• Monday-What'sUP April 25 - 08:26 pm

Recently, Bob Gilreath recently took a walk on his lunch hour and snapped a few pictures along the Houghton waterfront. Of course you have to have the obligatory photo of the Portage Lift Bridge, especially when there's a good reflection in the waters below. But then Bob went right under the bridge and snapped a shot of her belly for us to see, complete with reflections underneath, too. Then Bob turned to his left and took a photo of the Smart Zone, formally known as the Powerhouse. Can anyone fill us in as to why it was called the Powerhouse in the first place? I can't seem to recall the origin of that name.

Finally, the Isle Royale Queen IV had her picture snapped as she sat waiting dockside for the day she heads north to Copper Harbor once again. Thanks for the mini-tour, Bob... I wonder how many calories we burned accompanying you on this walk?

They call it the Powerhouse because of what they used to make there (with coal) before the days of the Lift Bridge.

Now that's a lunch break!!

Isn't it wonderful to see water instead of ice?

Great pictures!!

Great pics Bob! (Mary...I burned extra calories on that walk...how about you? LOL)

cool coal info, Charlie

Very nice photos.

Beautiful spring pictures.

It was the powerhouse because UP Power owned it. It was a dance hall started by Fr William Weidrich to provide a place for teenagers to socialize and dance . Fr. Weidrich talked UP Power to renovate it so it would be fitting for dancing, Fr. Weidrich was the minister at Trinity Episcopal Church in Houghton. The dance hall was also meant to provide a place for Tech students to mingle also w/o fighting.

there weren't many fights at the powerhouse ..especially compared to the teen center in Hancock ... wow, that was a boxing match in that place.

My mom told me she use to go to dances there. She grew up in Calumet and graduated Calumet High in 1951

Dances at The Powerhouse.