Opened in 1938, the Community Center was the hub for civic activities and included a cafeteria, public showers, the library, and an auditorium with seating for a 1,000 people. The design is Streamline or Art Moderne. It was faced with Mankato fabricated grey stone with bas relief carvings ornamenting the lower walls. The large glass block windows are historic to the period. The Community Center was funded jointly by City taxpayers and the Public Works Authority for a total cost of $230,000.

The Community Center was closed in 2014. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.  In 2022, a private developer purchased the Community Center with plans to restore the building.

Central School was originally located on this site and it began as a one room school house in about 1888. After a series of additions, the building was finally finished in 1895 when a major renovation was completed. Locals heralded the building as one of the best in the state. In 1920/21, Central School was closed and the building was converted to Ely’s first community center. The building was razed in 1936 to make way for the new community center.

Photos courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

In recognition of its Streamline Moderne architecture, Ely’s Historic State Theater was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. The State Theater operated from 1936 until it closed in 2008. It reopened in 2020 following a major renovation.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Tanner Hospital was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 owing to its significance in the areas of architecture, commerce, and health/medicine. Built by Finnish immigrant Dr. Antero Tanner, plans called for a modern hospital with 25 rooms. Designed with a window filled-tower, patients had a view of Shagawa Lake during their recovery.

Dr. Tanner operated the hospital from 1903 until 1906. Dr. Carrol Carpenter was the next owner and he operated the hospital from 1907 to 1909. From 1910-1950, the building saw limited use. About 1950, the building was converted into the Lakeview Apartments. The building was abandoned in the 1980s. A private developer has purchased the site with plans to restore the building.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

The historic Pioneer Mine is an abandoned iron ore mining campus on the north shore of Miners Lake. Operating between 1889 and 1967, the site was designated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Tours are given of the Pioneer Mine from Memorial Day to Labor Day on Tuesdays and Fridays, or by special request.

Bronze placards at the Pioneer Mine site and around Miners Lake describe the dense ore deposits and the many abandoned mine sites, shedding light on how the ore deposits make Ely the town we enjoy today.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020, Writing Shack was the one-room writing studio of writer and conservationist Sigurd F. Olson. He used the studio from 1937 until his death in 1982. Access to this site is restricted, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for an appointment to visit the site.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Listening Point was the lake retreat of writer and conservationist Sigurd F. Olson. Designated in 2007 to the National Register of Historic Places, the site is referred to as a historic district because it consists of a cabin, sauna, and other contributing properties. Access to this site is restricted, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for an appointment to visit the site.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Burntside Lodge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. It was recognized for being one of the earliest full-scale resorts in northern St Louis County and for the outstanding state of preservation of the log buildings. Built from 1914 to the mid-1930s, the site was designated a historic district because of the large collection of resort buildings and the many contributing properties.

Visual Art at Burntside Lodge: Collection of Dr. Robert Reed’s historic photographs of the Burntside Lake Native Americans. The photographs date from the 1920s-1930s.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

A scow was used by the logging industry to tow timbers from the logging camps to the mills. The scow was a steam powered, flat bottomed boat with paddlewheels.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, the Bull-of-the Woods Logging Scow is the only known surviving example of this type of vessel. The Bull-of-the Woods Logging Scow is partially submerged on the shore of Hoist Bay with access via water.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Kawishiwi Lodge is a rare reminder of the small scale, family-owned resort once common in Minnesota. Located on Lake One, Kawishiwi Lodge was established in 1924 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Designated to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011, Halfway Ranger Station originally consisted of seven buildings constructed in 1934 and 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). These buildings are historically significant because of log materials and the quality of the workmanship.

Halfway Ranger Station includes the original seven buildings plus 5 additional structures. The site is listed as a historic district owing to the many buildings and structures. Halfway Ranger Station is U.S. Forest Service property located on the shores of the South Kawishiwi River. Access to this site is restricted because the Forest Service leases the property.

Nearby and accessible is the South Kawishiwi Pavilion, an enclosed pavilion constructed by the CCC in 1933. The Pavilion and surrounding grounds are lovely settings for small weddings, family reunions, and other events - South Kawishiwi Pavilion. The Pavilion is located just across the highway from Halfway Ranger Station on Forest Road 183.

Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service

North American Bear Center offers a unique experience to better understand the world of black bears as part of an educational facility. The Bear Center is dedicated to letting people learn from the bears themselves about bear behavior, ecology, and their relations with humans. The Bear Center maintains a live bear exhibit.

Photo courtesy of Corvid Images

Dorothy Molter, the Root Beer Lady, lived a remarkable life in the wilderness on Knife Lake for more than 50 years. The museum shares Dorothy’s inspirational story and history of the Boundary Waters through exhibits inside Dorothy's original three historic log cabins, hourly programs, a nature trail, birding area, pollinator, and sensory gardens. Additional learning opportunities include community open houses, classes, programs, and summer and winter trips into the Boundary Waters.

Photo courtesy of Dorothy Molter Museum

The International Wolf Center is dedicated to fostering awareness and inspiring the world about wolves. A visit to the Wolf Center is an unforgettable educational experience. The Wolf Center offers a live wolf exhibit, displays, and adventure programs.

Photo courtesy of the Ely-Winton Historical Society

Visitor Center staff offer general assistance and maintain nature displays. Access to the Trezona Trail is available from the Visitor Center.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Ely-Winton Historical Society really makes history come alive! Through their programs, archives, and the museum, you can join in celebrating and understanding the Ely and Winton areas.

Visual Art at Ely-Winton Historical Society: Gallery space for Carl Gawboy and Albin Zaverl art.

Public support was overwhelmingly in favor of a new hospital when local leaders brought the proposal forward in the mid-1950s. Mr. Abe Bloomenson made a generous gift to his hometown to make the new hospital a reality. Named in his honor, the hospital opened in February, 1958.

Visual Art at Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital: The Donor Wall features a tree that displays the names of donors on glistening leaves. In creating the mural, artist Sharon Anderson was inspired by a waterfall along the Fernberg Trail.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital

Once known as the Senior Center, the name changed to Ely Community Center in 2025 when services where expanded. A welcoming space, the Community Center offers social, civic, and recreation activities with an emphasis on meeting the needs of area senior citizens. The center is in the former Rothman Garage.

Photo courtesy of Ely Senior Center

Ely Area Veterans Memorial honors those who have served in the country’s military.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Even before Smokey Bear, the U.S. Forest Service used seaplanes to help with fighting forest fires! Seaplanes are a versatile tool that can be flown in both summer and winter. In summer, the aircraft is equipped with straight floats and a water bombing tank; during winter, the floats are replaced with hydraulic wheel skis. The current aircraft are DeHavilland Beavers.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service

The current St. Anthony Catholic Church was built in 1958. Father Mihelcic, known as Father Mike, led the fundraising for this building by raising money, little by little, over a period of years. Remarkedly, Father Mike had all the money in hand before the project even started!

The Catholic congregation was founded in 1888 as an affiliate of St Martin’s in Tower. Services were held once a month when the priest traveled from Tower. A lumber office and later a residence served as the first places of worship. In 1900, the second Catholic church was built in Ely and it was located on the site of the current parking lot. This building was used until the current church was built.

Photos courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Ely United Methodist Church has served the community for over 125 years. The church was started in 1892 on land donated by the Oliver Mining Company and was not finished until 1895 because of difficult economic times. During the Great Depression, the women of the church began making pasties to help raise funds and pasty making remains a tradition for the church today. Ely United Methodist Church has the distinction of being the oldest congregation in Ely to continuously operate in the same building at the same site.

Photo and materials courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

First Lutheran Church began in 1890 when a congregation of Finnish immigrants organized a call for a new congregation. Their first church was built in 1899 followed years later by the building of the current church in 1968. First Lutheran Church was affiliated with the National Evangelical Church which later merged with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in 1964.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

This site has been home to Ely Presbyterian Church since 1890 when a wooden church was built here. In 1924, the wooden structure was moved, replaced by the brown brick building. A team of engineers from the Oliver Minning Company designed the brick building.

According to information from the Ely-Winton Historical Society, the wooden building was almost destroyed by a forest fire in 1895 but a fortunate shift in the wind saved the building and the town. The wooden building was relocated to the corner of James St and S 4th Ave E and converted to residential use.

