Honor the Past, Enrich the Future
Cook County Historical Society Sites
The Cook County Historical Society manages and operates five unique historic sites located in Grand Marais, Minnesota, and the village formerly known as Chippewa City (Nishkwakwansing, which translates to "at the edge of the forest).
115 W. Wisconsin St., Grand Marais, MN 55604
100 Broadway Ave., Grand Marais, MN 55604
8 S. Broadway Ave, PO Box 1293, Grand Marais, MN 55604
1402 MN-61, Grand Marais, MN 55604
114 W 8th Ave., Grand Marais, MN, 55604
(Grand Marais Rec Park)
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Catch up on what’s happening at the Cook County Historical Society.
support
The Cook County Historical Society counts on your support to offer free public tours at all five of our historical sites, conduct tours to local school groups, publish books on local history, collect, share, and preserve the stories of the area, and more.
We’re collecting letters from community members and visitors to our future generations, capturing what life was like in 2026.
Thank you to our business and organization partners!
Proud Member of the Cook County Historical Alliance
In 2023, Cook Historic Cook County joined with three other historical societies in Cook County to form the Historical Alliance of Cook County.
Collaboratively telling the history of the land, its people, cultures, and their interactions over time – bringing understanding to how the cultural heritage shapes, inspires, and informs Cook County.
Cook County Historical Society Land ACKNOWLEDGMENT Statement
Cook County occupies traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of the Indigenous community. These lands were ceded to the U.S. Government by the Chippewas of Lake Superior in the Treaty of 1854, including the tribal lands of the sovereign nation of the Grand Portage Band of Anishinaabe.
The Cook County Historical Society (CCHS) acknowledges the historic and cultural impact of colonial practices. We are committed to creating an accurate and inclusive history of Cook County and all of its inhabitants.
To do this, we plan to take action on an ongoing basis in several ways:
❖ We will work to preserve the Chippewa City Church/St. Francis Xavier building and property.
❖ We will focus on sharing updated and accurate historical interpretations of the Chippewa City Church and surrounding area.
❖ We have begun the process of consultation with the Grand Portage Anishinaabe on our inventory of Native American artifacts per the new federal regulations related to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
CCHS will revise and strengthen our action plan each year - soliciting collaboration and feedback from our community. We will share this action plan with our partner organizations.
Banner image (top): Whitney Brothers Company boat at dock in Grand Marais Harbor, Cook County Historical Society