For some reason when I think of Ernie's, I think of Ernie's Sinclair. Somebody help me here, is that what it used to be called when gasoline was sold there? Ernie is still there, but now-a-days he's selling other things... used tires, tire repair, and fishing licenses. You can see the bicycles lined up in front of the building in this snapshot by Bob Gilreath. I'm not certain that Ernie sells those bikes though. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he repairs them and they, along with other toys donated get given to area children at Christmas time. So, while you're busy spring cleaning your garage, don't throw those bikes away, before you check with Ernie to see if he needs them!

Two more things I forgot that you can still get at Ernie's... a friendly smile and a Yooper hello!

Good Morning from New Hampshire!

Good morning from down below.... where we picked massive morels last night... 22 in less than 15 minutes in our own backyard... what a surprise!
Be up there soon!

He does sell bikes -over the past few years have purchased a couple for the grandchildren - $5.00 each.

Hey Bob,How about walking down to Tamarack Mills and take a snapshot of the one time Big Boy Market. Thank You.

ERNIE IS A GREAT MUSICIAN & SANG A LOT IN HIS DAY- EVEN 3RD PART HARMONY WITH THE "NORTHERN STRING KINGS" OF HUBBELL (1949-1953} & THE LEDGENDARY BOB MESSNER, -& THERE STEEL GUITAR PLAYER, WELDY MATTSON.

Does Ernie still drive? I remember the long string of traffic from Hubbell to Lake Linden and knowing that Ernie was in the lead in his pick-up. Does anyone know how old Ernie is? I remember sitting in Ernie's garage as a little girl listening to my dad shoot the breeze with him.

Yeah Karen,this is your cousin Steve.What's it been, 27 years,when you lived in Maryland? E-mail me,eh.

we have a kamp in grosse point shores and purchased gasoline from ernie until they put him out of business. worms are still available and bicycle repair. ernie stays young by working!!! he will never retire.

yes the good ole days of hanging around the local gas stations are also gone.the gas pumps back then brought the community together.these days its a dreaded task that costs a fortune!you want in and out of there ASAP!i'm glad to see ernie has'nt kept up with the times and posted a "NO LOITERING" sign....

Lot's of pics at Bob's Walking tour of hubbell, check it out at: http://pasty.com/pcam/slideshow.php?set_albumName=albuo68

Knew Ernie well and he always was an asset to the town..We spent many hours in his nice warm, cozy station to and from the ice rinks.It was originally built as a passenger depot for the Copper Range RR..


Hubbell Station #55, 8.1 miles from Calumet
Population 2,000. Location of the Calumet & Hecla Smelting Works and Coal Docks. The Ahmeek Stamp Mill is but a short distance from here.

Building Type # of Stories Approx. Depot Frame 1 Standard 1916
Privy Frame 1 Standard 1916

Does anyone know what color the sky in today's photo would be considered if in the original Crayola crayon box? It's beautiful! Cute photo.

Speaking of Hubbell this morning, here is a ticket stub from the 1992 state championship game at the SILVERDOME. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39727&item=3913234679

J.....BLUE....

I lived in Hubbell for a year while I was attending Tech. Four of us rented a nice house about a block up and over from the old IGA. I commuted to Houghton by bicycle as often as weather allowed. Ernie's was THE most convenient place to stop to top off the air in the tires.

In winter, I managed to ride my mountain bike on the packed snowmobile trail, picking it where it crossed M26 near Mason (I think). On exceptionally cold rides home I'd stop at Partinens in $Bay to "warm-up". As I recall, the rent at The Hubbell place was pretty reasonable too, about $30/month plus utilities.

Very funny Dave but Crayola was much more creative than that! It was something like "Midnight Blue", "Lake" etc. I will do further research.

j...Didn't say 'Blue' to be funny, although it was, but here is my crayola source: http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0872797.html

Actually Crayola was not very creative at the onset of their crayon making. I believe it took 40 or 50 years for them to start coming up with 'creative' colors...anyway..

Fender skirts!" What a great blast from the past! I hadn't thought about
fender skirts in years. When I was a kid, I considered it such a funny
term. Made me think of a car in a dress. Thinking about fender skirts
started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our
language with hardly a notice. Like "curb feelers" and "steering knobs."
Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction
first. You kids will probably have to find some " elderly " person over 50 to
explain some of these terms to you.

