The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-05-11
old SETTLERS
TO MARK SPOT
Committee Met at Tower to
Select Site for Memorial to
First Ore Shipment.

What promises to be the gala event
in the history of the Vermilion Range
Old Settlers Association will take place
at Tower on July 30th and will mark
the fiftieth anniversary of the first
shipment of iron ore from the range
as well as the State of Minnesota.
A monument will be erected by the
old settlers to commemorate the oc-
caSion A committee named at the
1888 meeting of the association in this
city were at Tower on Friday and ex-
amined the sites for the memorial The
committee who will have this matter
i'm charge Is composed of W. p. Chinn,
chairman; Thomas Owens, W. G. Sar-
gent, G. E. Carlson, B. o. Strchan, E.
j. Morcom and Gus Carlson. In the
absence of Gus Carlson, in Chicago with
the Arrowhead exhibit at the Wild Life
Show, Herman T. Olson acted in his
behalf.
Three sites were taken under con-
sideration and a survey and plans are
to be prepared within few days after
which selection will follow. The
monument was also tentatively agreed
upon to consist of base of iron ore
and concrete topped by slab OF Jasper
stone. This slab measures IA by 51a
feet and Is about a foot thick. The
whole weighs in the neighborhood of
two tons and was taken from the
bottom of the south drift at the mine.
1t is most beautiful specimen OF the
handsome striped jasper and will form
one OF the finest monuments in the
northwest, if selected at the final meet
ing.
A bronze plate with the dates and
other information will grace the MEM
orial The tablet will be a fitting
testimonial to the early day pioneers
of the range who devoted their lives tc
the development of the mining industry
in Minnesota. The whole will be so
placed as to give good view of the
memorial and the Soudan mine with a
possibility that a piece of ground sur
rounding will. be parked and arranged
for the comfort of tourists.
Plans for the dedication were dis
cussed at some length and special eff
forts viii be made to have state officials
present. Old timers in all parts Of the
country will be contacted and in
vitation sent them by the committee.
Governor Olson and his staff will be
rendered a special invitation to at
tend the memorial exercises which Will.
take on state wide significance.
The regular meeting Of the Old Set
tiers Association annually schedules for
the third Thursday In July will be held
as usual, the date having been changed
to correspond with the memorial date
The dedication of the monument will
probably take place at about ten o'clock
following the parade ON the way to
Mckinley Park where the usual old
timer festivities will take place. The
parade, picnic, banquet and other
features of the Vermilion Range Old
Settlers Association, a yearly celebration
alternating between Ely and Tower, win
be in charge of regular committees
named by the officers and directors of
the association.
A j. Fenske is president Of the
Association; Grant McMahan, first vice
president; W. c. Sargent, second vice
president; j. o. Mike, secretary; w. q.
Pryor, treasurer; B. o. Strachan, C. E.
Carlson, Hans Olson, E. j. Morcom, T.
E. Miller and Albert Hotter, directors.
These officers and directors viii meet
within few days and arrange for the
annual celebration and appoint the
committees to have charge of the same.