Chippewa National Forest Headquarters, Cass Lake, Minnesota

50' tall field stone fireplace (this is just the first floor)

Midway through our stay at itasca, on a rainy afternoon, we drove over to Cass Lake to see the Chippewa National Forest headquarters, a beautiful 3-story log structure built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The staircase is exquisite ice-cracked maple with burls and branch stumps, beautifully finished. The CCC made fine use of local artisans. We also drove around Cass Lake, which is the main town of the Cass Lake Ojibwe Indian Reservation.

The Headquarters is a working building.  The staff were helpful and gracious. The main floor has a fine exhibit of the building's construction and of the Ojibwe Indians. The young woman at the reception desk showed us on a map where the best eagle viewing spots were on Cass Lake.  The Chippewa National Forest has one of the largest bald eagle populations of the lower 48 states.

CNF headquarters

Cass Lake street mural

Art Deco tile-fronted building