Remember "Continental kits?" They were rear bumper extenders and spare
tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln Continental.
When did we quit calling them "emergency brakes?" At some point "parking
brake" became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama that went with "emergency brake."
I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the
accelerator the "foot feed."
Here's a phrase I heard all the time in my youth but never anymore -
"store-bought." Of course, just about everything is store-bought these
days. But once it was bragging material to have a store-bought dress or a
store-bought bag of candy.
"Coast to coast" is a phrase that once held all sorts of excitement and
now means almost nothing. Now we take the term "worldwide" for granted.
This floors me.
On a smaller scale, "wall-to-wall" was once a magical term in our homes.
In the '50s, everyone covered their hardwood floors with, wow,
wall-to-wall carpeting! Today, everyone replaces their wall-to-wall
carpeting with hardwood floors. Go figure.
Come to think of it, "confirmed bachelors" and "career girls" are long gone, too.
Most of these words go back to the '50s, but here's a pure-'60s word I
came across the other day - "rat fink." Ooh, what a nasty put-down!
Here's a word I miss - "percolator." That was just a fun word to say. And
what was it replaced with? "Coffeemaker." How dull. Mr. Coffee, I blame you for this.
I miss those made-up marketing words that were meant to sound so modern
and now sound so corny. Words like "DynaFlow" and "ElectraLuxe."
Introducing the 1963 Admiral TV, now with "SpectraVision!"
Food for thought - Was there a telethon that wiped out lumbago? Nobody
complains of that anymore. Maybe that's what castor oil cured, because I
never hear mothers threatening their kids with castor oil anymore.
Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list. The one that grieves me most - "supper." Save a great word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts!

that color by crayola you're looking for is "cornflower". the original crayola box only has 8 colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, and black. i think cornflower was featured in the 24 color box...anyway...

Ernie does still donate bikes and other items
to kids at Christmas. He used to be active in
the choir at the Catholic church too. I don't
know whether he still does that or not. Ernie
is not as old as you might think, although he
has been around "forever," which is a
fortunate thing for the rest of us.

I vote for Crayolas.....Wild blue yonder...

Blast from the past,

Elderly (over fifty)?? I'm over 50 and certanly
not elderly. I can identify with everything you
are talking about tho. Love it.

Is there any chance that someone on this site would have a picture from the 40's, 50' or 60's of a "coalboat" coming to town out in the "cuts". Also interested in a picture here of the Canadian barge that came to Hubbell in 1995 to load hardwood for shipment to Thunder Bay, Ont.

Bast from the Past, do you remember the chrome flipper hub caps, and how about the imitation white walls I think they were called Port a Walls??

Here in Colorado a blue sky like the one in the picture is called "Cobalt-Blue"... It happens here 300+ days a year...

I grew up in Hubbell, I was in the choir with Ernie. Boy life was so simple then! I sure do love The small Town living! Hey by the way age is just a number LOL!

Blast from the Past,
there were our Red Ball Jets, sneakers that carried you
out of scolding reach when we rang doorbells and ran
(with apologies),
Rat finks- they were colorful plastic figures of nasty little
fat rats....
Clove and Black Jack gum..... the old photo booth at
Woolworth's on Sheldon Ave..... the old pink museum of
oddities in Mohawk (or was it Ahmeek?)....

i'll have a bottle a coke with that gas...

The community watering hole lives on. I know for certain that Plutchak Bros. Gas Station in Mass City has several locals hanging around chewing the fat. They had booths installed, but most of the early morning/evening crowd tends to prefer the counter seats--like it's some kind of soda fountain. The Citgo in Chassell also enjoys a morning and afternoon crowd. I've gotta believe that there are similar watering holes all over the U.P., especially the smaller towns with only one service station.

I don't know who this Ernie is, but he sounds like a really great and giving person! (Typical in da U.P., eh?) :)

Blast from the past -
I'm far from 50 and I grew up with those words!! Musta learned them from Mother and Dad...

All this talk reminds me of a little town called Mayberry. I spent a lot of summers in Lake Linden and Hubbell area....I love those little towns....How bout Lindells....what a cool place!

I talked with Ernie this morning. Sorry to say he no longer sells hunting & fishing liscenses.I really enjoy talking with him. He is a great guy and very good to the kids & the community. Gas is $217.9 reg., in Lake Linden.

A Troll stopped at a Ernie's service station, got his tire fixed, and took a break by his car while drinking a soda.
As he relaxed, he watch a couple of men working along the roadside. One man would dig a hole two or three feet deep and then move on. The other man came along behind him by about 25 feet and filled in the hole.
Overcome by curiosity, the fellow headed for the first man. "Hey there," he said to the men. "Can you tell me what's going on here with this digging?"
"We work for da Houghton County government, " said Toivo.

