Here's a follow-up to Sunday's Shoebox Memory from the Pasty Cam photo inbox:

Pasty.Com folks,

A few years ago I found this can ... maybe the last one consumed? ... in Armour's old boat house on Sedar Bay. My family (Nelson and Bjorn) has cabins a few down from his place. They all sure did a few Bosch beers when I was growing up. Armour was quite a fisherman and quite a character as many of you know.

Dave Whitten

That old Bosch can might not be the last one consumed. I know of the whereabouts of at least two unopened six packs of Bosch, still in their cardboard packaging. Came off the line about 1972 or 73. Sat on the shelf of Herlivich's Bar for quite a few years and then sold at an auction in Dodgeville in the mid 90's. And no, they're not for sale. No rust on the cans either, by the way. Wonder what the contents would be like?

Interesting, although not my idea of beautiful
Upper Michigan. How about some scenery? Have a
safe trip home, Toivo.

Spending summers at our Sedar Bay camp was the norm for our family. We'd move from the house in town to the lake on the last day of school and returned to the town house on the day after Labor Day. Of course, anyone who had a camp at Sedar Bay knew Armour because he made sure of it! My brothers and cousins would go out on the lake with Armour during the 60's. As a girl, I wasn't allowed to go out when he was pulling the nets. I could only go out when he was logging the driftwood from the shores. He cut some great wood from those logs! Fond memories.......

That land of the Trolls still looks empty, Toivo. As someone said, you may have missed the 51st state. Though not a UP Paradise, lots of the LP is beautiful.

I remember Bosch Beer. Just graduated from college and thought I knew my beers. The stuff tasted awful!

Luanne, I'd bet that if you opened the 30 year old can it wouldn't taste any worse than when it was first canned. Cheap doe.

I've tasted Bosch right out of the yeast settling tanks. Now that was some good tasting beer.

Didnt Bosch have a big sign on Lake Linden Ave and Hecla many years ago? Beer is best the day its brewed--its all downhill from there-so I tink da ol' Bosch would be pretty skunky by now!

When I first saw the illustrations I thought maybe they were drawings made by some long forgetten indian, recently discovered in a cave. Maybe in Isle Royale. Imagine my surprised when I opened up the rest of the picture. Oh well another dream shot to heck....

I filtered alot of Bosch through my kidneys. After the pension check started arriving on regular basis I switched to 'Ol Milwaukee and never looked back!

In 1968 or 69, the Dean at da Tech worked with Bosch to end the Friday afternoon brewery tours, where nobody took the tour, and everyone just went to the tap room around 2:00 PM. It sure got you an inexpensive start on the weekend. It also got you a pretty good headache. I used Bosch beer cases to hold my books and to move every year. I think I still have a couple with old engine books intact. I don't think the fellas use those steam table books anymore. See you Copper Country folks in July. We are going to try the Laurium Inn this year for a few days, and I found them on your website Charlie.

Bosch may not have been the best beer going, but it sure tasted great in the sauna on a cold winter evening. Maybe that's what made us run outside and jump naked ito the snow banks!?

Is there any public access to the beach remaining at Sedar Bay? Spent many a weekend day there with the family while I was growing up, walking the beach and picking agates. We'd quite often walk the beach all the way to Gratiot River and sometimes even past Taylor's and all the way to "the BIG rocks" - and of course, BACK! No wonder we all stayed so skinny as kids!!

A friendly visitor to this page said this was not all that appropriate of a picture for the UP. I'd like to disagree. Walking through the woods and finding an old artifact is always a thrill.
It's like stumbling along a secret from the past held by the woods for safe keeping. I found the
picture fascinating.

Yup, can still hear Armour krinkling a beer can as he sat telling stories about WWII, Normandy and such. Heard them over and over. Wish I really listened. What a special guy. Many fond memories. Read Pete Oikarinen's book "Armour" for more info. And a couple girls did get to go fishing with Armour. It was a long day. Nets were in too long, lots of bloated fish which exploded as you tried to take them out of the net. I fell asleep on top of the HOPE on the way back. Lucky I didn't roll off. No life jacket either. To preserve some of Armour's fishing history his boat is going to be moved to the Keweenaw County Historical Society hopefully this summer. Write to them with any stories you remember about fishing with Armour. They'd appreciate it.

I lost my Mom (Lillian Nelson/Whitten) a couple of falls ago. Wish she were still here to tell the stories about her fishing trips with Armour on the Hope.
I'll second the recommendation for Pete's book.

I could read Armour's book over and over. What a unique character. He looked a little rough around the edges but I think he was probably just a teddy bear on the inside.....I don't know why I have that feeling....just a feeling I guess. He truly loved Lake Superior and all her wonder.

I'm an Armour fan too. People like Armour make the U.P. so unique. Just a simple guy, not wrapped up in materialism etc. I sure wish I could have met him and heard his stories for real. I admired him and his respect for Lake Superior. And like most true Finlanders, he had sisu!

Sark found the most incredible way to tell about the formation of the Ice volcanoes on the shore. Having spent many a winter at his home, he saw alot of things that the big lake could do.
He also had a keen ability to find some of the biggest agates I've ever seen. He used to look behind the rollers under the boat where the bigger rocks got trapped and there they were!
My best memories were on smokin days when there would be chubs, herring, whitefish and sometimes a special treat of trout on the racks. The chokecherry wood just couldn't be beat for putting just the right taste in!
It's good to know that memories of someone like Armour are worth preserving. He was a good teacher of life for alot of us.

HEY; I remember two six paks on the shelve behind franks bar. {herlivichs} Always hoped to have my first leagal drink at franks bar.But the darn age changed about the time I turned 17. Happened to be in germany when I turned 21. I do remember buying candy,pop and chips. Some of that bought with money we got out of the trough. And if the place was empty frank would let us play bumper pool. DODGEVILLE ROCKS!!!But I here tell the rock piles are gone now and so is franks bar remodled by his son to make a home for wife and family before I left in 1981.Who ever said you can never go back was right!!!!

Sedar Bay was a great place to play on the shores of Lake Superior. I can recall going there when I was a teen ager, hanging out with Kim Noble. God only knows where she is today. She had a baby and got married and that was the last I saw of her. I tried to visit Sedar Bay on May 20, 2003 while I was there and we found the road that pointed to it, but found no access to the beach from there. Does anyone know if you can still go in there, all the way to the beach, without stepping on private property?