Vermilion Range Old Settlers

Sure it was hot, but I didn’t hear one complaint from the dedicated crew that was cooking up the steaming hot pots of bouya at Old Settlers this year.

Shady spots were in high demand at McKinley Park, as families and friends gathered, waiting for the signal that the bouya was about to be served.

The Vermilion Range Old Settlers tradition is alive and growing. The group sold 264 memberships this year, up from last year’s 246. The organization is open to anyone born or living on the Vermilion Iron Range.

Head Bouya Chef Nick Tekautz was once again in charge of the five large kettles, which hold close to 200 gallons of the steaming stew. Tekautz said the recipe is impossible to duplicate at home; he’s tried and failed several times.

The cast iron kettles, used only once a year for the Old Settlers picnic, may hold the key for the special flavor of the meat and vegetable soup. Their age is uncertain.

It makes sense that the magic of the metal is the key to a successful Old Settlers picnic. The picnic was started 97 years ago as a special event for the miners at the Soudan Mine, the first iron ore mine in Minnesota.

The recipe, as always, remains the same: beef, pork, potatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, celery, tomatoes, green beans, corn, peas and rice. The only seasoning is pepper. The fires under the bouya pots are lit the evening before the picnic, and once the water comes to a boil, ingredients are added following the well-tested timeline. By 11:30 a.m., the line has already started to form, and the final ingredients are added to the pots. At noon, after a brief invocation, the bouyah is carefully transferred from the kettles to clean plastic buckets, and then is ladled into the waiting kettles.

It takes less than half an hour to serve up all the bouya, but the aroma lingers in the park all afternoon.

Next year’s reunion and picnic will be the 98th anniversary, and will be held on Saturday, July 21, 2012. Plans are also being made for the 100th-year anniversary in 2014. Anyone with ideas for commemorating the special occasion should contact an officer or board member.

Jerry Chiabotti is the new president, Wesley Anderson is first vice-president and Rod Erchul is second vice-president. Stephen Tekautz joins Dean Suihkonen, Christina Hujanen, Lee Branwall, Tom Trucano, Jodi Summit, Jennifer Fredrickson, Muriel Scott and Bernard Barich on the Director’s Board. Kathy Hoppa is the organization’s secretary/treasurer.