The Great Lakes School of Log Building was started in 1975 by Ron Brodigan. Subsequently, Brodigan studied with B.Allan Mackie at the latter's original school near Prince George, British Columbia and later accepted an invitation to be a guest teacher at the Mackie School in 1983. In addition to the Great Lakes courses, Brodigan has taught special log building courses for several colleges, environmental learning centers, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Corps, among others. Thousands of skilled log home owner-builders and some professional log builders have been taught by Mr. Brodigan in the past quarter-century.