Fish Tugs of the Greatest Lake

Commercial Fishermen of the Bayfield Area
Past and Present

With additional information submitted from other Great Lakes ports

Pound net fishermen at work.

A continuing effort to compile a list of fishermen who worked the waters around the Apostle Islands. This list will be under constant revision; if you know of a name that needs to be added, please e-mail fishtug@cheqnet.net

Part 2: E-L

Back to Part 1, A-D

Skip to Part 3, M-Z

E

EDWARDS, HJALMER (1905-1974) A son of Olaf Edwards. Fished for a time in the early 1940s.SEE BOAT

EDWARDS, MELVIN (1903-1965) A son of Olaf Edwards. He fished with his father from South Twin Island in the early 1930s. He fished from Black River Harbor, Mich. during the 1940s.

EDWARDS, OLAF (1880-1953 ) Came from Norway in 1900, and had a fishing station on South Twin Island by 1910. In the early 1930s he purchased land on Rocky Island and moved there and continued fishing from there until 1946. SEE BOAT

EDWARDS, WILLIS A son of Olaf Edwards. He fished briefly in the late 1930s.

ERICKSON, EDWIN (1910-2001 ) A son of Martin Erickson. He fished with his brother for a short time. Later he operated fishing boats for others, before going into the marine construction business.

ERICKSON, EMIL Came from Norway in the early years of the last century. Worked for various fishermen. Was working for Carl Ludwigsen in 1912. He later went back to Norway.

ERICKSON, EMIL (1911-1985) of LaPointe, Wisconsin (no relation to the Bayfield Ericksons) fished gill nets and pound nets at Big Bay on Madeline Is. He was an accomplished boatbuilder, built several for himself, and repaired and rebuilt many fish boats.

ERICKSON, JAMES (1930- ) A son of Edwin Erickson, he worked for his grandfather, Martin Erickson, from an early age. He fished his own rig during the 1970s and 80s, then went into farming.SEE BOAT

ERICKSON, JOHN (Jack) (1934- ) The son of Melvin Erickson. He fished for many years before retiring and then farming full time. SEE BOAT

ERICKSON, MARTIN (1883-1970) He came from Norway around 1900. He fished and farmed in the Bayfield area his entire life.

ERICKSON, MARTIN (Marty) The son of John Erickson. Started fishing pound nets at an early age. Still operating in 2000. SEE BOAT

ERICKSON, MELVIN (1908-1991) A son of Martin Erickson. He started fishing with his father at a very early age, and later operated on his own until his retirement from fishing in 1963. SEE BOAT

EVANOW, ANTHONY (TONY) 1908-1988

EVANOW, THOMAS (1934-1987) A son of William Evanow, Sr. fished with his father and later bought the TWO BROTHERS from Leo and Ray Gonia, Bayfield. He fished from Corny for a few years, and then went to California to join the other Evanows there. He drowned in 1987 when his boat capsized while entering the harbor in rough weather at Crescent City. He owned several boats at the time.

EVANOW, WILLIAM, JR. (1929-1972) Fished with his father, then went to California to join his uncle Anthony.

EVANOW, WILLIAM, SR. (1904-1979) Fished at Cornucopia, WI his entire life. He built two of his own boats, the MERMAID in 1943, and the KARIN LEA in 1946. Earlier he and his brother Anthony Evanow 1908-1988 built the EVANOW BROS., a 42 ft. fish tug, and fished together for a few years. Anthony later sold the Evanow Bros. to Morris Boutin, Bayfield, and went to the West Coast and fished out of Crescent City, CA.

EVENSTAD, ARBIE (1915-1989) Related to the Frostmans; he worked for them and others in the late 1930s and 1940s.

F

FIZELL, JOHN Worked for various fishermen through the years, and fished hering on the beach at Anderson Pt. on Stockton Island in the 1940s.

FLAKE, WILLIAM A retired Chicago attorney, he came to Bayfield in the 1940s. He worked for Ted Nies for a while, and when Nies had a new boat built he bought the old one and fished for a few years. He fished a few pound nets and also gill nets.