"But one of you is digging a hole and the other is filling it up. Isn't that a waste of the county's money?"
"Well," Toivo replied, "normally dere's da three of us, me, Heikki, and Uno. I dig da hole, Heikki puts da tree in da hole, and Uno puts da dirt back in da hole, ain't that right Uno?"
"Yup, you betcha," Mike added. "an just because Heikki's sick, dat don't mean we can't work, does it?"

I ordered Baby Moons, skirts, steering knob, and a couple a sets of hollywoods from Warshofski's(sp) in Chicago back in the early 60's. Man, that catalogue had everything. Was hard to find that stuff around Negaunee.

ed~

Your request for a picture of the Canadian Pulp Barge that came to Hubbell in 1995 has been fulfilled by Carl Kiilunen of Lake Linden! If you'd like a larger size of the photo...email me and I can send it to you!

My dad still has a 1974 calendar hanging on his kitchen wall from Ernies Arco. Its still accurate on certain years.

What a treat Ernies Station.... I grew up just up the street and remember as a little girl going there with my Dad. Oh and Dave Colorado the sun and Blue sky is awesome here. Ernie is a treasure and does a wonderful Holiday for the children ... God Bless him.....

Every small town has a used tire place. Seems always to be inhabited by "real people", some hard working guy with no money and big dreams. Seen it a lot of places. Does my heart good. They should make people on the public dole work one day a week for them. Call it training.

Ernie's is a great picture. I remember when the pumps were still there. I use to go over there and help him pump gas when I had nothing to do.

Gus, I hope that price is $2.17 up 'dere in Lake Linden. Down here in Livonia, I paid $2.21 for mid-grade. Anyone know what their charging at the Macinac Bridge? The stations there always did seem a bit high?
I remember going by Ernie's alot as a kid. I had grandparents that lived out in Big Traverse Bay. Since we lived in Chassell, this was the way to come & go.

When I was a kid and didn't clean my room, my mother would tell me that if I can't take care of my things and keep my room clean that she will give some of my toys to Ernie, who can give them to kids who would appreciate them. She did follow through with this too. But I also learned the gift of giving and would sometimes sort through my toys and pick things out to give to Ernie so he could share with those less fortunate. I'm happy that Ernie's station was posted and that such a fine person is getting some well-deserved recognition.

my 67 fleetwood still has the original fender skirts! ;-)

The Christmas giving of repaired bikes by Ernie Possion was featured on the PAUL HARVEY NEWS a few years back.

Just goes to prove... if you want genuine kindness and compassion..Yoopers always rise to the need!

Everyone in town has a kind word about Ernie. I met him right after we moved here in 1965. We were out trick or treating on Halloween when it suddenly began to snow pretty heavily. We were halfway across town in our tennis shoes and thin costumes. Ernie was driving around in his truck picking up all the all the kids and giving them rides home. I knew I had found a hometown.

Sure am enjoying the Hubbell news and pictures! Grew up in Hubbell. Ernies was once owned by my brother in the 40's! Theresa in Colorado are you by any chance Theresa Pini? :)

Blast from the past:
Before parking brake & e-brake, there was the hand brake in the 50's and earlier, that was pulled by hand. The 60's brought the parking brake which was operated by the foot. My new-old 59 T-bird has the hand brake & is fitted with fender skirts. The car is naturaly very low and the fender skirts would make it look lower. The 50's was low and FAST.

Yoopers don't see kindness and compassion as a need to "rise to" It is a value that we never lost. I lived downstate for years and learned that there is no place like home. Life is short.

Ernie is known as "Mr. Santa" in certain circles. He donates an incredible amount of toys, bikes and his time, and is a volunteer with (I believe) the Knights of Columbus. Throwing the annual Christmas Party for kids. You cannot beat the GIVING of this man. He is truly an angel amongst us. If only more of us could emulate this man...what a wonderful world this could be.

Boy, I need a pasty & a prune tart! TONI'S!

There is an "Ernie" in our area also.He works year round for the kids.Thank God for the "Ernie's" in this world!

My two sons used to help Ernie at the Christmas parties by being his two little elves giving out candy and helping Ernie give out the toys. They used to visit him at his gas station where he'd help to repair their bikes & talk to him for hours. Ernie sang in the church choir with my two daughters, served as a altar boy, belonged to the Knights of Columbus and did spend many many hours repairing and putting together bikes and toys for the needy little girls and boys in the area. He was a great mentor to my children & many others and he's left a positive impression on all who he's ever been in contact with. By the way, he's in his late seventies and still drives to Lake Linden to eat at Lindell's. My son still sends Ernie Christmas cards(and receives one back) and stops to visit him at his old gas station whenever he's in the U.P. He is definitely an angel here on earth. And he'll be one busy angel up in heaven you can be sure!

