Delighted by a savory turkey dinner with all the trimmings and sweetened by a tantalizing array of beautifully presented desserts, members were in a good mood as Peter cited membership growth (now over 700, representing nearly 500 households), the opening of the Bammert Blacksmith Shop, the acquisition of the last remaining car salvaged from the November, 1926 wreck of the City of Bangor on Keweenaw Point, and the additional restoration work at Central, all as evidence of the Society's continued vitality.
He made special note of the Society's newly launched summer educational programs. Organized by Patricia Van Pelt, the programs included a series of ten sessions for children at the Light Station, and two days of adult exploring the story of Central at that historic location. The children's sessions explored what it was like to live at a lighthouse, listened and participated as a retired commercial fisherman spun yarns and nets, made imaginative little boats as they learned of our area's exciting maritime history, and felt the wonder of discovery as they held in their hands the relics left in the Keweenaw hills by the wandering tribes of copper miners many millenniums ago.
The Central programs included what Peter described as a "tour de force' presentation of Central's geological and mining history by Society trustee Phil Medlyn; and an evocative "walk-about" of the more than century old miner family dwellings with historical architect Kim Hoagland, enriched by the interpretative skills of artist Linden Dahlstrom, both Society members. Peter noted that all the programs were fee supported, well attended, and that the children's program was additionally supported by a $1,000 grant from the Michigan Council For Arts And Cultural affairs - a major endorsement, Peter added, of the worth and substance of the Society's new educational effort.
The most exciting news of the evening was Peter's announcement that Dorothy Beck, a summer resident of Copper Harbor, and long time Society member, had within the past week sent the Society a $25,000 donation in support of the Society's restoration and interpretative work at Central. He read an excerpt from Dorothy's letter.
"Keweenaw County has been the second home for the Beck family for the last sixty years. From our base in Copper Harbor, we have enjoyed the natural beauty, historical riches, and wonderful people. As we discussed options for local projects to support, the many fine accomplishments of the Historical Society clearly stood out. . . . We decided that the Central project would be an exciting choice for our donation. . . . Please continue your great efforts to preserve the fascinating history of the Keweenaw!"
Our evening was capped by a very interesting and well delivered story of Clifton and its Cliff Mine, presented by historian and Society member Phil Mason, and based on a 400 page diary left by Henry Hobart, a young school teacher at Clifton in 1863/1864. Mason, Distinguished Professor of History at Wayne State University, a past President of the Historical Society of Michigan, frequent summer Keweenaw visitor, and author of several publications about the history of the Copper Country, told of his efforts to search for the identities and life stories of the several people of Clifton mentioned in Hobart's remarkable diary. He read several excerpts from the diary, all graphic descriptions of life in that rugged Keweenaw mining community during the Civil War.
As I traveled back to the Harbor Sunday evening, I gazed at what little remains of that once bustling mining community with a new understanding and appreciation. I also made a mental note to purchase a copy of Phil Mason's book about Hobart, his diary, and the search for the lost identities. It's Copper Country Journal.
In recognition of his many years of dedicated and diligent discovery and sharing of the history of the Keweenaw, Phil Mason was presented with the Society's Lauri W. Leskinen Memorial Award. Leskinen, a founder of the Society, is remembered as a man passionately dedicated to the preservation of Keweenaw's remarkable history, and a man possessed with the vision of the important role the Society could play in sharing that history with future generations. In his memory, the Society each year honors a person or organization whose contributions to the preservation and sharing of Keweenaw's history exemplify Leskinen's vision.
In his gracious acceptance of the award, Phil Mason noted that in his more than 40 years of involvement in Michigan history and the institutions and organizations dedicated to its preservation, the work and achievements of the Keweenaw County Historical Society have earned his high regard and respect as perhaps the most outstanding example of what a group of citizens can do to preserve and interpret the history of their community.
On that pleasant note, the Society's very successful year 2000 annual dinner came to close.
If you are not a member of the Society, and you share the joy and appreciation many Eagle Harbor neighbors have for this place and its rich history, you should consider becoming a member. In addition to assisting in the work of the Society, your membership will reward you with the Society's always interesting quarterly newsletter, Superior Signal, (Mason says it's the best such publication in the state), free admission to the Society's historical sites and museums (including the Eagle Harbor Light Station), discounts on Society publications and merchandise, and the opportunity to join like minded neighbors in the many activities and volunteer opportunities the Society offers. I'll be pleased to mail you information about the Society and a membership form. Just email your request to by clicking George.
Historical Society Secures Last Surviving 1927 Chrysler Salvaged From 1926 City of Bangor WreckEagle Harbor Life Saving Crew Defied Fierce November Storm To Rescue Shipwrecked Sailors Stranded On Keweenaw Point
Historical Society Begins Restoration Of Central BuildingsClick image to enlarge.Fall color visitors traveling up the road from US 41 to the historic Central Mine location (color is always spectacular up there) will encounter the initial building restoration undertaken by the Keweenaw County Historical Society. Miner "House No. 61" looks almost new with sagging roof, foundation and floor repairs, a restored front porch, and new siding. The siding was selected to match the original. House No. 61 is one of eleven surviving miner homes (plus the church)on the 38 acre parcel the Society borrowed $50,000 to purchase in 1997. A few of these structures are being maintained by persons the Society leases them to for the summer months, but most need a lot of work. The Society plans to use House No. 61 as a visitor center. It will contain exhibits interpreting the colorful history of the Central Mine Location and the people who lived and worked there.
Society members and friends have been generous in providing the funding for the purchase of the Central tract and the initial building restoration. Much remains to be done, including the retirement of a good portion of the purchase loan. If you can assist this ambitious endeavor, please send a tax deductible donation the the Kewwenaw County Historical Society, HC-1, Box 265L, Eagle Harbor, MI 49950.
Eagle Harbor Light Station Ownership Transfered To Historical Society
The Society expressed its special thanks to Nancy Sanderson for suggesting and underwriting the exhibit, and to her fishermen father and uncle, Edwin and Reino Erkkila, for donating artifacts and photographs. Reino (in purple shirt) took great delight in explaining the art of cutting and storing ice from the Portage Canal for safe shipping of the fish harvest to Chicago on the overnight Copper Country Limited. The new exhibit is an important addition to the Society's program of preserving and sharing the rich and colorful history of the Keweenaw and its people.