FRIED, JOHN (1869-1952) He came from Finland around 1900 and to Bayfield in 1902. He started fishing from South Twin Island in 1909. In the mid 1930s he moved to Rocky Island, and in 1938 he bought a tract of land with Chris Hadland. He retired from fishing in about 1940.

FROSTMAN, JAMES (1930- ) A son of Ole Frostman, he fished with his father, worked for other fishermen, And acquired his own rig in 1972. He retired in the late 1990s. SEE BOAT

FROSTMAN, JOHN (1912-1977)

FROSTMAN, OLE (1988-1966) Was fishing as early as the 1920s. Had a new boat built in 1936 and operated from Anderson Point on Stockton Island for a number of years. SEE BOAT

FROSTMAN, ULDRICK (1893-1980) A brother of Ole Frostman, he fished from Bayfield during the late 1930s and early 1940s. In 1947 he moved to Wausau, Wis. and established a retail fish market.

G

GALAZEN, EDWARD (1905-1963) He fished with his brother Theodore for a time in the 1940s.

GALAZEN, THEODORE (1913-1980) fished at Bayfield during the 1940s with his brother Edward Galazen. Ted later fished on the Minnesota North Shore, at Little Marais, for a few years.

GONIA, JOHN Fished from Stockton Island in the 1920s. The father of Ray and Leo Gonia.

GONIA, LEO Fished with his brother Ray until they both retired in the late 1950s.

GOODLET, VICTOR (1927-1999) Originally from Washington Island, WI. He came to Bayfield in the early 1950s with Daniel (Dan) Lindal, and fished with Lindal for many years.

GOODLET, RICHARD A son of Victor Goodlet, he fished with Reuben Nelson while he was going to school.

GOODLET, ROBERT A son of Victor Goodlet, he fished with Reuben Nelson for a number of years while a young man.

GONIA, RAY Fished from Stockton Island in the 1930s with his brother Leo. In 1939 they had a new boat built. In the 40s and 50s they did charter trolling during the summer months.

GORDON, FRANCIS (ACORN) Worked for various fishermen, mostly during the fall herring season.

GORDON, JOHN (FOX) Worked for many fishermen over the years.

GORDON, LEONARD Worked for various fishermen from the early 1940s until the late 1980s. Also had nets of own and fished in partnership with other fishermen.

GORDON, WILLIAM (BILLY BINKS) Worked for various fishermen in the Bayfield area, and also fished his own nets with a small open boat.

GORDON, WILLIAM (BILLY) Lived on Madeline Island; he fished nets through the ice during the winter for many years.

GURNOE, JOHN Worked for various fishermen during the 1930s and 40s.

GURNOE, RICHARD JR. When his father retired in the mid 1990s he took over operation of the fishery. SEE BOAT (1) SEE BOAT (2)

GURNOE, RICHARD Worked for various fishermen during the 1950s and operated his own rig during the 1970s.

GURNOE, ROBERT Worked for fishermen during the 1940s.

GUSTAFSON, ALGOT A son of Emil Gustafson, he worked for various fishermen during the 1930s.

GUSTAFSON, BERNARD (BEN) The son of Reuben Gustafson, he fished in partnership with Joseph Duffy during the 1980s and 90s. SEE BOAT

GUSTAFSON, BERNARD A son of Emil Gustafson, he worked for various fishermen during the 1930s and also fished on his own with a small open boat in the early 1940s.

GUSTAFSON, EMIL Worked for Booth Fisheries; ran the C.W. TURNER during herring fishing and in the summer, picking up fish from island fish camps. Retired in 1937, the last year the Turner operated.

GUSTAFSON, REUBEN A son of Emil Gustafson, he worked for various fishermen and also ran the fishing rig owned by Otto Kuntz in the 1940s.

H

HADLAND, CHRISTIAN J. (CHRIS) (1884-1965) Came from Norway in 1905 and was engaged in the fishery until his retirement in 1960. He fished from Outer Island from 1910 until 1936. From Stockton Island in 1937, then from Rocky Island from 1938 until 1960. SEE BOAT (1) SEE BOAT (2)

HADLAND, CLIFFORD (1934- ) Son of Chris J. Hadland; in the fishery his entire life, until retiring in 1988. SEE BOAT (1) SEE BOAT (2) SEE BOAT (3)

HADLAND, GEORGE A son of Ole Hadland, he fished with his father before going to work with the Wis. Dept. of Conservation as a game warden.

