Kevin Musser has a treasure chest of old photos over at The Copper Range Railroad, including this postcard submitted by Bob Bice. The Redridge church has been seen on these pages before, but it looks like the church in this shot is across the street from the one still standing there in Redridge. Kevin says it's the Congregational Church. The Finish Evangelical Church (the one in existence today at Redridge) is off to the right of the photo. That's Woodmen's Hall directly behind the Congregational Church. Looks like small children standing on the steps. Maybe that's the old-timers version of "cry rooms" in church!

Any idea of the population? Two churches that large, there had to be quite a few people living in the area.

Good Morning Yoopers, Yooper WannaBees, and Trolls,
What a great photo!

In 1912 Redridge contained 132 homes which housed a population of 1,100. When the Baltic Mill was finally removed in 1947 only 15 homes remained. By 1981 the number was down to 10. Today the Redridge School, built by the Baltic Mining Company in 1908 and the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Chruch are all that remain, other than a handful of homes. The Finnish Church was built around the turn of the century and was originally a butcher shop, it was purchased by the congregation in 1908. The school, in peak production years managed 170 children. The school was closed in 1972.

Remember to wear your green and gold and have some fun today!!!!Go Pack Go!!

was hoping tennessee would have made it in, the final four should have been, carolina,indy,titans,and oh yea, those green and gold boys........ all four were deserving !!!

Does anyone know what happened to Bill (Wild Bill) Brinkman's photographs? He had some fabulous old pictures of Freda and my grandfather as a young man. Bill Brinkman was a good photographer himself and good historian too. I (and my cousins) would love to see Freda the way it was in the early 1900's when my mother was a girl and see pictures of the grandparents I never knew.

Kathy: I believe Bill's photos are archived at the MTU Library. I'd love to see them some time too, he was a friend of my dad's and he was a wonderful photographer.

Just spent some time browsing through the pastycam archives of the past few years. Want to get an idea what the area is like, just take a look. Wonderful!

I attended Redridge Grade School and subsequently E.B. Holman when Redridge was closed. At that time the second church was gone and I believe the road has been moved since then. Members of the HHS Class of 82 should be the last to attend Redridge Grade School which was K thru 8.

It's amazing the number of churches that were in the copper country back in the good old days. Every ethnic group had their own church. Even churches of the same religion were divided according to ethnic background. Croations had their own catholic church, the Italians had their own, French and so on. When I was a child we attended St. John's church on seventh st. in Calumet which was catholic because my mother was croation even though my dad was Finn. [a Croation marrying a Finn back in those days was unheard of]

Dave,

I often wondered how the area supported so many churches myself. We had 2 catholic churches in Lake Linden. There seemed to be many in the Laurium/calumet area. I think our forefathers and mothers were deeply religious people. Also language played a large part. Each ethnic group seemed to have their own church with a pastor who spoke the language.

With regard to churches in the Calumet and Laurium area, have you ever counted the church steeples that still can be seen as you drive into Calumet? There were a number of lutheran churches too; I was raised in the Apostolic Lutheran church which over the years has had the congreations split off to form new churches. Does anyone know where I can get the history of the Apostolic Church? I know the history goes back to Laestadism (sp?) and its Finnish roots.

LE in Montague: On December 16, 2001 there was quite a lively discussion on this site regarding the Apostolic Church. Go there, interesting reading. I just happened upon it one day.

Hi everyone, I haven't been on much, my bunch has all been sick thru the holidays and now my son has Pneumonia.I get on long enough to look at the picture and read the comments. Can't miss that!! The history of the C.C. is so interesting to me. So many different Nationalities with all their different languages,foods and languages contributed to this wonderful place. I feel fortunate to have grown up eating so many different foods-many of which are considered Gourmet now!! I guess maybe some predjudices existed but I never knew of any as I grew up. I never paid any attention to my friends religions or what nationality they came from. Peeople were identified by being Croation,Italian,French, etc but it wasn't in a derogatory way.. I love looking at the old Churches and other old buildings!
Soon the Pack will be on- can't wait! Go Pack!!!!

GO PACK GO!!!!!

There are thousands of pictures in the Bill Brinkman collection over at Tech. It would be great of they were put on the web like many that are stored in libraries throughout Michigan are now being added for us to view
http://www.lib.mtu.edu/mtuarchives/ms029/ms029.aspx

Speaking of historic pictures of the area I don't think any one individual had more historic photos of the area than Earl Gagnon; he spent most of his life as a photographer for the Mining Gazette. He was a terrific person, I worked with him from 1969 till he retired. His photos were also donated to Michigan Tech by his family when he passed away.

Great old picture! Let's see, those kids could've been giggling in church, or misbehaving! Or maybe when the pic was taken the photographer did like we all have done, sent the kids to "get in the picture". We always forget that from that distance there's not much chance of recognizing anyone!! Regardless, we all owe those photogs a thanx for recording history for us.

I think that the mining companies built churches for the different nationalities as an incentive to move and stay there.

great game philly the poopers got their comeupence remember the wearin of the green

To LE in Montague, I have a publication written by Dr. Uuras Saarnivara which describes the Apostolic Lutheran movement in the UP. However, at this time, I can't find my copy which may be in my home in the UP. However, if you're sincerely interested in the history, I'll be glad to send it to you as soon as I find my copy of Dr. Saarnivaara's book. Please keep in touch. AČ(Andytofu@aol.com).

My mother grew up in Freda...she has a few pics from back then....

There are a series of books on the history of the CC..one of which is about Freda, Redridge area...can't remember the name right now...

does anyone have a copy of BLOODSTOPPERS & BEARWALKERS by richard m. dorson published in 1952...........folk traditions of the upper penninsula ?

LE in Montague and others:
The short history "The Reasons for the Divisions of the Apostolic Lutherans
in America", Translated from J. Pollari, Apostolis-Lutherilaisten
hajaantumisen syyt Amerikassa (Duluth: 1920) can be found in
"The Laestadian Movement: Background Writings and Testimonies" at the
following address:
http://users.erols.com/ewheaton/

This picture of Redridge reminds me of Atlantic Mine just down the road. Visiting Grandmother Pyykkonen, putting pennies on the tracks, investigating ruins, walks down the tracks keeping a sharp eye for bear!!! I call smell the Pasties from here!!!

Go Wings!

tom tc mich, it looks like Alibris has a copy or two available

LE in Montague, J, Chassel & Others:

The December 16, 2001 discussion was indeed lively and interesting. However, it seems to have disappeared from the Archives. Anybody know why?

thank you Frank, St.Charles........book orderd

The building at the end of the street in the above photo was the Catholic Chapel of St Anne. The Congregationalist and the Catholic churches, among other buildings, burned in 1937. The Catholic chapel was originally a school in Redridge. There was also an Apostolic Lutheran Church on the Lake Superior shoreline in Redridge. It was later closed and moved to Toivola, where it is still an Apostolic Lutheran church.