FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 49 



Superior, and forty-two pound-nets were located among the islands in 

 1885, besides thirty-one more which were set aloug the shore of the 

 mainland in the immediate vicinity. 



The village of Bayfield. — Bayfield, a village of some note, about 60 

 miles in a straight line east of Duluth, occupies a desirable location on 

 the east side of the peninsula of Bayfield, 10 miles from its outer ex- 

 tremity and a little to the southward of the Apostle Islands. In 1870 

 it had a population of about 300, none of them professional fishermen, 

 but the number has increased slowly year by year. The extension of 

 the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha Railroad reached the 

 town in 1883 and gave it a new impetus. Two years later it had a 

 population of 1,250, a majority of whom were dependent upon the fish- 

 eries, although a large saw-mill furnished employment to quite a num- 

 ber of men. 



Description of Bayfield fisheries. — Owing to its location in the imme- 

 diate vicinity of excellent fishing-grounds Bayfield has for quite a num- 

 ber of years been largely interested in fishing, and the fisheries occupy 

 the attention of a majority of the citizens. According to the estimates 

 of Mr. Frank Boutin, 25 per cent, of those engaged iu the fisheries are 

 Indians and half-breeds, and the remainder are chiefly Canadians and 

 Americans. The fisheries are prosecuted during the entire year, though 

 there is little activity in winter, The season practically opens with the 

 first breaking up of the ice in spring, when the gill-net fishermen, who 

 formerly were the most numerous class, begin catching whitefish and 

 trout among the Apostle Islands and along the shores of the mainland 

 both east and west. By the middle or last of May many of these, with 

 a large number of additional men, begin setting pound-nets about the 

 islands and along the shores for a distance of nearly 100 miles. The 

 pound-net fishery began to be important about 1880, and since then the 

 number of nets has increased annually until Bayfield has become the 

 center of one of the most important pound net fisheries on the whole 

 chain of lakes. By the last of July the greater part of the pound-net 

 fishing is over, and one after another the nets are removed, the fishermen 

 again starting out with their gill nets. By the first of October all of the 

 pound-nets have been taken up and gill- net fishing occupies the atten- 

 tion of a majority of the people. 



Shipments and preparation of Bayfield fishery products. — Until recently 

 almost the entire catch of fish from both pounds and gill-nets was salted 

 and shipped to other towns on the lakes, including Chicago, Detroit, 

 Cleveland, and Buffalo. No fresh fish were shipped prior to 1876, but 

 from that date until 1883 a small quantity was shipped annually. The 

 introduction of the first collecting steamer, the N. Boutin, and the build- 

 ing of the railroad gave an impetus to this industry, and in the spring 

 of 1884 a second collecting steamer was purchased. An important trade 

 in fresh fish was soon developed. During the year 1884 about 60 tons 

 were shipped, nearly all of which went to St. Paul and Minneapolis. 

 H. Mis. 133 4 



