• Sunday-What'sUP July 27 - 10:27 pm

The history of this region is dotted with icons that appeared at a point in time, had their short season in the sun, then disappeared. Like Crestview, which we explored a few weeks back, or the Radar base at Horace Greeley, or today's subject - the fire tower above Lac LaBelle. After our family moved to the Keweenaw Peninsula in 1988, we searched around for this structure for a couple of years before realizing it had been dismantled. Thanks to Eric Stewart and James Ludos for helping us remember the way it really was.

Speaking of the Radar Base, welcome to all the returning 'alumni' who are having a reunion with former personnel who manned the Air Force operation at Mt. Horace Greeley. Yesterday afternoon we spent a little time over at the base, due to an equipment and power glitch that brought down the Pasty.NET wireless broadband network, over which these daily Pasty Cam updates flow.

Oh, and speaking of reunions, the Calumet High School Class of '58 had their 50th get-together yesterday, and I understand we'll be receiving via email an updated photo, to compare with the one seen on the Pasty Cam 10 years ago at their 40th.

There used to be a fire tower at Silver Mountain also. I've been up there since it's gone...it's still a great view.

Is anything being done with all those buildings remaining at the radar base at Mt. Horace Greeley?

Mt Bohemia fire tower was awseome,fantastic views ,could see stannard rock with binocs &excellent for star gazing & northern lights .Climbed it many times from 60s till its removal.Also miss climbing elm river tower that was near twinlakes &sturgon tower.BJG

I love it. Gimme a chance to climb it please.

The fire tower was one of my favorite places to go when I lived in the Keweenaw. Just last week, while "home" for 3 weeks, I lamented once again that the fire tower was gone as we drove by Mt. Bohemia. The view from the tower was SUPERIOR!

In the 60's I had a relative that would leave Lansing in a state Cessna and fly up the middle of the state to the Soo, then over toward Ironwood and return on a southern route and check for smoke from any would be forest fires. This was a daily occurance and led to the doing away with the fire towers throughout the state. Now it can be done with satellites..

2 to 3 times a week we would go to the tower from sandpoint road. We would climb up from mendota mine and drink spring water at various places on the way to the top. Wouldn't do that now a days. We'd spend time on the tower and then walk back to the camp. We also found by exploring the hillside on the way up or down, mine shafts. We found one that had been cut into the hillside into solid rock. The doorway was small but square and blocked off with logs rapped in barbed wire but we could still get into it and .... we are still here to tell of it.

My wife, friend and I were the last "tourists" to climb the lac Labelle Fire tower.

We arrived at the top one day just as the people were starting to dismantle it, they let us climb it then we sat and watched them start to dismantle it..

it was a fantastic view.. I believe its somewhere in Wisconsin now.

Bob - Do you remember the date when that happened?

not sure, I'll look back at my old photos and see if they have a date