July 15, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald

The coming week will bring mostly cloudy skies and temperatures near the seasonal average. A soaking rain is expected on Saturday, followed by a lighter rain on Tuesday. By the middle of next week, the wind should shift from the north to the southwest, clearing the skies and bringing temperatures near 80 degrees. Looking beyond next week, conditions appear favorable. One more light rain event seems likely before month's end, after which July should conclude with pleasant temperatures and fair weather.

There is also national news that may have some bearing on our proposed weather radio station. The Department of Justice has issued an opinion that the federal government presently lacks authority to regulate radio broadcasting. With Congress thus far unable to pass legislation on the matter, the airwaves may someday become crowded with stations competing for the same frequencies. As one who hopes to soon broadcast weather reports across Cook County, I admit I would prefer fewer competitors than more.

In local happenings, Governor and Mrs. Christianson visited the North Shore and spent time with friends in the village after stopping for luncheon in Lutsen. The Trading Post filled for the occasion, where the Governor spoke of the possibility that Grand Marais might someday become a true seaport through a St. Lawrence water route connecting Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean. I had a brief opportunity to speak with him regarding the weather forecasts provided during the Minnesota Game and Fish Department's snowshoe expedition to the Brule Lake country last winter. The Governor expressed particular interest in our proposed weather station and observed that radio would soon become an important way for public officials to reach citizens across the state. I confessed that I hoped our first broadcasts would concern only rain, snow, and the occasional northwest gale.

Another matter generating discussion is the proposed road from Gunflint Lake to Seagull Lake. Supporters believe the road would encourage mineral development and settlement, while opponents argue that the country beyond should remain much as it is. Such questions seldom have simple answers, especially when both sides believe they are acting in the public interest.

Reflecting on these matters, I found myself thinking of President Lincoln, who often argued that government is at its best when it accomplishes together what individuals cannot accomplish alone. Speaking with the Governor reminded me of the weather station. Gathering equipment, securing funding, and arranging its construction has at times seemed beyond the abilities of any one person, particularly this weatherman. Yet many hands have carried the project forward. If all goes according to plan, the station will soon provide forecasts to fishermen, trappers, and settlers throughout the county. Like a road or a harbor, it will belong not to one man, but to the community that built it.

Editor's note: The photo is of Republican Governor Christianson. He was the 21st governor of Minnesota, serving from 1925-1931. In 1925, he signed a eugenics-based sterilization bill. On January 8, 1926, six women living in a mental asylum in Minnesota were sterilized. He also exchanged mailed with the Minnesota Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. In 1926, the Grand Dragon mailed him a letter about KKK members working postmaster positions across Minnesota to track citizens' activities through their mail.