Historians tell us people called the Lake Vermilion area home, with proof found dating well before this time.

In the mid-1600's, European explorers enter the area and begin trade relations with the inhabitants.

After the American Revolution and the 1783 Treaty Of Paris, the United States was in control of the area.

In 1789 the Northwest Ordinance created the parcel of land surrounging the current Vermilion Dam Lodge: Section 11, Township 63 North, Range 17 West.

On April 24, 1820 Congress passes “An Act making further provision for the sale of the Public Lands” places the 137.25 acres (Township 63N, Range 17W, Sections 2-Lot 9, 3-SE ¼-SE 1/4 and 11-Lot 3)  that make up the area of Vermilion Dam available for sale. 

The Vermilion Falls Gold Mining Company forms; one of the many locations at which they started shafts is near Vermilion Dam. It’s on private property now- so DON'T go searching. Mining is also attempted on Gold Island and many other places around Vermilion. Areas north have a more significant gold find and the rush was on to Rainy and Crane Lakes through the Vermilion Dam stagecoach run and the dam became a “Stopping Place” on the way to Crane Lake. This is the beginning of lodging in the area. However, no serious amount of gold is ever mined and the prospectors were mostly gone by 1867.

Adam Pekoski is the first person to homestead the area known as Vermilion Dam. He purchases 137.25 acres from the United States Government for $175. Shown is Certificate 11258, the actual document for the original land sale.

Pekoski sells the land (63N,17W,See.3,SE ¼-SE ¼ and Sec.11,Lot 3) to Magnus Dahlston and Charles McElroy. He received $1.00 and 350 shares in the Briar Hill Iron and Coal Company of Youngstown, Ohio. In that same year, Mr. Dahlston and Mr. McElroy sold it to Briar Hill.

Briar Hill sells the land back to Pekoski! The land is sold more than ten times for prices ranging from $1.00 to $500 up until 1897.