twice a week, he or one of his brothers took the mail trip from Two Harbors to Grand Marais. His fastest trip by dogsled was 28 hours; he once made the trip in 20 hours by boat. The Minnesota Historical Society writes: "The mail carrier was the link to the outside world for the people living along the North Shore. Everyone awaited his arrival with anticipation. He was the weather broadcaster and news teller. News of national importance or letters from loved ones were in his pack." They write of his mail delivery contract beginning in 1890: In early 1890, the Duluth Daily Tribune announced that summertime steamboat mail service was to begin from Duluth to Port Arthur. People still had to rely on rowboat, dogsled, and/or snowshoes for the delivery of mail in the spring, fall, and winter. Beargrease's rowboat replaced the steamboat after just one season in 1891. The "Star Route" businessmen, who owned the "Dixon", contracted with the Post Office Department for several mail routes. They found it more beneficial to sub-contract each route. They could make more of a profit employing Beargrease than with the "Dixon" steamship. In late 1894, Beargrease contracted with the post office directly. He won a prime contract, No. 41436, for the service extending through the winters of 1895-96 and 1896-97. He was paid $728.00 per annum. After 1899, he retired from his mail contract but still continued with his fur trading business. Personal life and death Beargrease married Louise Wishcob, a member of another prominent family in the area. Sources contradict themselves as to the number of children John and Louise Beargrease had. Some sources say they had twelve children. John Beargrease died in Beaver Bay on August 10, 1910. Tuberculosis is listed as his cause of death on his death certificate. Some sources mention that he died from pneumonia caused by saving another mail carrier by diving into the freezing waters of Lake Superior. One source reads: He made his home in both Beaver Bay and among his people in Grand Portage. He never forgot how much the people living on the North Shore depended upon the mail. One day in 1910, he went out in a storm to rescue another mail carrier whose boat was caught in the waves off Tamarack Point, near Grand Portage. He caught pneumonia after the ordeal and died soon after. His grave can be