• Sunday-What'sUP June 13 - 02:21 am

Hard to believe, parade season is upon us. Seems like the snow just melted a couple of weeks ago. (oh... that's right, it did). I happened to look at the week ahead and noticed the Bridgefest parade is this Friday. And Flag Day is coming up on Tuesday. Father's Day next Sunday, then July rolls in with a cavalcade of parades: Pasty Fest in Calumet on the 2nd, Independence Day celebrations in many communities, the Chassell Strawberry Festival July 8-9, etc., etc. Our hat's off to all the parade committees busily planning for the upcoming events.

And thanks to Chris Koskiniemi for a Guest Gallery album packed with interesting old photos from the Copper Country, as well as a virtual tour of recent scenes in the Keweenaw. Today's Shoebox Memory features the Laurium Fire Department Truck with Henry Westphal at the helm, covered by a host of local kids who must be retirement age by now. Wonder if any of our Pasty Cam visitors see themselves in this shot?

Have a good week :o)

Those "Good Old fun days of a U.P. Summer" --Very nice rememberance and a reminder that Flag Day is around the corner..

God Bless the USA

must be from earlier than 1959, the flag at the back of the truck has 48 stars.

I look forward to the Chassell Strawberry Festival Parade. It's a great parade!!! Always run into people I know there.

That is Henry Westphal, street commissioner of Laurium Village driving the 36? American La France. I have a picture with me on the same vehicle going by the Cozy Garden taken 1n 1939 with the driver being Tommy Deegon. Would guess this picture was in the 40's Hope some can identfy themselves. Is the gentlemen Bill Miller on the pasenger side?

By Bill Jacka in Alabama on Sunday, June 12, 2005 - 08:06 am:

Thats Karl Gipp now living in L'Anse sitting on top of the reel hose.

Love it! The view from Sharon's deck is great right now too.

MY GUESS IS 1948/49...YOUNG BOYS WITH SAILOR HATS.
NICE TO SEE THE MEN AND WOMEN DRESSED UP TO GO OUT IN PUBLIC. LOVE IT.

Brings many fond memories of those great Fourth Of July parades in good ol' South Range. Cotton candy, South Range redpop, popcorn and a penny scramble when I was a kid. As a young man, these holiday treats evolved into an ice cold bottle of Bosch Beer with one of those delicious Vollwerth's hotdogs sold by Mr. Taddeucci. Polka band playing up on a float, fire trucks, marching bands, veterans and a great fireworks show at night.

Me thinks a road trip is in order. The Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I'll see you in South Range on the Fourth of July.

Would Karl Gipp be a relative of George "The Gipper" Gipp?

Great Pic today! Love those happy kids!

Was there a 'Laurium Glacier' back then?? ;)

Anyway, this Shoebox picture idea is a good one. Thanks for jogging happy memories! Even for someone who grew up in another area of the UP.

Since there are no young men in the picture, I would guess it was taken during World War II when practically all the men in the Copper Country, between 18 and 35, were off fighting a war.

Now that has to be a very old picture, before parents were terrified that their child might fall off and skin a knee. Seems like simpler (times) actually were better.

This must be 1946-47. Boys on back of truck below flag look like Bob Bellaire and Pierce Roberts.
The truck is going by Sibilski's Drug Store and getting ready to turn left at Merchant & Miners Bank. I have faint memories of the events and cash prizes given out at the contests by the firemen.

"... a very old picture, before parents were terrified that their child might fall off and skin a knee."
"Seems like simpler (times) actually were better."

Amen!
If we had that scene today, someone would be prosecuted for child abuse! Sheesh!

"FRNhash/PHX, AZ"?
(Gee, seems I can't even type my own name today!)

Oh, I love a parade. Just two years ago my
family and I made it to a 4th of July parade in
South Range with the cousins. My last South
Range parade before that must have been in
the early 60s. Some of the cousins were
playing in the Painesdale band, Uncle John
(Ohman) was organizing some of the games
and races that we all dearly loved and Auntie
Marion (Ohman) had baked up a storm.
Nobody ever made cream puffs like she did...

not necessarily better times

Well FRNash/PHX,AZ, I guess you will just have to hash it out then! :)

I love a Strawberry Festival. We have one here in Los Gatos that I never miss.