Photo and materials courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Grace Lutheran Church was formed from the merger in 1963 of the Bethany Church and the Suomi Synod Church. The two congregations originated in 1902 with Bethany using the Swedish language and Suomi Synod using the Finnish language. The Grace Lutheran Church building was originally the Suomi Synod Church.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

The below link features the stories of immigrant families and their businesses that were part of Ely’s original commercial district (Sheridan and Chapman streets between Central Ave & 3rd Ave). Today, the area is a popular destination for dining, shopping, and sightseeing.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

From a modest beginning in a classroom in 1922, Ely Public Library now serves the community from its own building. Opened in 2014, the current library offers a modern experience in a building designed with special attention to be attractive, comfortable, and accessible. The library was in the Community Center for many years.

The library also offers interpretative services on the Trezona Trail with Library Story Stroll; panels are located on the south side of the Trezona Trail.

Visual Art at Ely Public Library: Local artists have generously supported bringing their craft to the Ely Public Library. Displays of note include stained glass windows, pottery, a wood carving, and an original Carl Gawboy painting Trading on the Laurentian Divide.

Photo courtesy of Ely Public Library

The current City Hall was built in 1930 and many of the building’s original finishings have been preserved and are still in use. Today, City Hall contains city offices, council chambers, fire hall, and police station. The city saved for several years to have cash to pay for the project; the cost of the building was $150,000.

City Hall has a clean art deco design. There is a marble entry space with oak trim and furnishings throughout. The stunning council chamber with its massive windows and floor to ceiling wood panels is also significant. This is a jewel from the WPA era. 

In 2013, the Ely City Council approved a $2.4 million project to upgrade City Hall. The sleek black addition on the east side, houses an elevator allowing easy access to all floors. Major heating and electrical upgrades were also completed at this time. 

The current building is Ely’s fourth City Hall, replacing a magnificent Victorian era building built in 1899. The 1899 building was considered one of the show places of the Range when it was built. It was constructed of white pine lumber and trimmed with fir on the inside. The building housed an upgraded facility for fire services to support firefighting in a town made of lumber. The 1899 and 1930 city hall buildings are located on the same site.

Visual Art at Ely City Hall: Two paintings are on display at City Hall - a painting of the Ely Depot by local artist Carl Gawboy and a landscape painting by Slovenian artist Harvey Gregory Prusheck.  

Photos courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Built in 1938 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, the main floor continues to serve as the local post office. Care has been taken to preserve both the inside and outside of the building. The New Deal/Works Progress Administration (WPA) was intended to stimulate the economy by providing jobs.

Visual Art at Ely Post Office: The New Deal included an art program intended to boost morale for people suffering from the Great Depression. Here in Ely, artist Elsa Laubach Jemne received commissions for two murals at the Post Office – Wilderness and Iron Ore Mines.

Ms. Jemne was born in St Paul in 1887 and attended the St Paul Institute, now the Minnesota Museum of American Art. She was a landscape painter, a portraitist, a muralist, and an illustrator. When Ms. Jemne came to Ely to research the project, she visited the Pioneer Mine and rode the cage to the 13^th level to better understand the mine work and the underground environment. Her work in Ely took a year to complete between November 1939 and November 1940.

Photos courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Ely Independent School District 696 serves Ely and the surrounding area. The campus is located on Harvey St and now includes Washington Elementary School (built in 1908) and Ely Memorial High School (built in 1924).

To celebrate the centennial anniversary of Ely Memorial High School in 2024, the Ely Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) created a video of thirteen graduates who shared their personal stories of appreciation for the High School.

The campus on Harvey St once was home to the first high school which was built in 1905 (building became Ely Junior College), the Industrial Arts Building which was opened in 1921, and the John F. Kennedy Elementary School, built in 1959. 

Photos courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

In 1933, the South Slavonic Catholic Union built its home office on the corner of 4th Ave E and Harvey St. A handsome building of tan colored stone, it was designed in the Public Works Administration (PWA) Moderne style. The South Slavonic Catholic Union was founded in 1898 to offer sick, injury, and death benefits for miners. The name of the benefit group was later changed to the American Fraternal Union.

