Charlemagne's Attic Sale

The Tower-Soudan Historical Society sponsors a series of sales of antique, unique and vintage items called “Charlemagne’s Attic”. This signature event is an ongoing fundraiser that helps to raise money for our non-profit organization. Named for Charlemagne Tower, the founder of the Minnesota Mining Company in Soudan–the first iron mine established on Minnesota’s Iron Range–the sale has proven to be an excellent opportunity for folks to clear out their attics, basements, cabins, boathouses and household storage areas and for other folks to take advantage of the opportunity to purchase those treasures.

Periodically during the summer months, usually coincidental with other events in the area—the Ely Blueberry and Harvest Moon Festivals, St. Martin’s Catholic Church Rummage Sale, the Tower Soudan’s Too Much Stuff Sale and the Tower City-wide Rummage Sale–the Tower-Soudan Historical Society opens the giant blue double doors of the Historic Fire Hall on Tower’s Main Street to the public and holds another Charlemagne’s Attic Sale. Patrons flock in to hunt for and purchase items that are typically unusual, historic and one-of-a-kind. All the proceeds go to fund the renovation of the Historic Fire Hall.

During the sales, tours of the Historic Fire Hall are conducted by members who give an account of the history of the building and show folks around. Since this building housed not only the “James Tippet” fire engine (ca 1891) but also the original mayor’s office and city hall, a community room as well as the city jail, visitors are able view first-hand a first-class remnant of Tower’s past history. A very unusual part of the tour is seeing the vast hand-dug underground cistern water reservoir under the old fire hall area. This is where 30,000 gallons of water were stored to use to put out fires in the olden days.

Local folks come in to shop and visit with their friends. They often can be heard telling stories of the olden days to people whose roots are not as deep—tourists, summer folks, outdoor adventure seekers, to name a few. All are welcome. If the Historic Fire Hall could talk it would probably express how happy it is to once again see the building as a focal point and gathering place for the community.