Can't forget Brians Polka Tap in South Range.
Jam Sessions on Sunday evenings with Brian at the accordian. Had a great time. Used to go to South Range on the 4th of July for many years. Now the folks are gone and the relatives don't care one way or the other. Sad, but great memories.

I still maintain the parade at Gay is Americana at its very best.........hands down..........and I will be there on the 4th of July.......and then a quiet night at the Downtowner on the deck watching the fireworks............

My Mother use to dress us up for the Parade we have a picture Of Charles Bonini and My sister Gloria Dulong dress as a Bride & Groom in the Hubbell Parade they were real young

Looks like everyone was having a good time....that was in the days that parents had morals, kids knew what respect was and you didn't have to worry that some one would walk away with another persons child. I feel bad for the kids today....they will never know life in the late 40's, the 50's or the 60's. It was a friendlier(sp?) world back then. Remember when dad brought the first tv home, mom's were home with their kids instead of working and every store was closed on Sunday. I wouldn't give up that part of childhood for today's.....I have so many wonderful memories........sigh

Helen has it right.....Things that scare us today seemingly did not exist just a few years ago. Growing up in New Hampshire, I would jump on my bide at 8 AM and be gone until the street lights came on....and nobody worried. I think we lived in the best time that will be.....and not replicated.......(except in Gay on the 4th of July)............LOLOLOL

I would guess the parade might have been about 1945-46. The woman on the far right is wearing a fairly short dress, and the "new look" came in early in 1947. After that her dress would have come down to her ankles.

A final word on the good old days as we like to refer to them as. The kids then had a much better connection to each other than the kids now, with the electronic gadgets, computers and 'things'. Not that the good old days were perfect, but I think those of us who were fortunate enough to have lived it know how lucky we are; the kids of today will never know the values that they are missing anyway.

Ok...now this is going to date everyone: how many remember decorating your bikes with streamers and riding in the summer parades? Ten points if you remember using a clothes pin to put a playing card on your bike's spokes for the 'cool sound effects', when the tires rotated.

10 points to me

We always dressed up for the Fourth of July parade in Calumet. My kids think it's funny that I got new shoes for the Fourth of July. After the parade we would go to Barsotti's (remember it?) and get an ice cream cone and a little flag to wave.

Loved the picture today. Reminds me of trying to get all of the parades in - Calumet, Lake Linden, Laurium, Dollar Bay. My uncle, Merv Sastamoinen (still resides in Dollar Bay)used to be in the drum and bugle corp and appeared in many of the parades. The accordion bands (Jim Enrietti) was in a lot of parades. Yes, people had more respect in that era, and also cared about personal appearance. Looking forward to the Gay parade - should be so much fun.

Let's hear it for red, white and blue crepe paper! Streamers and woven through the spokes in your wheels...lots of competition and lots of fun! Bells, too... the kind that fastened to your handle bars and you rang with a button like those in doctors offices, motels etc to get someone to the desk. They'll be carbon dating us next!

Susan, shhhhhhhh...now you're really aging us.

To all of you who think the "good old days" are gone - try spending the 4th of July in Lake Linden this year or any other year. You'll still see lots of kids on homemade floats - our group does one almost every year and I'm not sure who has more fun, the kids or the grownups. Bikes are still decorated with streamers and lots of crepe paper, the kids have a blast all day and well into the evening, without fear. Personally, I'm glad that I don't have to wear a dress, stockings and high heels anymore and I'll bet not too many men want to dress in a suit and tie on the 4th of July! Way too hot and stuffy! See you there....

Last July 4th I attended the Fourth of July parade in New Richmond, Ohio, (which I lovingly refer to as Negaunee-on-the-Ohio) and saw an old-time parade with every fire truck and police car in the area. It took me back to a time I never lived in.

(I agree with the thoughts about the old days being better, but don't forget things like polio.)

If this grand photo was not real, it could be mistaken as a classic Norman Rockwell print!!

Out here in California I saw more Mexican flags flying than American flags on Flag Day (sigh).

I remember the name Cozy Garden; where exactly was
that business

David S. - I don't remember the exact location, but it was in Laurium I think.