HADLAND, HARVEY (1931- ) Son of Chris J. Hadland; in the fishery his entire life, until retiring in 1988. Senior author of this web site. SEE BOAT (1) SEE BOAT (2) SEE BOAT (3)

HADLAND, IRVING A son of Ole Hadland, he fished with his father at an early age and later operated his own wholesale fish buying business as well as a fleet of fish boats, fishing gill nets and pound nets. He was also mayor of Bayfield for several terms in the 1950s and 60s.

HADLAND, JOHN (JACK) A brother of Ole Hadland, he fished with his brother and later moved to Alaska.

HADLAND, OLE Came from Norway in the late 1800s and fished from Bear Island with poundnets.

HAGEN, JOHN A native of Finland, he fished from Big Bay Pt. on Madeline Island from the 1920s to the 1950s.

HAGEN, WILLIAM (BILLY) The brother of John Hagen and a partner in the Hagen Brothers fishing operation.

HAHN, SAMUEL He worked for various fishermen in the early 1930s and also fished pound nets from his Fishing station at Outer Island sandpoint in the early 1940s. SEE BOAT

HALVORSON, CLIFFORD Just recently graduated from high school, he is working with his father, Dean Halvorson.

HALVORSON, DEAN After working for his father-in-law, Morris Boutin, he acquired his own rig and is presently fishing trapnets during the summer months and gill nets in early spring and late fall. SEE BOAT

HALVORSON, MARK Presently working with his father and younger brother in the family fishing operation.

HANSEN, FREDERICK (1884-1939) The son of Peter Hansen, he came to the U.S. from Norway as a boy. He followed his father into the fishery, and lived his entire life on Sand Island, until his death from cancer at the age of 54 in 1939. Fred Hansen kept a diary for many years, which was edited and published by his grandson Fred Dahl as, "Diary of a Norwegian Fisherman."

HANSEN, JACOB (JAKE) A son of Fred Hansen, born on Sand Island Sept. 21, 1915. He fished with his father from an early age, and took over the fishery after his fathers death in 1939.

HANSEN, PAUL A son of Fred Hansen, he fished with his father for many years.

HANSEN, PETER He came from Norway in 1893 with his wife and family and settled on Sand Island. Having fished in Norway, he continued in that line of work.

HANSEN, SHAWN A grandson of Wilfred Peterson, he took over the operation of Wilfred's trapnet and gillnet rig in the mid 1990s. SEE BOAT

HANSEN, TROY The brother of Shawn Hansen, he worked with his brother until 1999 and then went on his own operating a gillnet fishery out of Big Traverse Bay in Michigan. SEE BOAT

HANSON, HARRY Noted in 1913 Bayfield County Press article as having a fish camp on tiny Gull Island. Sadly, the article reported the drowning of his young daughter Henrietta at that site.

HANSON, JOHN Fished from Manitou Island in the 1920s and 30s. Disappeared on the lake in 1935, age c. 45, while returning from Bayfield to Manitou.

HANSON, OLAF (BIG OLE) A native of Norway, he fished from Stockton Island in the late 1920s and into the 1930s. He operated with a small boat and used oars for propulsion. He trolled for trout and did some gillnetting in shallow water.

HEBERT, WILFRED (TUT) He worked for various fishermen in the 1940s.

HENDRICKSON, A.G. Fished in the vicinity of Outer Island in 1875. He is mentioned in Outer Island Lighthouse Log for that year.

HENDRICKSON, CARL (MIKE) (1890-1967) He came from Sweden and fished for his entire active years. He operated from Rocky Island from the 1920s until 1958.

HENDRICKSON, ELIEL (ELI) He fished with his brother, Carl Hendrickson, for a time in the early 1930s. He later on was employed by Booth Fisheries, and fished on the ice during the winter months. This being mostly in the 1940s.

HENDRICKSON, ELMER A son of Carl Hendrickson, he worked with his father from an early age, and continued fishing a few years after his fathers retirement.

HERBERT, FRANK Mentioned in Bayfield County Press as fishing from Hardwood (Ironwood) Island in 1881.

