Article about visiting IR

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Article about visiting IR

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Re: Article about visiting IR

Post by Midwest Ed »

"...a former Navy SEAL who recently swam his way around the park in the 48-degree water, towing camping supplies on an inflatable mattress."

That would definitely be an interesting read.

A quick search on Navy Seal + Isle Royale did pop this up:

Shipwreck Diving Isle Royale
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Re: Article about visiting IR

Post by fonixmunkee »

What's this business about abandoned cabins on Amygdaloid? I've never been.

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Re: Article about visiting IR

Post by Midwest Ed »

fonixmunkee wrote:What's this business about abandoned cabins on Amygdaloid? I've never been.
They are probably referring to the cabins on the northeast end. They are on the south side of Crystal Cove. There is a functioning dock there (lat 48.158808°, lon -88.590488°). The picture of the 2 submerged piers I think are the ones about 150 yards up the cove from this dock. I didn't think all those cabins were abandoned. I think the residents were just gone. They could be referring to the cabins that had been occupied by a ranger and maintenance person stationed on the southwest end. I spent a night in one of those cabins years ago when a friend was the ranger there. Best meal of baked Lake Trout and the best night's sleep I've ever had, at least according to my faded memory of it. Those cabins have only been vacated for a couple of years.

**********UPDATE**********

According to the NPS structure database the cabins on the northeast end were indeed vacated in 1986. That seems odd since an examination of the dock on Google Earth makes it appear that the dock has been maintained.
It's called the Mageath compound:

Megeath Lodge

Megeath Residence

********
This is the cabin on the southwest end that had been the ranger's residence

Anderson/Scotland Cabin - Previous Ranger's Residence
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Re: Article about visiting IR

Post by fonixmunkee »

Midwest Ed wrote: Megeath Lodge

Megeath Residence

********
This is the cabin on the southwest end that had been the ranger's residence

Anderson/Scotland Cabin - Previous Ranger's Residence
This is incredibly cool, and I had no idea about it. Of course I had heard about the old private resorts on the island, but didn't know them in this much detail. Plus, I found this NPS web site. Thank you very much for enlightening me, Midwest Ed.
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Re: Article about visiting IR

Post by MikeT »

This is Crystal Cove aka. The McGrath Compound. A jewel that has great potential and is not being used. This is from my book:

Crystal Cove
Located on the on the north side of the island on the eastern side, it is on the eastern end of Amygdaloid Island. There are several building including main lodge still standing along with a newer dock and several fishing boats. There are a lot of things to explore here and you can easily spend an entire afternoon walking around and looking. It is like a time capsule and looks as though everyone just walked away and left everything as it was.

When I was last there in Spring, 2012, it seems there was a lot of restoration going on and many of the lower logs were replaced on the main lodge and the roof was fully intact. There were also boards replaced on the roof of the generator building. All of the structures were well secured from the elements except for the generator building whose door and a window was open. Inside the generator building, there were many items from the lodge that were tagged from 2009 as if they were being saved to be restored. I sure hope so. This is truly a jewel on the island for history buffs.

History: In the early 1920s, George W. McGrath, a resident of Omaha, Nebraska, and an executive of the Sheridan Coal Company, built Isle Royale’s most opulent private resort on the Northeast end of Amygdaloid Island at Crystal Cove. The McGrath compound used log construction to create a rustic look, but the place was anything but wild. McGrath had installed a generator house away from the main complex so the noise would not disturb his family and their guests. The generator supplied power for electricity and for hot and cold, indoor plumbing. McGrath did not put a privy on his Island. There were three additional cabins along with a boat house and deep water dock substantial enough to accommodate the America and the McGrath’s impressive yacht. George McGrath sold his resort to the John Nixon family, also of Omaha, in the early 1930s. Nixon sold out to the National Park Service in the late 1930s, and after a period in which the resort compound was unoccupied, the Park Service allowed a fishing couple, Milford and Myrtle Johnson, to occupy and use the site in the late 1950s. The Johnsons remained at Crystal Cove until they retired in the 1980s. The Johnson’s employed a net house and installed several net drying reels. Crystal Cove stood empty after the Johnsons departure in the 1980s, and by fall 2006 and summer 2007, it had become overrun with brush and had deteriorated considerably despite maintenance by the National Park Service, which has included a new dock, some re-roofing, and painting of a few of the cabins. In July 2007 the roofing material on the main house had been breached by the weather, and the overall condition of what had once been a grand home had slipped to the point where it will be expensive and time consuming to effect restoration. [History Source: “Cultural Resources on Isle Royale National Park - An Historic Context”]
Attachments
Crystal Cove Layout
Crystal Cove Layout
Lodge Middle Cabin
Lodge Middle Cabin
Lodge Kitchen
Lodge Kitchen
Lodge Outside
Lodge Outside
Lodge Right
Lodge Right
Lodge Left
Lodge Left
Cabins by Dock
Cabins by Dock
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Re: Article about visiting IR

Post by Ingo »

On my first visit in 1979, the Voyageur II delivered ice (and other supplies) and picked up fish from Crystal Cove and other fishing camps as it made its way around the island. At the time, the stern was open over the engine compartments aft with ice boxes.
22: BI-PC-BI-RH, 21: RH-ML-DF-MB-DF, 18: MC-PC-BI-DB-RH-DF, 17: WI-IM-SB-FL-WC, 16: RH-CI-TI-RH, 14: BI-ML-CI-CH-MB, 13: RH-PI, 12: MC-CB-HL-TH, 11: WC-HC-WC, 09: MC-BI-DN-RH, 05: MI-CI-MB-DF-RH-TM-RH, 02: MC-LR-WL-CH, 01: BI-DB-RH, 79: worked RH
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Re: Article about visiting IR

Post by Midwest Ed »

Mike,

Megeath or McGrath? As an author Mike, I know you're stickler for details.

Two different NPS sources are conflicted on this. Here's a link to the source you quoted (page 65 has the source you used):
CULTURAL RESOURCES ON ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK: AN HISTORIC CONTEXT

The NPS List of Structures link says his name was Megeath
NPS List of Structures

I found this book on the History of Omaha. It lists a George W. Megeath as the Superintendent of Coal for the Union Pacific Railroad. Coincidence? No entry for any McGrath.
History of Omaha-1894

There's an Omaha obit record for George Windsor Megeath died 1931, Age 72
Lot's of McGraths in Omaha but no Georges
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Re: Article about visiting IR

Post by Midwest Ed »

Ingo wrote:On my first visit in 1979, the Voyageur II delivered ice (and other supplies) and picked up fish from Crystal Cove and other fishing camps as it made its way around the island. At the time, the stern was open over the engine compartments aft with ice boxes.
I remember the fishing camp stops as well. Fisherman's Home, on the south side of Point Houghton was another one.
8 trips, 1975 x 2, 1976 x 2, 1978, 1985, 2000, 2013
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