Bovey, MN

About Bovey

The historic iron mining town of Bovey is on the Mesabi Trail eight miles east of Grand Rapids. Bovey had a 2020 population of 829. People generally consider Bovey to be on the north side of highway 169, because that is where the business district is, and the town of Coleraine on the south side with its respective business district, but that is not geographically accurate. The towns are side-by-side, east to west. Both towns have interesting sites for visitors.

In recent decades, the water level in the Canisteo Mine Pit on the edge of town has been rising and poses a serious threat of flooding. The pit comprises a series of 19 inactive mines that have formed a continuous lake 4.8 miles long and up to 300 feet deep. Efforts to solve the potential flooding problem for low-lying areas of town are ongoing.

Most Notable

Bovey is best known as the home of the picture Grace, the official Minnesota State Photograph, which is one of the best-known photographs in the world. The original image was a black-and-white photograph taken in 1918 by Swedish-American photographer Eric Enstrom. The photo was staged by Enstrom who asked an itinerant, elderly, white-bearded salesman, Charles Wilden, to pose seated at a sparse table on which was a loaf of bread, bowl of soup, and a book. Wilden sits with his hands clasped and head bowed, praying in thanks for his meager meal.

According to MNOPEDIA, Enstrom believed that “By highlighting Wilden’s devout posture and humble surroundings, he aimed to evoke the spirit of religious faith, thankfulness, and humility he associated with many of the newly arrived European immigrants to Minnesota.” The photo was an immediate success and is now a fixture in most churches and countless homes.

Enstrom and his artist daughter, Rhoda Nyberg, began painting over the photographic prints to make it appear to be a painting. It is mistakenly believed that the original image was an oil painting. Nyberg painted versions of the image for the rest of her life.

Tip: The Enstrom Studio building still stands at 302 2nd Avenue.

History

Following the final retreat of glaciers from northeastern Minnesota approximately 10,000 years ago, native peoples migrated north and west. The Dakota people historically occupied the area. Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe/Anishinaabe), the most populous tribe in North America, migrated westward and the Dakota moved west of the Mississippi in the seventeenth century. There were periods of peace and conflict between the two tribes, but the stream of European American settlers into their territories resulted in conflict. The U.S. Government ultimately removed both tribes from their native territories and put them on reservations.

The first major industry was the wholesale logging of the entire northeastern (‘arrowhead’) portion of the state. Mining followed logging.

Bovey was named after lumber magnate Charles A. Bovey. It was formally founded in 1904 by merchants eager to profit from the influx of miners and mining companies. Traditional mining of the adjacent Canisteo Mine on the edge of town began in 1907 and continued until 1980.

Earliest Bovey was a rough, bawdy, and grimy town of saloons and businesses. The lack of sanitation resulted in a high incidence of typhoid fever. At one point there were twenty-four saloons in town, many grocery markets, and three hardware stores. One of the hardware stores, the Bovey Mercantile, was the biggest in northern Minnesota at the time. It was opposite the town hall and is now home to Annabella’s Antique Mall.

Still a mystery as to their purpose because no records exist, there are two tunnels from Annabella’s, one to the city hall and the other to what was a blacksmith building. The lack of historical documentation has led to the most likely surmise that they were used for bootlegging and as escape routes.

Tip: One of the tunnels from Annabella’s is available for viewing by pre-arrangement.

Events & Festivities

Bovey hosts an annual harvest festival known as Farmer’s Day. Festivities typically occur over Labor Day weekend culminating with a parade on Labor Day, which is officially Farmer’s Day.