• Sunday-What'sUP January 20 - 09:02 am

The main reason we at Pasty Central have been able to keep daily scenes and weekly historical visits coming your way, are the contributors who provide the photographs and conversation. One such generous contributor over the past 16 years has been Paul Meier. In case you've never come across this on Copper Country Reflections, here is his brief bio:

"Although I was born and raised in Wisconsin and now live in Central Illinois, I have had a lifelong interest in the Copper Country. This is because the maternal side of my family has deep roots in the area. They were among the first settlers during the 1840's, centered mainly in the German community at Eagle River. One of the patriarchs was Joseph Long, the first Sheriff of Keweenaw. Another was John George Louis Haun who was one of the Germans so often mentioned but never named at the Cliff mine. He met and married Mary, the daughter of Anton Gipp, in Eagle River during the Civil War. My great-grandfather, Anton Friedrich Haun (listed as Antony F. in the C&H 50th Anniversary Program) was born in the small village on top of the Cliff. He started working underground when he was 12. They left the Cliff for Calumet when C&H opened the Calumet Conglomerate, and he worked for C&H until 1920. He was in charge of one of the shifts that drove the 81st haulage way between #12 South. Hecla and the Red Jacket shaft.
My youth was filled with stories of the Copper Country and every summer brought a two-week trip "up home". It was during this time that I heard even more from the multitude of relatives and friends that still lived up there. When I was about 8 or 9, I must have been a big enough pest to get my wish to visit a mine. After that, it became an annual event until they finally stopped allowing visitors. For me the die was cast, I have been an avid Copper Country history buff since grade school. I am also a model railroader, and of course model the Copper Country railroads and mines. I also return to Eagle River every chance I get."

Must've really been cold the day of that fire ~ didn't take long for the icicles to form from the firemen's hoses.
Thank you, Paul, for a peek at your family history, and thank you, Charlie, for your diligence in keeping Pasty going!

I repeat what Shirley said. That was very interesting about Paul's family. And Charlie & Mary, plus everybody behind the scenes, thanks for this great site!

Happy Sunday all!

Thanks for the comments. One technicality since I first wrote that bio: Joseph Long wasn't the first "sheriff" in the Keweenaw but he was the first appointed lawman in Eagle River with a 3 cell jail in the attic of the German Hotel. The family oral history tended to use the term sheriff. My maternal Grandfather, John F. Haun, took the above picture of the hotel fire. We are fortunate that just about all his negatives survived.

Greetings:

This is an odd photo when you look at it. The photo generates two "why" questions.

Why do the majority of onlookers seem to be looking in other directions but not at the hotel. It is like they don't seem to care.

Also it seems to be very cold outside but the upper windows in the hotel seem to be open. Did the residents have to jump out? Did the fire start in a lower stairwell and block their exit?

Just a thought from here.

JT

J.T: I happen to be a firefighter and I’m hesitant to speculate and Monday morning quarterback (Go Broncos!!) the fire based on one decades old photo, but here are my thoughts. Judging from the color of the smoke, it appears that the main body of the fire is on the other side of the building where the darker smoke is rising. The lighter colored “smoke” on the near side may be just steam, either from the water put on the fire or from the melting snow and ice on the roof. As far as the windows go, I would imagine that they had storm windows in addition to the usual double-hungs. The window that appears open on the dormer could just be the storm window and it doesn’t look like it’s open far enough to escape. And since the main fire is on the far side, it could be that all those folks are walking around the block to get a better view of the action. Or they could be on their way home to watch the latest video of the fire posted on the Internet ;-)

lol! Gary.

The camera is on inside Sharon Smiths house. Don't see any cats ......

Thank you Paul & Pasty.com