a nickel-plated fount, like the one I had standing on my fireplace mantel. I sent him a couple photos of my lantern, and asked ‘Is this something you would like to get going for me?’ He texted me right back and said ‘Yah, that’s a Coleman 427. It was made in October of 1926.’ The next time he came up here fishing, he took it and got it running again, and that sparked my interest as a collector.”

Wilmot is deep into his collection.

“There are people who are far more insane about collecting these things than I am. But I do have one of the largest collections for our area,” he says.

He uses them too—he brings at least two lanterns on each camping trip, and rotates through his collection trip to trip. These are vintage lanterns from the 1920s, 30s and 40s, and they still run, thanks to the love and care that Wilmot gives them. Wilmot also has an off-the-grid cabin on the Brule River, where he spends every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. The lanterns are his only source of light there. So, all of his 65 pieces make the rotation at some point in the cabin season.

Wilmot’s goal is to get every one of his 80 to 100-year-old vintage lanterns operating in peak condition again, stating that he has “no interest in lanterns that don’t work.” Once he finds a vintage lantern for sale, Wilmot cleans it.

“They’re really a simple apparatus. If a Coleman lantern isn’t burning correctly, it’s one of three things—either the generator, the fuel pick-up, or the air tube is clogged. You can just pull them apart and inspect. I’ll soak the parts in vinegar overnight. That literally solves most of the issues.”

Wilmot enjoys the simplicity of the lanterns’ operation.

“They need fuel and air to burn. If they’re not burning correctly, fuel and air are your only problems. For a lot of the lanterns, starting from the 220B series, you can still go to Northwest Outlet in Superior and buy a generator off the shelf. The generator has been the same for the last 80 years.”

Coleman sells new gas lanterns today for $115 apiece on their website. You will also need a gallon of Coleman white gas, which runs around $18, and can be bought at any hardware store. Coleman also makes cheaper lanterns today that run off its ubiquitous propane cartridges, but Wilmot collects only the gas lanterns and he isn’t done collecting yet.

“There are definitely lanterns I’d still like to get my hands on, but I’m a lot more discerning now. Some lanterns are relatively common, like the 228F (model from the 1960s). Coleman made millions of those. So, unless it’s a nicer example than what I already have, I tend to pass on it.”

Wilmot says he’s also cleaned and shined up a number of lanterns, and gotten them working correctly, in order to give them to friends.

Note to readers with old lanterns hanging around in their basements—Wilmot says the glass globes alone can go for $75 on eBay, if they’re rare varieties. The correct, original globes add the special touch to old lanterns, and Wilmot has been known to buy a rummage sale lantern just to source the globe.

For those of you with old Coleman lanterns lying around that you want to reincarnate, another resource may be the website: oldcolemanparts.com.

Today, with gas lanterns falling out of favor to lightweight, battery-powered LED lanterns, Wilmot feels a nostalgia for the craftsmanship of old.

“It’s sad, but the white gas lantern is really kind of a relic now. The lanterns of the 50s, 40s, 30s were beautiful. They were literally hand-crafted and polished. They were mass produced, but they don’t have a mass-produced look.”

Wilmot philosophically compares Coleman lanterns to firearms, saying, “One of the things that makes these lanterns so cool to me is that they’re like guns. When you look at the original modern firearms designers, like Samuel Colt, John Browning and Paul Mauser, and what they did in the 1800s, here we are 150 years later, and nobody’s really changed what those guys did. The delivery method for a bullet has not changed significantly all these years. William Coleman came up with his lantern design in 1911, and it’s remained essentially the same for 110 years. It’s a beautiful design. It’s cool that the design has stood the test of time.”

This continuity clearly appeals to Wilmot and his personal Coleman collection is a show of respect for this timelessness.

By Michelle Miller

GUNFLINT TRAIL—It can be said there is truly nothing more spectacular than viewing the vast night sky along the North Shore. The stars are crisp and clear, planets are often visible and a rare visit from the northern lights (aurora borealis) never fails to amaze those who experience the wonders of the night.

The skies of the North Shore are so unique, the International Dark Sky Association (IDSA) recognizes a portion of the Boundary Waters to be among 19 of the darkest sky sanctuaries in the world.

The Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center, operated by the Gunflint Trail Historical Society (GTHS), in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, has front row seats to this nocturnal beauty. The museum was established nearly 15 years ago and GTHS president, David Coleman, describes it as “a world class little museum.” It is located at the heart of the BWCAW, a three-hour drive from Duluth. The site is now home to an AllSky Cam. The installation of the camera was a three-and-a-half-year project. It has been up and running for two years. A collaboration with University of Minnesota Duluth Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium and GTHS brought this complicated electronic project to completion.

“The partnership and dedication of planetariums executive director, Jessica Rodgers, continues to make the project even better each year,” says Coleman.

The camera has a fish eye lens, with the ability to provide a horizon-to-horizon view of the sky. The device takes a live picture every minute from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise. A video is then compiled into a minute and a half movie, which can be viewed online at: bit.ly/umdallskycamera. Images of the Milky Way and constellations can be seen in real time from the previous night. The camera is monitored by Coleman, who is a professor of chemistry and has a background in physics, optics and chemistry.

“Sometimes there is not much happening and other times the sky just goes crazy,” says Coleman.

He adds that the video gets views from all around the world on a nightly basis.

The Chik-Wauk Dark-Sky Committee is a newly formed group, now in the process of developing more telescope and educational opportunities to the public. Coleman and his co-chair, Emma Adams, lead a group of skilled individuals in the fields of astrology, night sky photography and constellation interpretations. The name Chik-Wauk is a derivation of an Anishinaabe word to mean a pine tree. Members of the Anishinaabe community are key contributors to the committee. More information on the committees work and a calendar of events offered at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center can be found at: gunflinthistory.org. The museum and nature center are open the week before Memorial Day through October for the 2023 season.

The GTHS partners at the University Minnesota Duluth operates the Duluth Planetarium, built between 1965-1967 with a generous donation from Mr. Marshall William Alworth to resurrect the passion of Duluth resident John Darling, who loved to stargaze and share his findings with others. The first observation dome in Duluth was created by Darling in 1917. His original telescope used in the 1920s is on permanent display in the planetarium lobby. The facility has had many additions and upgrades in recent years, including a mobile GeoDome Theater system which provides a traveling program to reach more people, particularly local schools.

In addition to traditional presentations using the classic Star Machine, the museum is expanding exhibits to create a more interactive experience of astronomy with full dome movies. Each of the shows on site feature an interpretive constellation display. Plans are also underway to restore the campus observatory adjacent to the planetarium. This new facility will include a high-powered telescope housed under a retractable dome and will be open to the public. The full schedule of events, hours of operation and ticket information are available at: bit.ly/umdplanetarium, or call 218-726-7129.