Dorothy Molter Museum

Dorothy Louise Molter, also known as Knife Lake Dorothy or the Root Beer Lady, lived for 56 years on Knife Lake in the Boundary Waters area of northern Minnesota. She gained national prominence due to her unique lifestyle and the root beer she made and sold to thousands of passing canoeists in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) near Ely, Minnesota. Her life and her place in the public eye were significantly influenced by the evolution of the area where she lived into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The Isle of Pines Resort

The Isle of Pines resort, where Dorothy Molter lived, was a fishing resort located on the Isle of Pines island and an adjacent island on Knife Lake in Northern Minnesota. The resort consisted of rustic cabins and was owned and operated by Bill Berglund. After Berglund's death in 1948, Molter became the owner of the lodge and lived there alone until her death in 1986.

Relocation of Molter's Cabins

After Dorothy Molter's death, her cabins were dismantled and moved to Ely. This effort involved transporting the disassembled cabins by dog sled to a point where they could be transported by other means. Today, these cabins serve as a testament to Molter's life and her unique lifestyle in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.