HOKENSON ROY The third member of the Hokenson Brothers Fishery at Little Sand Bay. SEE BOAT

HOKENSON, ESKEL Fished pound nets out of Little Sand Bay from the early 1930s and into the 1950s. SEE BOAT

HOKENSON, GARY The son of Eskel Hokenson, he worked in the family fishery during his youth.

HOKENSON, LEO Fished with his brothers Eskel and Roy. SEE BOAT

HOKENSON, ROBERT The son of Leo Hokenson, he fished with his father and his uncles for many years.

HOLM, EMIL A native of Finland, he worked for various fishermen his entire life, he ran boats and did net repair.

HOLZER, PHILIP Operated his own fishery in partnership with Walter Louko in the late 1940s and early 50s and also worked for other fishermen. He was an expert poundnet twine man.

HONISH, F. Operated from a fishing station on Outer Island in 1908.

HOOPMAN, CRAIG The son of Harvey Hoopman, he worked for his grandfather, Morris Boutin, for a number of years and took over the operation of the trapnet rig in the mid 1990s.

HOOPMAN, FLOYD Had his own rig for a short time in the 1940s. SEE BOAT

HOOPMAN, HARVEY Fished with his father-in-law, Morris Boutin, in the early 1970s.

I

J

JACOBSON, LENUS (1887-1950) A native of Norway, he came to Bayfield in 1907. He worked for various fishermen before getting his own rig. He fished from South Twin Island, buying the island in 1931. He sold the island in 1946 and fished from Rocky Island for a year, and then retired. He died of leukemia in 1950. SEE BOAT (1) SEE BOAT (2)

JOHNSON, BRUCE The son of Melvin Johnson, he worked for various fishermen during the 1970s and on through the 1980s and into the 1990s.

JOHNSON, DONALD He was in partnership with his brother Harry for a number of years, and later worked for other fishermen.

JOHNSON, HARRY He worked for Otto Kuntz and also fished his own nets during the winter months. When Kuntz retired he bought the poundnet rig, boat and property north of Bayfield in the mid 1940s and operated into the 1950s.

JOHNSON, HENRY A native of Norway, he came to Bayfield in the late 1890s and fished steam tugs and had a wholesale and retail fish buying business. He died in the mid 1950s. SEE BOAT

JOHNSON, HENRY, JR. The son of Henry Johnson, he fished with his father, and took over the business when his father died. He sold out of the business in the early 1970s. SEE BOAT

JOHNSON, HERMAN A native of Norway, he came to Bayfield in the late 1890s and settled on Sand Island, where he fished from until he retired in the early 1940s.

JOHNSON, HERMAN, JR. A son of Herman Johnson, he started fishing with his father at an early age. In the early 1940s he acquired a poundnet rig and started operating out of Little Sand Bay on the mainland. He fished until the early 1970s. SEE BOAT

JOHNSON, JOHN A son of Donald Johnson, he worked for various fishermen beginning in the late 1970s and And is still working in the fishery.

JOHNSON, JOHN S. (JOHNNY) A son of herman Johnson, Sr., he fished with his brother Herman for a time in The late 1950s and into the early 1960s.

JOHNSON, KENNETH A son of Donald Johnson, he operated a trapnet rig for Bodin Fisheries in the 1970s.

JOHNSON, MARTIN A son of Herman Johnson, Sr., he fished with his father from an early age, and went on his Own after returning from WW II. He fished until the late 1960s. SEE BOAT

JOHNSON, MELVIN He worked for various fishermen in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

JOHNSON, OLE In 1911 he is mentioned in the Outer Island Lighthouse Log as operating from a fish camp there. In July of 1913 he abandoned his fish rig at Sand Island, rowed to the mainland, and was never seen again.

JORGENSON, AXEL Fished with Theodore Boutin on Oak Island in 1931; drowns while returning to island from supply run when his dog sled breaks through the ice.

K

KANE, MARTIN (1880-1947) A colorful character, known as "the King of Oak Island," Kane spent many years living year-round in a small cabin at the island's sandpoint. He moved to Oak Island after the death of his wife, circa 1928, and set up his home in an abandoned lumber camp building. He gardened and hunted, and fished with a small, open boat. Unlike the long-ago Hermit of Hermit Island, Kane was said to be friendly to visitors who stopped at his island home. When he died, friends chipped in to erect a gravestone in the Bayfield cemetery.

