Acknowledgement

The Koochiching County Family History Book was compiled and published under the name and direction of the Koochiching County Historical Society. The decision to undertake this project was made at a meeting of the Historical Society in the fall of 1982. A short time later Pat Nash and Ray Anderson took on the job of putting together a committee to get work started on the book.

Committee
This committee of volunteers consisted of:
  • A.J. (Shorty) Carew
  • Arthur Holmstrom
  • Beatrice Fry
  • Bernice Englund
  • Bill Antin
  • Effie Hanover
  • Faye Estabrooks
  • Florence and John Bergvall
  • Florence Grotberg
  • Florence Plank
  • Gwen Sackrison
  • Henry and Eleanor Elhard
  • Hermoine Schwankl
  • J.C. Kohlhase
  • Jack Briggs
  • Joan Barkovic
  • John Ettested'
  • Katherine Schwark
  • Kelly Langton
  • Kelly Morin
  • Leonard Kucera
  • Lucille Anderson
  • Mrs. Francis Haney
  • Mrs. Joe Burdis
  • Mrs. Merriam Ollikkala
  • Mrs. Mille Foss
  • Mrs. Urban Rent
  • Olive Wagness
  • Paul A. Anderson
  • Roxanne Siats
  • Shirley Nelson
  • Stephanie Nagurski
  • Tom Barthell
  • Truman Lindvall
  • And many others who helped
Thanks to School District & County Board
We would also like to thank School District 361 for the use of 2 different school rooms rent-free for office space, and the use of desks and other equipment, and the County Board for the use of a room in the court house.

Project Publicity & Public Participation
The 1st step in getting started was to publicize the project and invite public participation. A mailing list was compiled with the help of the local electric companies — Minnesota Power and North Star Electric Co-Operative — the Historical Society's membership list and an alphabetical list of county residents supplied by theAuditor's office. There were 2 mailings of a brochure, which fully explained the project and invited family members and leaders in all walks of life to submit their stories and photos without cost or obligation. About 6,000 brochures went out in the first mailing, and another 9,000 in the second. Our newspapers and radio stations generously helped to advertise the project and explain how the ordinary citizen could be a part of it. The entire undertaking, the committee feels, was well-publicized.

Close to 700 family histories were received but in other areas of our history the response was not completely up to expectations. As a result, a number of organizations and activities that are important in county history are not represented as they should be. The committee regrets, too, that space limitations did not permit the use of all pictures received. A few written contributions had to be shortened for the same reason.

We sincerely hope that the Koochiching County history on this site will provide enjoyment for years to come. We hope, too, that the it will help in a substantial way to preserve the exciting history of our home county.

Thank You
Finally, a cordial thank-you to all for their written contributions and to the many volunteers who helped in other ways to assure the success of this undertaking.