The Ely office closed in 2011 when the local group merged with Catholic United Financial. A developer has since purchased the building, completed restoration, and leases out the space.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

The log cabin dates from the time when resorts operated on Basswood Lake in the area now known as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). In 1976, the log cabin was moved to Sheridan St to provide a historically significant building to be used as a tourist information center. The community donated their time, talents, and money to convert the log cabin into a tourist center.

Ely Cemetery is the largest of five cemeteries in the area. The cemetery is in use today and is operated by the city.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

MN North College – Vermilion Campus is a two-year community college which is part of the State college system. Prior to the State college system, Ely operated its own junior college. Established in 1922, Ely Junior College provided students with access to an affordable post-secondary education. The Ely Junior College was located on Harvey St in the old high school building.

Visual Art at MN North College - Vermilion Campus: Carl Gawboy 1960 mural of woodland scene recreated via photography.

Photos credit of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Building community by providing learning experiences that celebrate the wilderness heritage, art, history, culture, and craft of the people of northern Minnesota.

Rail service was the heart of life in Ely. When tracks were laid from Tower to Ely in 1888, it created a way to get the ore to the shipping ports on Lake Superior and a way for supplies and people to get to Ely. The last ore train left Ely in 1967 when the Pioneer Mine closed and in 1981 passenger train ended. Ely was served by the Duluth & Iron Range Railway. The Ely Depot remains and the building is being repurposed.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Ely Greenstone is an ancient volcanic rock that is about 2.7 billion years old and is found around the Ely area. Pillow Rock is made of Ely Greenstone. The pillow shape on Pillow Rock resulted when hot lava flowed into water. The greenish color of Pillow Rock comes from the minerals chlorite and epidote. Pillow Rock is considered a unique example of Ely Greenstone.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Whiteside Park has been the community gathering spot for 100 years. Covering two city blocks, the area allows for casual use or as a place to host festivals and major events. The park has a playground, bandshell, pavilion, picnic tables, and bathrooms. Robert B. Whiteside donated the property to the city in 1915.

Visual Art at Whiteside Park: Bill Mason – Canoeing Legend by sculptor Ron Bayens and The Voyageurs by sculptor Vic Payne.

Photos courtesy of Ely Echo and Ely-Winton Historical Society

Play ball! For over a century, this phrase has welcomed ballplayers and fans alike to a favorite summer pastime. In the early 1900s, Ely and Winton recruited the most athletic men as players for the town teams. Today, fondness for playing ball continues but with an emphasis on youth programs. Veterans Memorial Field is where American Legion, VFW, high school, and community college baseball is played. Veterans Memorial Field is named in honor of those who have served in the military. Nearby are the softball and Little League fields.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Take time to relax during a visit to the shops on Chapman St. Puddlejumper Park offers
seating and tables and children are welcome to climb aboard the model seaplane!

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Ely Recreation Center opened in 2009. The Center offers a community room, outdoor ice rink, skate board park, basketball court, and a connection to the Trezona Trail.

Photo courtesy of Ely Echo

Located on the shores of Shagawa Lake, land for the park was donated from 1916-1925 by Semer Land Company and the estate of Nicholas Walch. The park was named Semer’s Park in recognition of the generosity of John A. Semer.

Initial development of Semer’s Park included grading the land, planting of trees, cleaning of the beach area, and building sites for overnight camping. During the period 1938 to 1941, funding from the National Youth Administration brought another phase marked by significant improvements, many of which can still be seen today - stone fireplaces, stone picnic tables, stone kitchen, and stone bathhouses. Updates have continued through the years and the park now provides a modern recreational experience with the addition of a volleyball court, enclosed pavilion, and bathrooms.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Opened in the 1930s as a six-hole course, Ely Golf Club is now a nine-hole course; a beautiful place in the north woods.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Trezona Trail is a 3.5 miles long paved path that goes around Miners Lake. Miners Lake was formed when the pumps used to keep water out of the mines were shut off. The water continued to rise to the current level and the lake is now a stocked trout lake.

The trail was completed in 1995 as a joint effort of City of Ely and Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB). The trail is popular for both walking, running, and biking. There is a public landing on the north side. Mesabi Trail has a kiosk and trail access on the southwest corner of Trezona Trail. The trail was named for Charles Trezona, mining official and mayor of Ely.

