National Register of Historic Places

Kettle Falls Historic District

Island View, St. Louis County, Minnesota
Listed
July 16, 1978
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
78000376

About this property

The Kettle Falls Historic District encompasses a remote pocket of early-20th-century industrial and commercial activity deep in the Boundary Waters, in what is now Voyageurs National Park in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Kettle Falls is the outlet from Namakan Lake into Rainy Lake on the Canada–United States border. The portage between the two lakes served as a key gathering point from the time of the voyageurs to the miners, commercial fishermen, and lumbermen at the turn of the 20th century, and tourists beginning in the 1930s. The Kettle Falls Dam was built at the site between 1910 and 1914, and two log buildings associated with its construction remain standing. The fourth contributing property to the historic district is the Kettle Falls Hotel, built in 1913. In 1978 the Kettle Falls Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its local significance in the themes of commerce, engineering, industry, and transportation. It was nominated for its history as an isolated nexus of industry and tourism in the Boundary Waters wilderness.

Location

Island View, St. Louis County, Minnesota
48.50169, -92.64012

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCEENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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This page lists Kettle Falls Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Kettle Falls Hotel
Industrial
0.1 mi
Stevens, I.W., Lakeside Cottage
Industrial
6.3 mi
Monson's Hoist Bay Resort
Listed
7.5 mi
Levin, Adolph, Cottage
Industrial
10.9 mi
Fujita, Jun, Cabin
Industrial
11.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Kettle Falls Historic District listed on the National Register?

Kettle Falls Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 16, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Kettle Falls Historic District?

Kettle Falls Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Kettle Falls Historic District?

The period of significance for Kettle Falls Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Kettle Falls Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Kettle Falls Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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