TOURING ELY, MINNESOTA I stumbled upon someone who appeared part folklore, a bit unicorn, yet 100% real; someone who would have simply nailed any ‘survivor show’ by taking first place and leaving all the young contestants scratching their heads. Little did I know about this trail-blazing, entrepreneurial woman and the life she led, alone, in what would become the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in 1978.
Dorothy Molter, born in 1907, lived over a half-century in this primitive Minnesota wilderness bordering Canada known for hiking, canoeing and an abundance of wildlife, including wolves and black bears. Her first journey to the area in 1930 was to a fishing lodge with her father which captured her attention. Following nursing school graduation she moved to the wilderness permanently in 1934. In 1948 when Bill Berglund, owner of the Isles of Pines fishing lodge passed away, Dorothy took ownership of the lodge.
As the years went by, the federal government worked towards pursuing the BWCAW which didn’t include any inhabitants, including Dorothy. By this time, however, she had acquired friends, LOTS of friends. Thousands came via canoe every summer or by snowmobile in the winter to enjoy her company and the homemade root beer she made and kept chilled using ice hand-cut in the winter from pristine Knife Lake and stored in her non-refrigerated ice house. After receiving support from then-Senator Walter Mondale, an exception was made for Dorothy to stay until 1975. And at that time, she became a ‘Volunteer’ and was allowed to stay until her death in 1986 at age 79.
The Forest Service had earmarked Molter’s cabins to be burned before the people of Ely stepped in and dismantled the cabin and numbered each piece to be reconstructed once a site could be obtained in town. Today her root beer is still made staying as close as possible to the original recipe and can be purchased at the museum.
Dorothy’s life has been covered in books and media, including a visit from Charles Kuralt. As much of an adventurer as I may be, it’s unfathomable, for me, to think of living miles of travel by water and several portages from civilization without telephone, electricity or water. Dorothy was definitely a trail blazer and her museum is worth a visit. What a pleasure it was to learn about this amazing woman who was definitely ahead of her time. Dorothy Molter, The Root Beer Lady and so much more!
Camp Dawg 