DOROTHY MOLTER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

Dorothy Molter was the last of a special breed of people, and the last legal resident of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. She believed in herself, and in her ability to take care of herself, even in the harshest conditions and facing great challenges. She lived in harmony with the environment. She respected the plants and animals with which she shared her world. Most important of all, Dorothy was willing to give of herself to anyone in need. Many a canoeist sought out medical aide from Dorothy. She probably holds the record for pulling fishhooks out of people. She tended burns, sprains, broken bones, and more serious medical problems through the years.
Originally from Chicago, Dorothy came to Knife Lake for the first time in 1930. She came to stay permanently in 1934, to help Bill Berglund operate the rustic Isle of Pines Resort. When Berglund died in 1948, the resort was deeded to Dorothy.
Due to the Wilderness Act of 1964, Dorothy's property was condemned and purchased by the United States Forest Service and she was ordered to leave the area. Her many friends and visitors circulated petitions in order that she be allowed to remain. She was granted a lifetime tenancy in 1975 by the U.S,. Congress and was able to stay on the Isle of Pines until her death in 1986.
Each year as many as 6,000 visitors from all over the world would stop by the Isle of Pines and visit Dorothy in her wilderness home. She would make between 11,000 and 12,000 bottles of root beer per year to share with her many visitors as she gained the nickname " The Root Beer Lady."
After her death in 1986, Dorothy's homestead was dismantled and transported by dogsled and snowmobile to Moose Lake and then on to Ely, where volunteers later restored two of the cabins (the Winter and Point cabins). The dreams of many dedicated volunteers were finally realized when in May, 1993, the museum was at last open in memory of this strong, kind, and gracious woman.