Going east from the kiosk, the trail offers interpretive signage featuring Library Story Stroll and Mine Markers #43A through #43E. The Mine Markers tell the history of the five Ely mines that operated from 1888-1967. The mines were Chandler, Pioneer, Zenith, Sibley, and Savoy. The Mine Markers were created by cooperative efforts of Ely Greenstone Public Art, City of Ely, a MN Legacy Grant, and IRRRB.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

The B shaft was installed in 1909 for hoisting ore from the mine to the surface where it was loaded on rail cars and shipped to Two Harbors. The Pioneer Mine operated from 1888 until it closed on April 1, 1967.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Zenith Mine began operation in 1892. Ore from this mine was high-grade, hard, red-blue, non-Bessemer ore. No 2 shaft had the structural head frame and was later used as an emergency exit and air intake. No 3 shaft was drilled in 1938 as an air or vent shaft but was later used as a hoisting shaft. The mine ceased operation in 1964.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

The first shipment of iron ore from Savoy Mine was in 1899. The mine operated until 1916. The ore body and shaft were later worked from the adjoining Sibley shaft until 1954 when the Sibley Mine closed.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

The Sibley Mine began shipping ore from No 1 shaft in 1899. No 1 shaft was later abandoned and operations continued in No 2 shaft until 1954. The Sibley Miners Dry House was where miners changed into their personal clothes at the end of a shift. The mine was owned by the Oliver Iron Mining Company.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Mining at the Chandler site began as an open pit mine where ore was dug by hand and then wheel barrowed to where it was hoisted to the surface. As the ore body dipped, shafts for underground mining replaced open pit mining. Chandler Mine had a total of five shafts during the life of the mine. In 1888, the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad began shipping the ore. Chandler Mine closed in 1942.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Once home to ski jumping, Hidden Valley Recreation Area now offers year-round adventure with skate, classic skiing, and mountain bike trails. Ski jumping was popular starting in the 1920s and ended in 2003 when the towers were dismantled and relocated to the Chicago area.

Photo courtesy of the Ski Jumping Hill Archive

Located at the west entrance to Ely, the Ely Regional Trailhead Building opened in 2025. The building offers a rest stop, information materials, parking, and provides easy access to trails including Mesabi Trail, Prospector’s Loop ATV Trail, and David Dill Taconite Snowmobile Trail.

Kawishiwi Falls Trail is a 1.5-mile round trip hiking trail offering stunning views of Kawishiwi Falls and Fall Lake Hydroelectric Dam.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Winton School opened on this site in 1915 and closed in 1941 when children began to attend school in Ely. The building was converted to a hospital and was later used for apartments. The building was demolished in 1980 after a fire.

A new building – Winton Community Building now is located on the site. The Community Building is used for city council meetings and can be rented for events. Winton was named for Mr. Knox’s son-in-law Billy Winton.

The two major lumber companies in Winton were Swallow & Hopkins Lumber Company and Knox Lumber (later St Croix Lumber & Manufacturing Company). Considered a lumberman’s dream, Winton was surrounded by timber and connected to water via the Shagawa and Kawishiwi rivers and Fall Lake. The water was important for moving the timbers from the forest to the mills and for providing electric power. The lumber mills operated from the 1890s to early in the 1920s when timber became scarce. With loggers and mills workers no longer needed, many houses in Winton were moved to other places, such as Ely, to support the mining industry.

Visual Art at Winton Community Building: In homage to the logging industry, the Lumberjack Statue greets visitors to Winton. Estimated to be 15 feet tall, the Lumberjack stands at the corner of Main St and Hwy 169 as you enter Winton.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Winton Church was built in 1902 by St. Croix Lumber Company and Swallow and Hopkins Lumber Company because there were too many taverns and no church according to the women in the community. The Church started out as a Methodist Church and was also used for community events. It was commonly known as the ME Church.

In 1956 the Winton Community Club purchased the building. The Club completed repairs, built a kitchen, held bake sales, social events, and Sunday school here. The Garden Club added new steps and annually planted flowers. In June of 1995 the building was turned over to the Town of Winton and now is used as a storage facility. The bell in front of the building came from the school house that was located at the southern entrance to Winton.

