• Sunday-What'sUP August 16 - 08:23 am

Last week one of our neighbors here in Eagle River gave me these photos taken at the spot where now stands the Eagle River Inn. The first one is looking toward the East/North (Great Sand Bay-Eagle Harbor) and the second is from the same spot, turning 90 degrees to the right. In the bottom photo we zoom down the beach to see when cabins occupied the area that we have known as a public beach since our family started visiting here in the summers since the 60's.

These pictures are the end of a journey started two and a half years ago by the following email I received:

My father, John Henry Kline, was born in Eagle River, MI in 1923. The house he was born in was purchased by his parents, John and Margaret Kline in 1922. The previous owner was Rev. Ten Brooke. The house in now our summer home.

In the 1930's my grandfather and Mr. Gerna ran a food stand/candy stand on the swimming beach in Eagle River. Hamburgers, hot dogs, frozen Snicker bars, soda pop and other things were available. Seperate changing booths were available for changing into swimming clothes. There was a slide, a swing set and a raft out in the lake. Mr. Gerna would often entertain. He would go out to the raft, throw his hat, then dive and come up with it on his head.

Billy Burke, the artist, created the signs for the small business. He was a talented artist who was featured in "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" for being able to draw three cartoons at one time.

My father, John Kline is a native of the Copper Country, a graduate of Calumet High School and a graduate of Michigan Tech. He has many Copper Country memories to share, and is requesting that any one with pictures or recollections share them as well.

Dave Kline

I enjoyed this look back in the history of the U.P. I am especially amazed frozen Snickers were back then, one of my favorites!

Love looking back like this. My dad would have especially loved this site on Sundays as he loved to look back at all the old pictures. He talked about the "old days" so often.

Thanks for the look back in time.

I'm with Janie T on this one...they had frozen Snicker's back then?? Wow...way to go! That's so amazing.

Speaking of the Keweenaw...was up there yesterday for the People's Festival at Prospector's Paradise. (AKA..The Rock Shop).

What a GREAT time! There's a Vortex up there on the property, where we did a Healing Ceremony for Mother Earth...there was a large group of us gathered to do that, we said prayers, honored Mother Earth, traded gifts, and hugged every person there. That was facilitated by Oedith, who is doing reflexology at the Fair.

Then we were led through a Native American Heart Box ceremony, where we wrote down things we needed forgiveness for deep in our hearts, put some tobacco in the paper, crumpled it up and wrapped a piece of red cloth around it and tied a purple ribbon around that, 4 times. We were all smudged/blessed, and did a prayer, and then we brought our red/purple bundles to the Creator, and threw them into a Sacred Fire. That was facilitated by Russell, a Healer at the Fair. Afterward, Russell had us singing a Native song...very awesome.

There are vendors, all over the place, consisting of Healers, Readers, Aura Photography, (awesome stuff!) drummers, there's folks selling lots of rocks/gems and making some fine jewelry.

It really is a great stop, and the people there, leave you smiling. The energy there is just loving, caring, and just feels so darn good. You will leave with a smile!

And it's an Annual Metaphysical Gathering up there. Phenomenal stop!!

Thanks 4 sharing another bit of U.P. History. Girls bathing suits were certainly a lot more modest back then, 2.

The girl with the flower on her suit is a thoroughly "modern Millie". Don't you think so too?

I sure liked seeing the pictures above from my youth. Two of the three girls are my sisters Verona and Leona (in suits), and the younger girl is a Jarvi. She lived in a house right on the beach. The little boy is a Sneller (sp?); his parents owned the Chatterbox Restaurant in Laurium. The boat shown belonged to my pa and to Uncle August Raisanen.
I will throw in some Eagle River recollections that might be of some interest:
1) We didn't have running water or an indoor toilet, but we had the schoolteacher living with us during the school year.
2) As kids, we would go to the fuse factory and talk to Lena Tuppo (sp?); she would let us have cardboard cones from the string used, and we took all the fuse we wanted from the discard pile. Then we had fun! We unwrapped the fuse to get the powder to make firecrackers. We would tie the fuse together to make ladders for climbing trees. We even used it for rope!
3) My ma delivered many babies in Eagle River when people came to her for help.
4) Garden City Hill is as big as ever, but I remember when Model T cars had to back up the hill because the gas tank was gravity-fed. Later on, only really good cars could go up the hill in high-gear. The ice mine on this hill was a fascination to me. Sometimes we used the ice at the candy stand.
5) Our house was the first in town to have electricity and a radio. Our 32-volt Delco plant putted all day to charge the batteries for our few light bulbs. I remember Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" on the radio!
6) Lawns in Eagle River were all neatly trimmed, as cows roamed loose in town!
7) We never had snowboards in winter. We used old barrel staves put together as skimmers. They worked pretty well!
8) The Eagle River Store was always a great place. We charged our candy and groceries there. Cap Sibilsky would let us each pick out a hat from the upstairs every 4th of July.
9) Lastly, for now, is a recollection from my mother: She would always tell about the horse-drawn sleigh that was bringing black powder for the fuse factory. For unknown reasons it exploded, and nothing - and I mean nothing! - grew there for tens of years. (This was in the old Phoenix area.)
Thanks, Charlie, for getting the pictures up and the chance to share!
J.K.