Pither’s Point museum sites ready for another season

With summer just around the corner, Fort Frances Museum curator Pam Hawley is gearing up for another busy tourist season with the opening of the three Pither’s Point historical sites this Friday.
“On average, we have about 2,000 visitors each year,” she noted. “It is a very nice location, and people seem to like to spend the day touring the sites and just relaxing by the water.
“We have three different places visitors are able to tour,” she continued. “Fort St. Pierre is a replica of the original fort that was built in the 1700s.
“The Lookout Tower has both an amazing view as well as a display at its base that showcases what life along the river would have been like,” Hawley said.
“Lastly we have the ‘Hallett,’ which is the actual logging boat that worked the river from 1941 until the 1970s.”
Staffed by paid summer students, visitors to each site will have the chance to ask questions and learn a little about the rich history of the area.
“Though we don’t actually give tours, there is always someone around that people can direct their questions toward,” Hawley noted. “The exhibits are all very informative and really show what life would have been like during different times in our history.”
Erected in 1972, the Lookout Tower has become one of the more popular sites visited each year–despite the daunting climb people must take before acquiring their bird’s-eye view of Rainy Lake and the Ranier Rapids from 100 feet up.
“The tower is definitely popular with tourists,” Hawley said. “Of the three sites at Pither’s Point, the tower has been here the longest. Though Fort St. Pierre was around in the 1960s, it was not opened to the public until sometime in 1980.”
Open for only nine weeks, Hawley is hoping to see the same turnout to the sites this year as she has in years past.
“People really seem to enjoy visiting these [places],” she noted. “With their location and the setting, it really makes for an enjoyable way to spend the day.”
Beginning Friday, the three sites at Pither’s Point will be open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. Admission is $2 per adult or $5 per family.