The Northwoods Forest History Experience encourages people to learn, then head into the woods

The North Lakeland Discovery Center has a new attraction. 

On Saturday, June 13, a grand opening ceremony was held for the Northwoods Forest History Experience: More than a museum. 

Shannon Van Abel observes one of the exhibits at the Northwoods Forest History Experience grand opening on Saturday, June 13, in Manitowish Waters.
(Photo by Trevor Greene/Lakeland Times)

Volunteers from the Manitowish Waters Historical Society, North Lakeland Discovery Center staff, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff and more were there to celebrate what used to be a building used in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps as barracks, but has now been transformed into an immersive experience with displays from Indigenous times and the lumbering era to get people excited to explore the forests of the Northwoods. 

Manitowish Waters Historical Society president Frank DiLeonardi said the Northwoods Forest History Experience project was in the making since 2017 and was spearheaded by historical society board member Kay Krans and Northwoods historian Jim Bokern. 

“Our big idea for the museum is to get out and explore our evolving forest,” he said.

“So that’s the idea behind get out and explore, which is why we think it’s more than a museum,” DiLeonardi said. “So we want you to come to the museum one day and then we want you, especially kids, to get out in the forest exploring things. And so we’ve documented over 100 locations in the Northwoods that you can learn about ... in the museum and then, like I said, get out there and take a bike or a hike or even a paddle (boat) and explore — have an adventure.”

Historian Jim Bokern, who was one of the main players in the creation of the Northwoods Forest History Experience, gives some context to one of the exhibits during the grand opening on Saturday, June 13, in Manitowish Waters.
(Photo by Trevor Greene/Lakeland Times)

The museum itself isn’t the biggest, but it surely packs a punch. 

There are a number of exhibits that range from Indigenous people’s ways of using the land for thousands of years to lumber and the “Great Cutover” — when northern Wisconsin was clear-cut to the extreme in the mid to late 1800s.

There are interactive exhibits in the museum and one exhibit will be a rotating exhibit, where it will change up every few months or so.

Bokern explained the significance of the building itself. 

The building wasn’t always at the North Lakeland Discovery Center either. 

It was originally located at the Palmer Lake Civilian Conservation Corp Camp near Land O’ Lakes. It was then moved to Rhinelander for the Wisconsin Conservation Commission before being moved to Manitowish Waters on Statehouse Lake for the Youth Conservation Corp and now the North Lakeland Discovery Center.

“So we called out that this building was a historic building that was really unique and worth preserving,” Bokern said. “Kay Krans and I authored a letter to the North Lakeland Discovery Center late in 2017. After that it kind of just sat for a while because no one knew what to do because it was such a big project.”

He said a committee was created between the North Lakeland Discovery Center and the Manitowish Waters Historical Society in 2019 for the project, but then the coronavirus pandemic hit. 

However, Bokern said, the committee navigated the pandemic and continued to meet virtually. 

“And then we really got a dream team group of advocates and enthusiasts together and we were really able to divide these tasks,” he said. “ … So these collaborations just lined up … there’s just a thousand pieces that fell into place. It’s really kind of cool.”

Dick Jenkins observes one of the exhibits at the Northwoods Forest History Experience grand opening on Saturday, June 13, in Manitowish Waters.
(Photo by Trevor Greene/Lakeland Times)

Bokern said he felt the event went “great.”

“I’m very proud that we began with a land acknowledgement statement for the Ojibwe and treaty rights because those are realities that aren’t included in many events in the Northwoods, even historic events, and I think it’s absolutely central to the identity of most of the communities here,” he said. “So I thought that was a great start and then it followed with a lot of great comments about the history … but also Frank acknowledging all the partners. This is a massive collaboration which is going to lead to even more collaborations going forward.”

Bokern said he believes the small communities that make up the Northwoods are stronger together. 

“These kinds of collaborations can raise the tide for all communities and we can tell these unique Northwoods stories and inform our residents and guests who come here to see us,” he said. “It’s going to be a living museum. It’s not a one and done thing.”

Before the grand opening ceremony at 3 p.m. of the Northwoods Forest History Experience, a day of activities took place. There was a guided story walk for children, Smokey Bear was there for photos, there were lumberjack songs and stories, artists were painting in the open air and multiple tours. The actual ceremony was highlighted by a log cutting  by Matt Blessing and Matt Wittry to capture the importance of the moment.

“History sometimes is just a lesson out of textbook, but we are trying to bring history to life by letting people go in and think about the different periods of this forest that we love and going out in the forest and enjoying it for what it is and seeing some of the historic sites,” Krans said. “And thinking about ‘Well what am I leaving? How am I affecting this beautiful place and what can I do to make it move forward in a way we can all share positively?’”

She said she felt it was “wonderful” to see the solid turnout of families playing Ojibwe games and using the crosscut saw reminiscent of the old logging days to cut “tree cookies.” 

Krans said the tree cookies the museum offered were designed as a symbol of the forest history experience and a memento for those who helped build the experience to take home.

She also mentioned how cool it was that the DNR had white pine seedlings at the grand opening for people to take with them as well. 

“What’s next is inviting the community to come through and get on their bikes or take their kayaks or drive their cars and enjoy the sites that we have recorded on Clio, which is an app that will take you on a tour of the forest in different places,” Krans said. “There’s over 100 Clio tours that we have created. So once you leave the museum, you can get on your phone and you can learn as much history as you want during your vacation. It’s been a wonderful collaboration between the North Lakeland Discovery Center and the Northwoods Forest History Experience.”

For more history on the Northwoods Forest History Museum, check out a Youtube video done by Bokern at the link: https://youtu.be/l-eZsSN0UTM. To learn more about the Northwoods Forest History Museum, visit www.discoverycenter.net.

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].