• Friday-What'sUP June 2 - 07:18 am

Keweenaw County is dotted with rustic brown informational signs such as this one pointing the way to Eagle River, MI on M-26. Paul Roberts grabbed this photo of the list of places to check out in the little town that our webmaster calls home. Located right at the intersection of M-26 and US 41 is the Phoenix Store, where you can stop and pick up a few last minute supplies before heading into Eagle River to explore, don't forget enough film to get those beautiful shots of Lake Superior.
Today's third shot is from Jim Pytleski and gives us a glimpse at the inside of this roadside grocery store. The picture was actually taken in the winter months by the looks of the attire on the gentleman in the store shopping, but I thought it would be neat to give you and outside and inside view!

Here's another taken on a bike ride Monday.

We will have to take our time as we travel to Copper Harbor. To
think that with all of the years we've been making that trip we have
never once stopped at the Phoenix Store. I'm sure that the same
could be said for lots of places in the UP.

Strange, but one of the things I miss about the U.P. is the brown wooden signs, just like the one above, that mark areas of significance.

I have an old photo of my mother and father when they were dating (or newly married) standing next to Split Rock, near Crystal Falls, and of course, in the picture you can see the wooden sign marking the area.

Funny, the things your mind latches on to.

AND the Phoenix store has great ice cream. Of course, so does Eagle River and Copper Harbor. You can't go wrong with Jilbert's.

Great welcoming signs. Wish to be there.

That's so true, Deb!

Phoenix store and maple nut ice cream cones. YumYum!!

We were at the store last summer! kind of feels like stepping back in time :)

My grandfather used to tell stories of the Osceola store (millionare st. & US-41) It was torn down in 2000 I think.

The brown signs are perfect for the U.P.
They look to have so much history behind them, the way it should be. My father was born and raised in Eagle River, Eino J. Jarvi. I love watching the falls knowning my dad used to play in them when he was a kid. Anyone know why the falls are falling from the far right ? I visit every year and it seems the falls are always different. I still love it up there, except the flies,

The Phoenix store was where Bob and I were hailed down to help with a snowmobile accident. I pulled the tobaggon with the lady that broke her leg in two places with my snowmobile to the awaiting ambulance. We were honored as Honorary EMT's and were treated to dinner at the Mariner.

So cool, Janie! I went in the Phoenix Store last year for the first time. It was always beckoning to me, but I'd never stopped. Those little UP stores are the flavor of Up North (no pun intended, this time!).

The Osceola store is where my brother and I would buy our penny candy. Al Paulson was the owner, and in the building across US-41 he had a museum. In it there were old horse-drawn buggies, on the ceiling there were Big Lydia's and Big Louie's clothes, to show how big they were, I guess. That building is still there - looks exactly the same. Speaking of old stores, does anyone remember Saari's store in Rambletown? (sp?) Good penny candy selection there too.

And how about those wonderful ice cream cones at the Jacobsville general store? They had that little scary dock sticking out over the cliff. Uncles Wayne and Bill Kilpela, who had cottages on Rabbit Bay, would take us there every summer. No wonder we all love the Copper Country so much: memories abound.

Theres not alot of us smaller stores left any more,hello from harter's party store calumet mi est. 1929.I can remember going to luds store when i was a kid,and the co-op on pine cool old stores gone but not forgoten

I have always loved all of the rustic brown wooden signs marking things up in Copper Country! And, I love the little general store (grocery store) in Copper Harbor! It's amazing how much they can pack in there, to meet the needs of campers, picnicers, and you name it. When we get up there this summer, we'll have to try the Phoenix store & the one in Calumet.

The Phoenix Store is owned by my Aunt Arbutus Peterson and it was my first real job. I first babysat Arbutus's granddaughter while her mother waited on customers. Gradually I was allowed more responsibilties like counting cans, scooping ice cream, and pumping gas. I was really excited when I finally got to wait on people by myself. I would work every day in the summer from 10 am to 9pm for $5 a day, but it included all the ice cream, pop, and snacks you could eat. Unfortunately for my waistline I got my money's worth and then some.

The Phoenix store is a great place. We stop there sometimes on our way to Lac La Belle in the summer. Don't forget the Mohawk Superette and Chummy's in Lake Linden.

A question on the Eagle River bridge pic: is the shooter facing the waterfall, hidden behind trees? Or facing the lake (waterfall at his back.)
Has anybody noticed Google's mapping mistakes? Eagle River is labeled Houghton (but so is Houghton):
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=47.414208,-88.298578&spn=0.024917,0.056391&z=14
Kearsarge is labeled Calumet (but so, too, is Calumet) http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=47.28575,-88.409557&spn=0.024977,0.056391&z=14&om=1

It looks to me that the falls is at the back of the person taking the picture, the old steel bridge is in front of the new bridge. I remember walking from Waterworks Location to Parkside in Calumet to meet my Grandmother for Pasty's and stopping at the little store on the corner for a Pepsi on the way. I'd save all year from cutting grass and shoveling snow, in Detroit, so I'd have money when Grandma Zetsell would visit her sister Nellie Toyra , then when family would show up and we'd visit some of the old stamping grounds of the Heighes family some only marked by those brown signs or the large stone markers like the one at the Cliffs or the Houghton monumet......

Dennis, many of those sites are a mess. Whenever I need a phone # in Houghton they will automatically get houghton lake and I don't get what I want.

The wooden bridge: I understand MTU's civil engineering folks check out that bridge because of its century's old design. The old iron /steel bridge is of historic note, but that wooden bridge constructed, I believe, by boat works in Sturgeon Bay, WI, is unique for the "pins" at the bottom of both sections and the top of the arch. An informational sign,I think, would be of interest to tourists. I have 35mm. photos of the construction process. A separate note: my biking partner and I were once starting out for Eagle Harbor, having parked our car near Fitzgerald's. A couple in an RV stopped, the driver rolled down his window and asked, "Where's downtown Eagle River?" We said, "Any street you drive on." But we suggested if he was looking for a place to shop that maybe he should head further north for Copper Harbor.

The photographer is facing towards Lake Superior with the falls behind them, standing on Copper Harbour Conglomerate. Just look at what way the water is flowing......

If you want a real treat in Google Maps, type in directions from New York, NY to Paris, France and check out item #21 ;-)

Check out the pooch in the interior photo of the Phoenix store -- you just gotta love a place like that!

Is the sign new.....????? As many times as I have gone to Eagle River I don't think I have ever seen that sign.....?????

Blessings...........

Stop by the Wolverine market (Kearsarge) the place is coming along with new windows and a new paint job.It was built in 1899 and anyone have pictures or stories i would be interested.

Does anyone remember the old roadside museum near Osceola? Neat place long ago!
And yes been in this old store but was long ago. Used to go in the old Store like this one across the road from Franklin Mine. That was in the 40s when we lived 2 houses from the Quincy Mine Shaft House! Memorys pressed between the pages of time! !