"Robert Mc Dowell has written the quintessential history of Lutsen in this handy paperback. The book is full of fascinating historical photographs and documents...as well as lots of anecdotes and memories of those who carved a world out of the wilderness." - Joan Farnam, Northern Wilds Newspaper, June 2012 Lutsen is Minnesota's heartbeat. Sometimes gentle and reassuring as a civilized small town should be. Sometimes on edge, knowing untamed wilderness lies on one side with the cold frowning depths of Lake Superior on the other. Only a thin ribbon of road stops the town from being engulfed. Lutsen's early settlers didn't even have the road. Facing fierce lake storms, winter blizzards and devastating wildfires with no medical help available, they relied on their own skills, ingenuity and mutual support to survive. Among their hardships and tragedies they sometimes found pleasure and joy. What drove them was the shared desire to build a better life. In so doing, they created a town that holds a special place in Minnesota history. Based on previously untold personal recollections and family histories, this is their story.