Built for Samuel Knox, the Knox House was one of the grandest homes in the area. The house featured large rooms, porches, elaborate cast iron radiators, and works of art imported from Europe. The house was built in the 1890s in the Shingle Style, part of the Craftsman movement. Samuel Knox was Superintendent of the Knox Lumber Company.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Knox Lumber Company began operations about 1892 in Winton and sold the business a few years later to the Torinus brothers from Stillwater who renamed it St Croix Lumber Company. The final owner expanded business to include a lumber yard and operated as St Croix Lumber & Manufacturing Company from 1910 to 1923. With lumber in short supply, the company closed in 1923 and the property was dismantled and sold.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

The building was moved from Basswood Lake when the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was created. The building is now used as an event space.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Before public schools existed, company schools were the norm for children in a frontier town. Located on the point on Fall Lake, the company school for Swallow & Hopkins Company opened in the 1890s. This school closed about 1915 when the Winton Public School opened. The building is now a private residence.

Swallow & Hopkins opened their mill along the shores of Fall Lake in 1899. Logging was a big part of the mill business, and Swallow & Hopkins operated over fifty logging camps during the winters. At peak production in 1914, Swallow & Hopkins employed 200 workers in the mill and up to 800 workers in logging operations. Swallow & Hopkins closed in 1922 and the property was dismantled for use elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

To create a shaft for the Zenith Mine, a drill bored through hard greenstone and chert. When the drill was pulled out, it contained a core, a piece of which remains at this site. The core sample is estimated to weigh about 11 tons and was drilled in 1938. The drill used was an invention that could drill a five-foot diameter hole compared to earlier drills that could take samples only inches in diameter.

Information courtesy of Zenith Mine Core Earthcache
Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Located a block north of the Methodist Church is the house built for the Superintendent of the Oliver Mining Company. Built in about 1890, the spacious house has expensive finishes not seen in the homes of miners. The house now is private property.

As a general note, many houses in Ely are referred to by the name of the original owner. Also, it was common for houses to be moved from their original lot when mining ceased in a location, thus, making it difficult to know all details about a building.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

The Trezona House sits on a hillside with views of all of Ely’s mines. The house was built for Captain Charles Trezona, a person of great influence on the Iron Range. He was General Superintendent of several Range mines including the Pioneer Mine in Ely. Trezona was active in civic affairs, serving on the city council and was elected mayor in 1913 and 1930. Born in Cornwall England in 1863, Trezona died in 1931 and is buried at the Ely Cemetery. The house now is private property.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

The Pay Master Station House was once the headquarters for mine business activities. A large building, it contained offices, record storage, and multiple vaults. The front of the building has been modified for residential use. The house now is a private residence.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

In springtime, children visited the Skala home to see the yard filled with crocuses, apparently a sight to behold! The house sits on a corner lot and has many fine features including an interesting fireplace and the woodwork is Southern Yellow Pine in the American classic design. The house appears to be a California style home, like the nearby Pete House. The home was built by Jake and Anna Barich Skala were both from the Ely area. The house is now a private residence.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Jacob Pete’s house started its life as a hospital in Section 30 which is just east of Winton. The house was sawn in half for the move to Ely. An example of the California bungalow style, the house is thought to be a pre-cut home manufactured by either Sears or the Aladdin Company. Born in the area in 1896, Pete was a World War I veteran, local business owner, and elected official. Pete died in 1988 and is buried at the Ely Cemetery. The house is now a private residence.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

Built in the 1920s as the Zenith Mine Superintendent’s home, this house sits on a large lot across the street from the school campus. Ben and Jessie Richards were long-time residents of the house. The Richards lived here while Ben worked for the Zenith Mine and then purchased the house in the 1960s when the mine closed. According to an oral history transcript, Ben loved working in the underground mine. The house is now a private residence.

Photo courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society

The Fenske House on Chapman St is one of the oldest and finest homes in Ely. The house was built by August J. Fenske in the early 189Os for his bride Ella Wilson Fenske. Both August and Ella were accomplished residents; August owned a hardware and furniture business and was active on local boards. Ella was an early school teacher in Ely. Born in Michigan in the 1860s, August died in 1934 and is buried at the Ely Cemetery. Ella died in 1912 and is buried at the Ely Cemetery. The house is now a private residence.

Photos courtesy of Ely-Winton Historical Society