It’s hidden in plain sight – a place of the “most enchanted, unusual and unique collections.”
A short drive on Lake Street in Northome however, and you will notice Clyde Lowe’s building at
once. Outside the unassuming structure are giant vintage gas station signs: Midland, Mobilgas, Phillips
66, Sinclair … with Dino on top.
But it’s the inside of the building that will surprise and delight.
Logging and car emblem artifacts line the walls, sharing space with a model of the USS Constitution,
a Hobart Reitan/Terry Boquist carved larger-than-life horse, restored vintage tractors, railroad
advertising posters in the art deco style and more, much more.
Directly in front as you enter is a brand new arrival, a replica working steam engine that used to be
displayed in a store on Howard St. in Hibbing. About six feet long, it is scaled from the steam engines
used in the mining industry; this one has lights, wheels that turn and a steam whistle.
For many visitors, it will be the history of the lumberjack from the Pacific coast to the Minnesota
northwoods that is most fascinating. When land was first cut over, trees were much larger: one display
of commercial two-man saws features the largest in the world at 24 feet, 1 inch. All logs from one
camp were marked by a unique symbol hammered into it with an iron hammer head. When the camp
broke up, the iron heads were discarded and can still be found in the woods. Some hammers had unique
brands for the logger; both can be found on the walls of the museum along with axes, picaroons, crocks,
photographs and a Gabriel horn.
The Gabriel horn called the loggers into meals, and – depending on lung power – could be heard for
up to a mile away.
Whether it is a logging camp coffee grinder or antique glass gas pump, each exhibit is fully restored,
dust- and rust-free and looks brand new. Lowe credits local craftsmen like Dave Moyer, Clarence
Ferdig, Nikki Besser and Bob Hamilton (Pine River) among those who helped put the final touches on
his collections after he has done the rough installation.
Born on a cattle ranch in western South Dakota, Lowe’s family moved to the Northome area in the
late 1960s. He went on to a 42 year career on the BNSF railroad, traveling much of the country. He
first started collecting in 1990 with toy pedal tractors and has several hundred now of all brands.
Some of the exhibits come from miles away: Lowe has friends that alert him to interesting things
from Alaska to the Carolinas. What is next on his horizon? Well, he said, there are some life-sized
dinosaurs being made in Texas…
Although the collections are not open to the public, Lowe said he would be glad to share them by
appointment by calling (218) 553-0684.