• Sunday-What'sUP September 19 - 02:35 am

Last week's Shoebox Memory recalled the old motel across from Jacob's Falls that was washed away when a beaver dam broke above the falls. This week we look beside the falls, to the structure that formerly housed the Dow Family Restaurant. The second shot is Charlotte Dow and her fiance Leroy Belobradich in 1949 shortly before they were married.

There is an excellent article by Paul LaVanway in the current issue of the "Superior Signal", published by Keweenaw County Historical Society, which tells the history of the Dow Family. William Dow was a surface employee for Calumet and Hecla who ventured into the tourism industry in the 1940's, shortly after M-26 (Sand Dune Drive) had been completed. Besides opening the restaurant, Dow built some cabins on the other side of the highway. As we noted last week, the Bausano family constructed the ill-fated motel a short time later (1955) and for a while also operated a restaurant, until the buildings were floated away in 1971.

The Dow family rented out the cabins until the early 80's. It would be neat to hear from anyone who stayed in the cabins during those years. In 1983 William Dow sold the property to the Society of St. John, which eventually established the Jampot in the former restaurant building.

Next week we'll conclude our mini-series about this interesting curve in the road that leads from Eagle River to Great Sand Bay. It's a great time of year to drive through this area, as the colors are just beginning to change.

Have a good week :o)

Oh yes...this should be mandatory...cruising the Keweenaw in color season! I'll make my way...I'm know!

*I KNOW!* (changed part..but didn't read it first..DUH!)

Looks like a neat little place....would love to have some samples of their wares. Sharon Smith made me hungry reading about her fresh blueberry pancakes from yesterday morning.;-9

That is definitely an awesome drive this time of year. Actually, it's an awesome drive during the summer also. It's just beautiful to be riding and viewing the lake with the possibility of seeing the freighters out there. That area of the Keweenaw is just gorgeous. We stop at Jacob's Falls all the time. I never got to stay in one of the cabins, but I remember them being there, that's for sure.

Looks like the Jampot has the original door, porch and handrails too.

Alex--You're right but the handrail is on the other side of the door now. I wonder if the wood behind the couple was used to board up the window on the off season.

Shirlohio, you can order a lot of their
offerings on line. Their fruitcake is to die
for.

Love all the foods there especially the rum cake...! Like the one I forgot and left in my cabin last fall. May go there again next fall and try again.

Good morning. We love M-26, and the waterfalls and views along the way; they are gorgeous! I must admit, though, it's a whole lot prettier when the leaves are on the trees, as in when we take our son up to Tech in August, then then it is when the trees are bare, as they are when we pick him up in the spring.

My oldest son had some things he wanted me to bring back for him from the Jampot, so we stopped in, and got some stuff for us and for my youngest son, too, last month. We love their cherry butter & seedless raspberry jam, ginger cookies, and muffins! We bought samples of their Abby and lemon pound cakes. I didn't realize the latter was soaked in bourbon, or something, so it was far too strong for what I was hoping for. If I were going to soak cakes in something, it would be rum.

Thanks, Therese, unlike a lot of folks, one of my favorite desserts is fruitcake, especially at Christmastime. Mskatie, that rum cake sounds yummy, too! :9 Richard, according to the shadows, both handrails are still intact, as Alex noted.

What great memories of walking to Dows with grandpa for a pop and buyig a box of marshamellows for when we had a fire on the beach in the evening. Camp was just around the corner for Dows house.

Shirley I too love fruitcake especially a good one. Always thought about sending for one. Wonder if the Jampot would have a small one? Anyone know how to contact them about it?

kay Moore (Mskatie):
"… Wonder if the Jampot would have a small one? Anyone know how to contact them about it?"

A good start would be their link on the Pasty Central Home page (scroll down)!

Kay...google the jampot and you are on the way to having that fruitcake!

Love those Mom & Pop businesses.

Yeah, Mskatie, about fruitcakes....they'd better be good 'dark' ones, loaded with fruits and nuts. My mama used to make hers several weeks before Christmas, keep them wrapped in waxed paper, newly-purchased dishtowels, and keep them in a 'lard stand' [for those older than dirt like me, you'll know what that is ;)], and she'd 'soak' them with grape juice every night, by pouring the juice from a big spoon over them......unless there might be a bottle of wine in the china cabinet, (which was very seldom) so mostly grape juice.

Shirley my mom soaked hers in whiskey. Which always puzzled me since she never drank and was so against drink.

It was ok Mikie; soaking it removed all the alcohol.... ;-)

Everything that I have ever tasted from the Jampot has not just been good, but outstanding.

Mikie, that was the story in my mama's way of thinking also. If there was a bottle of wine in the china cabinet, it came from one of the porters (at Union Station) for my daddy for Christmas. Daddy didn't drink either.

There are handrails on both sides of the door now, and it looks like
there were in the older photo, too, judging by the shadow.