Historic sawblade artifact missing from Henry’s Mill in Superior National Forest

Superior National Forest officials are searching for a missing historical sawblade from the Henry’s Mill site near Lutsen following a looting incident earlier this spring. 

The sawblade, measuring 48 inches in diameter, was taken from the Henry’s Mill site and is an item of Archeological Interest, as defined under the Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979.

ARPA Uniform Regulations states that “‘of archeological interest’ means capable of providing scientific or humanistic understandings of past human behavior, cultural adaptation, and related topics through the application of scientific or scholarly techniques such as controlled observation, contextual measurement, controlled collection, analysis, interpretation and explanation.” 

The Henry’s Mill site was first recorded in 1990 and was used as a logging mill and railroad stop. It represents the history of the area’s logging, lumber, and milling industries and is situated near a river that flows into Lake Superior, Forest Service officials said in a press release. 

Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations said the steel sawblade was damaged and rusty before the sawblade disappeared, but it is in good shape considering the artifact’s age.

Forest Service officials said in the press release that another indicator of the archaeological interest of the Henry’s Mill site and the archaeological resources is the status of this site as relative to inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. 

Any information that may help the sawblade’s recovery should be reported to Law Enforcement Officer Edward Belmore at 414-267-7810 or the tip email at sm.fs.suf-tipline@usda.gov.

Kalli Hawkins August 2, 2024