Title

Gilchrist, Reba

Creation Date

September 11 2002
1940 – 2002

Description

Oral History of Reba Gilchrist, owned Birch Terrace, Seawall Court (purchased from Hans Toftey), Golf Course, etc.
OH-0045-2002

Pat Zankman: Today is September 11, 2002. This is Pat Zankman, and I am interviewing Reba Gilchrist, at the museum in Grand Marais. Reba, you have been in Cook County how long?

Reba Gilchrist: Since 1945.

PZ: How did you happen to come to Cook County?

RG: My husband's folks used to spend the summers here, with Hans Toftey's cabins.

PZ: Hans Toftey's cabins?

RG: Mm-hmm.

PZ: Would that have been in Tofte or in Grand

RG: No. Right here. Where the Seawall is right now. And so when we got married, and had our first honeymoon up here. And then he had to go into service. And so when he returned in 45, and we came up on our second honeymoon, and he decided he'd like to live here, that he liked to hunt and fish. So we contacted Bud Bent, and we always went to see Hans Toftey's place first, and then up to Skyport. And Bud says, "You know, I need somebody in the... to scale lumber and to do the bookkeeping and I need a cook." He said, "Do you cook?" I said, "Well, I cooked for threshers, in Iowa." [Chuckles.] And he says, "Well, let's try it." And I said, "Okay." So we stayed that winter in a lumber camp, ended up

Complete transcript available from the CCHS.