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Fisherman's Home Fishery

people gathered at fish house, boat unloading empty fish boxes
COPPER QUEEN unloading empty fish boxes at Fisherman's Home, 1954.

National Visual Inventory Cards 50-707 / Dave Stimson

History

Fisherman's Home, located within a sheltered inlet on the southwest end of Isle Royale on Houghton Point, retains historic integrity as a representative commercial fishery complex. The site contains a collection of associated structures and objects, including a residence, guest house, fish house, net house, two helpers' quarters, privy, tool shed, store room, net drying reels, smoker, stone wall, and a sauna. The fishery was founded in the 1890s by Edward T. Seglem, a commercial fisherman. Throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s Edward's cousin Elling A. Seglem and his family spent summers at the fishery, although Elling fished more for enjoyment than commercial purposes. The Rude family fished commercially from Fisherman's Home dating back at least to the 1930s and possibly to the 1920s, apparently sharing the complex with the Seglems. Sam and Elaine Rude moved to the site in 1937 and fished with Sam's father Andrew Rude until 1944, when Sam took over the operation.


Isle Royale National Park

Last updated: February 16, 2021