Tallman Camp

Rock Harbor

G

eorge Tallman owned a cottage in the Rock Harbor area near the Rock Harbor Lodge. Tallman was initially favorable of park establishment and was even Chairman of the Finance Committee for the Isle Royale Protective Association. Mr. Tallman likely continued to support the Isle Royale National Park movement, however, he did not agree with the purchasing agent's appraisal of his waterfront property. He also expressed disdain for the number of potential visitors to the island, estimated at 100,000 annually. Willemin wrote to Harper that Tallman probably paid too much when he initially purchased the property from Bertha Farmer and this is the most likely reason he believes his property is more valuable. While it is unclear whether George and Alice accepted any lease agreement for their property, the high purchase price makes this unlikely. The Tallman's received $3133.52 for their property and all of their land was officially transferred to the U.S. government on December 04, 1939.

The Tallman House was razed shortly after purchase to make room for a new lodge unit now present on site. Separately, Tallman owned a large island that bears his namesake at the southwest end of Tobin Harbor. At some point, Tallman occupied this island; however, prior to his purchase the location was seasonally occupied by one Gustav Sigismund, a Duluth resident and island squatter who paid the Island Copper Company for temporary use. Sigismund had built a small cabin at the southwest end of Tallman Island but never actually owned the location. The Tallman House location in Rock Harbor is now partially occupied by the Ojibway Lodge, the northeastern-most lodge unit on the Snug Harbor shoreline.

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Citations

1. Newland, Dave. 2003. Executive Summary of the Tallman Life Lease. Isle Royale National Park. Houghton, MI.