Day 212: Jun Fujita’s Cabin, Rainy Lake, Minnesota

📌APIA Every Day (212) - Jun Fujita, a Japanese American photojournalist and poet, constructed a cabin on Rainy Lake, Minnesota, circa 1928. The property, now within Voyageurs National Park, was purchased by Florence Carr due to laws restricting non-citizen land ownership. The original 13 by 16 foot structure, built with cedar poles and drop siding, was later expanded with a screened porch and a 7 by 8 foot log addition.

The cabin's design incorporates local and Japanese architectural elements, including natural materials, simple lines, and a moderate roof pitch. It uses dry-laid stones instead of a traditional foundation. Located 30 miles east of Ranier, the cabin was part of early recreational development in the Boundary Waters area.

Fujita used the cabin for leisure and commercial photography until the early 1940s. World War II and anti-Japanese sentiment led to his discontinued use. In 1956, Fujita sold the property to Fred and Edythe Sackett, who added a bedroom and propane appliances. The Wendts purchased it in 1973, and Voyageurs National Park acquired it in 1985.

The Jun Fujita Cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It remains largely unaltered since Fujita's time, providing historical context for Asian immigrant experiences and wilderness recreation development in early 20th century Minnesota. The cabin's preservation offers insights into the period's building techniques, recreational trends, and the impact of racial discrimination on property ownership and use by Japanese Americans.

LEARN MORE:

National Park Service: Jun Fujita

MNOPEDIA: Jun Fujita Cabin, Rainy Lake

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