Bay Area Historical Society

05/18/2026

The Smelt Fry in Beaver Bay, MN started as a fundraiser for the local fire department and to this day the tradition continues. After starting in 1958, the Smelt Fry was an annual event for many years. Eventually it stopped until 5 years ago when the Baptism River Barbecue Co. revived the event. The Bay Area Historical Society was excited to partner with Baptism River Barbecue Co to gather memories from people who had previously attended the Smelt Fry in Beaver Bay. If you have any memories you’d like to share with us, let us know so we can incorporate them for next year's event!

04/28/2026

Did you know that Silver Bay, MN used to have its very own ski slopes? Mount Rockwood drew skiers to the area from 1965 - 1972. Read more about this piece of Silver Bay history on our website in an article written by Rob, Dan, and Eric Moschet.

By Rob, Dan, and Eric Moschet Frank Moschet and his wife Shirley were natives of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and for many years before moving to Minnesota had enjoyed skiing on the slopes of Pine Mountain, in Iron Mountain Michigan. After moving to Silver Bay in 1955, Frank helped to build a small...

04/23/2026

Now available on the Bay Area Historical Society website is the book The Adventures of Rocky Taconite. Give this book a read and be taken on some daring journeys of our very own Rocky Taconite. https://bayareahistoricalsociety.com/

04/19/2026

Silver Bay Shoppers and Silver Bay News are now fully accessible on the Minnesota Historical Society Digital Newspaper Hub. Looking for a specific story or topic? Check out this resource and happy reading!

This month we added new content from Thief River Falls, Virginia, Paynesville, Silver Bay, Stillwater, Zumbrota, Cyrus and St. Paul to the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub. Happy researching! https://mnhs.info/4tSFwur

Thief River Falls times (Thief River Falls, Minn.) 1916-1919.
https://mnhs.info/4mBF8Ok

Thief River Falls news-press (Thief River Falls, Minn.) 1912-1917.
https://mnhs.info/4mClPED

Mesabi daily news (Virginia, Minn.) 1972.
https://mnhs.info/4tUTKek

Virginia daily enterprise (Virginia, Minn.) 1914-1916.
https://mnhs.info/4tWijYl

Paynesville press (Paynesville, Minn.) 2003-2008 added.
https://mnhs.info/41FBmKo

Silver Bay news (Silver Bay, Minn.) 1956-1974 added.
https://mnhs.info/4mzI7XT

Stillwater evening gazette (Stillwater, Minn.) 1947-1951 added.
https://mnhs.info/4myOfPQ

Zumbrota news (Zumbrota, Minn.) 1944-1960 added.
https://mnhs.info/41C0WzZ

Silver Bay shopper (Silver Bay, Minn.) 1958-1966 added.
https://mnhs.info/3QuOxLI

Silver Bay shopper & press (Silver Bay, Minn.) 1966-1968 added.
https://mnhs.info/48Tcr9Y

Cyrus leader (Cyrus, Minn.) 1931-1941.
https://mnhs.info/4tW15KB

Minnesota pioneer (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855 added.
https://mnhs.info/4tMFiVI

Image source:
The Minnesota Pioneer. 28 April 1849, p. 1.
https://mnhs.info/3Qt3Cxm

04/18/2026

This past week on Thursday, Brian Tofte was at the Silver Bay Public Library giving a talk on his new book Tofte: A Norwegian Immigration Story. This book is a story of Norwegian immigrants coming to the United States in search of something more. They paved their own way, enduring any hardship that was thrown at them. Give the book a read if you want to learn about the industries of the North Shore, and enjoy the stories of those who came before us.

Join us for a local author talk with Brian Tofte! https://www.facebook.com/share/18rgZz838W/

04/13/2026

Did you know the Bay Area Historical Society has a website? You can check out cool photos and articles through our site. Recently, our search for local cookbooks and memories has turned into an article. Take a peak and read it for yourself!

By Guest Contributor: Faith Rockford Nothing brings people together quite like food. We share stories over a meal with good company. A connection is made between people when someone says, “This is delicious! Can I have the recipe?”. This is a wonderful way to connect and spark community. In Silv...

04/09/2026

Once again the Bay Area Historical Society has a display up at the Silver Bay Public Library. This time it is all about Buttons and Patches! Take a peak for yourself and if you have any Silver Bay, or other local buttons, you can donate them or share them with us.

03/07/2026

Thanks to all who have been supportive and involved in the Bay Area Historical Society’s (BAHS) search for cookbooks. We are on to our next search…Buttons!

We are looking for local buttons/patches including from Silver Bay and the surrounding area. Many have already been donated to BAHS, and we would love to acquire those that you may have. Let us know if you have any!

Here are some of the ones in our collection. Which are your favorites?