KOVACHEVICH, ANTHONY (TONY) He worked for various fishermen from the 1940s to the late 1980s

KOVACHEVICH, JACOB (JAKE) A brother of Tony, he worked for fishermen in the 1950s.

KUNTZ, OTTO He fished pound nets and gill nets from his place north of Red Cliff during the early 1930s, and until the mid 1940s.

KUNTZ, WILLIAM (WILLIE) The son of Otto Kuntz, he worked for his father, but died at a rather young age. Otto had a new boat built in the 1940s and named it "Willie".

L

LABLANCE, EMERALD Fished out of Charlevoix, Mich., from 1940 until 1960, then at Harrisville, Tawas City, Mich. until early 1970. LaBlance was a member of a large fishing family, fishing first with his father and brother, George Sr. and George Jr. on the MISS CHARLEVOIX, then  on the MARIE M. and Leon J. out of Tawas City. He then moved to Canada where he fished from the MANVILLE L, PRIDE ( EMERALD L), PRIDE II ( HELEN EM) with his sons Paul, Mike, Joe, Peter, Shaun, Albert, Robert and Jim until retiring in 1996. He passed away in 1999.

LAGREW, ELI Worked in the fishery with Leslie Cornell for a time, in the 1940s and 50s.

LANG F. A fisherman mentioned in the Outer Island Lighthouse Log as operating from a site on the east side of the island in 1908. He was there with a partner, F. Honish.

LAPOINTE, ELI He fished pound nets from Bayfield in the early years of the 20th century, supposedly as early as 1911, by his own admission.

LAPOINTE, ERNEST (NUN) Operated in partnership with his brother, fishing pound nets and fishing herring with a fleet of several boats. SEE BOAT (1) SEE BOAT (2)

LAPOINTE, HARRY A brother of Philip and Ernest and Eli, he ran a fish company for outside interests at Bayfield in the 1930s, and also worked with his brothers.

LAPOINTE, PHILIP (PIT) A brother of Eli, he fished pound nets in the 1930s and operated with his brother Ernest well into the 1950s.

LARSEN, ALBERT A native of Norway, he worked for various fishermen in the 1920s and 30s.

LEBEL, ERWIN (CUBBY) A son of the senior LeBel, he fished and was also an accomplished boatbuilder. SEE BOAT

LEBEL, FRANCIS A brother of Joe and Cubby, he fished with the other family members from their Long Island station and also did charter trolling and boat building.

LEBEL, JOSEPH (DUFFY) He was fishing poundnets from his camp on Long Island in 1887 and continued until his death in 1930.

LEBEL, JOSEPH (JOE) A son of the senior LeBel, he worked with his father, and continued in the business, and also built several fish boats. SEE BOAT

LEBEL, LAWRENCE (CHAUNCEY) The youngest LeBel brother, he worked in the fishery for a few years.

LINDAL, DANIEL(Dan) (1900-1963) Originally from Washington Island, WI. Moved his fishery to Bayfield in the early 1950s, and operated a pound net and gill net fishery here.

LINDQUIST, WALTER (WALT) In the early 1940s he acquired a rig and fished for a short time with a partner, Elmer (Gum) Sharp.

LIVINGSTON, EARL (BUTCH) Worked for fishermen, then acquired his own rig in the 1970s and is still operating. SEE BOAT

LOUKO, WALFRED Fished pound nets and gill nets in partnership with Philip Holzer.

LOUKO, WALTER A brother of Walfred Louko, he worked for Bodin Fisheries at Houghton Point for nearly his entire life.

LUDVIGSEN, CARL (COD FISH) A native of Norway, he came to Bayfield in the early years of the 20th century. He fished, and also farmed, his entire working life.

LUDWIGSEN, EINAR A native of Norway, he came to Bayfield at an early age and worked in the fishery for an uncle and various other fishermen. He acquired his own rig in about 1939 and fished until 1946. He was not related to Carl Ludvigsen.

Please e-mail corrections or additions to bobmackreth@gmail.com