The Grand Marais Historical Society is raising funds to save the Pickle Barrel House before it is lost forever.  It was built in 1926 by the Pioneer Cooperage Company of Chicago and is an actual barrel, standing 16 feet tall.  It is irreplaceable.  This was cartoonist William Donahey's summer home for ten years, where he drew many of the Teenie Weenie cartoon stories. The Pickle Barrel House restoration is nearing completing but we still have funds to raise. Please help us if you can, either by a donation or purchasing some of our Pickle Barrel merchandise.

LATEST NEWS!

Pickle Barrel House Museum Dedicated July 3, 2005

It was a beautiful, breezy day for the Grand Opening Celebration and Museum Dedication! Click here to see the photos.

Follow the restoration progress on our website! Click here to see the latest photos.

Pickle Barrel Grand Opening Set for July 3
The offical Dedication and Grand Opening of the Pickle Barrel House Museum will be held on Sunday, July 3, at 3:00pm. All interested folks are invited to attend! We will have limited seating at the Greenspace right behind the Pickle Barrel, and the museum will be open for visitors after the short ceremony. Please join us if you can!

Pickle Barrel Landscaping Work Under Way
Volunteers spent long hours over Memorial Day weekend planting American White Cedar trees along the north side of the property. These will grow to 12'-15' over time and will provide a nice landscape screen. We also planted a crescent-moon shaped flower bed with native Michigan perennials and a special centerpiece - a rose bush grown from Mary Donahey's bush out at Sable Lake, where the Pickle Barrel House was originally situated. In the coming weeks before the dedication, we'll create paths through the garden area and a circular seating area that will have rustic cedar outdoor furniture, and a pump/washbasin area under the maple tree to replicate the original outdoor washing area. Finally, cedar rail fencing will be installed around the perimeter of the property.

More Pickle Barrel Merchandise Now Available!
We have a bigger selection of Pickle Barrel and Teenie Weenie merchandise available here on our website. All proceeds from the purchase of these items will go toward the Pickle Barrel House restoration project. Click here to go to the merchandise page and see what's available. You'll also find ordering instructions and shipping information.

You can also visit our PayPal link to make a donation via credit card.

Pickle Barrel Restoration Fund Receives Two Large Grants!
The Grand Marais Historical Society received two substantial grants this fall for the Pickle Barrel restoration. The Charles J. Strosacker Foundation granted the project $10,000, and the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation made a grant in the amount of $15,000. Our heartfelt thanks go out to these foundations for their generosity and vision! With these substantial additions to our restoration fund, we are approaching 70% of the total we need to complete the project in its entirety and open the museum to visitors.

Sault Tribe Donation

The Pickle Barrel has received a donation of $1000 from the Sault Chippewa Tribe in support of our restoration. Our grateful thanks go out to the Tribal members for their generosity!

Pickle Barrel Project Receives First Grant
The Upper Peninsula Sustainable Forestry and Wildlife Fund has awarded a $1,000 grant to the Grand Marais Historical Society to help with replanting the lot after the house is restored. This will actually come at the end of the project. Our grateful thanks to the UPSFWF and the Community Foundation of the Upper Peninsula, who administered the grant! We are proud to have you partner with us on this project.

It's Official! The Pickle Barrel House is now a Michigan and National Historic Landmark!
The Pickle Barrel House has been officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The barrel had already been accepted on the Michigan Register of Historic Places. Donations continue to come in for the restoration of the barrel house.

On December 12, 2003, the Pickle Barrel House became the official property of the Grand Marais Historical Society. Thanks to the generosity of the previous owner, Mr. Ed Warren, and an anonymous donor, the Historical Society was able to purchase the Pickle Barrel House and the property on which it sits. This is a major step in the restoration efforts. A fund-raising drive started in early 2004. The Historical Society needs to raise $50,000 in order to restore and preserve the barrel. You can help by sending a donation in any amount. Visit our PayPal link to make a donation with your credit card.

Tax-deductible donations can be made at any Peoples State Bank, or at any business in Grand Marais displaying a Pickle Barrel jar.

Donations can also be sent to:

Save the Pickle Barrel
P.O. Box 179
Grand Marais, MI  49839

Volunteers covered the roof of the barrel on October 4, 2003. The lower part of the barrel was wrapped in heavy plastic to prevent water from seeping in, yet allow the structure to breathe.