Good memories from the 50s. In 1950 I bought a '40 Ford coupe from an old school teacher. It only had 40,000 miles on it, and before long it had the steering knob, fender skirts,curb feelers and fake whitewall tires. Besides the porta-walls there was even white wall paint. Age, as someone else said is just a state of mind, untill Artheritis and such creep in. God Bless

Hi Dad!!

The little pink museum was "The biggest little museum on Earth" (or something like that) just as you were coming in to Calumet from the south. Wonderful place! Had clothing from "big Louie Moilanen" who was giant-sized. And a huge dress and chair from Lydia?.... Wonderful mechanical music machines that still worked with coins. It was there in the 50's, I believe. Don't remember when it closed shop. Vivid memories I will never forget. The building is still there--can't remember what it is now.

Mike-Transplanted Yooper-Redford, Mi

I'm from Chassell too...
left bassically in 1968, but was there briefly in 69 before going in the militaey

Mike from New Berlin: We were both in high school. I remember the Saxon thing when Gran took me back up north for a visit from down below. Now here in TX I teach Hemingway.

Does anyone remember another Sinclair station south on Mohawk run by Ernie Mella in the 1950's?

Maija--Do you or anyone else remember who the "Lydia" was with the big chair and dress in that Museum? My great-grandmother was Lydia McDonald, and before that Lydia Simons; she lived in Calumet (Osceola Township), died in 1924 and is buried in Lake View Cemetery.

Fred, Could that be Savolainens Servics in Mohawk?. I think it was a Sinclair Station.

That was great Blast from the past. Can you imagine going down the Lake Linden Hill when you brakes gave out, and you're trying to steer and manage the "hand brake" at the same time and hope you didn't hit the houses at the bottom of the hill, and on your return, you didn't have to stop in the middle of the hill going up? LOL

Mikes Bar (and gas station) just west of Houghton on the way to Chassell. Now that was a first. Gas and beer at the same establishment.....I think drafts were 35 cents............

It was Paulson's Museum in Osceola. It is a gift shop now. I used to love the nickelodeans in there. Those machines were fascinating to a young kid like me. :>) Can't find things like that any more. Wonder where they are now? Any one remember the old music box at McGinty's Resort in Copper Harbor? Beautimous music from that. It played songs from big metal 'records' with holes punched in it. Would hit teeth on a 'comb' under it. The teeth were different lengths to be the different tones of the song. The music was beautimous. Just like the little music boxes of today (jewelry boxes).

Steve the flying troll:
Mikes Bar (and gas station) just west of Houghton on the way to Chassell.
Ahhhh yes, I knew it well in the early 60's!
And a tip of the ol Busch/Bosch in memory of the dear departed Mike Fasana, prop.

To Kew Ken,
Dont think so.My Uncle had a service station back in the 50's I think it was AHMEEK.They had a son called Karl.I think the station is still there.I was there for Mom's funeral a few years ago and there was a small ice cream store at one end of it.I remember a pool table when I was growing up and a lunch bar.The station is on the left as you come into Mohawk.

Paulsons "Free Museum" in Rambletown...???I can remember riding our bikes up the back road from Hubbell and then after a tour of the museum we would stop by at the Sacred Heart Church and say a little prayer before we headed down the Lake Linden hill. aw those were the days....

The museum also had a two-headed calf and a pair of
Big Louie's denim jeans on the ceiling... funny what we
remember.

Since my memories of growing up are really mostly in the seventies, I remember wrap around skirts and bell bottoms. Ok, so we didn't put them on cars, but I rode a 10-speed anyway so I didn't need them. One thing I remember though was everyone in the city having "nervous break-downs". What ever happened to those? And what cured them? No one ever has one any more. Now that I'm near middle age, I thought I would have had one by now!

Also, to second (third) the comments about the sky in Colorado- that's why there is no Colorado sky web cam. Everyone would eventually believe it was pointed at a blue wall (and turned off at night).

I think this is the same Ernie who worked for Lional Perrault at the gas station in Lake Linden in the late 40s.....we were high school kids and we rode around in "jalopies"(sp) and Ernie helped us keep these "cars" running...with free help and advice.....he is super-nice!!!.......I remember a stuffed bear in front of that museum.

Hello to Ernie P. He is still very active in the community as a member of the Knights of Columbus, and serves Mass every Saturday at St. Cecilia Church in Hubbell. Some of the bikes Ernie has fixed up over the years made there way to Mexico to help underprivileged kids. He is a legend in our time...

I lived behind the station in French Gully many years back. It was a wonderful street to grow up on, I still see ol Earnie on Sat. Night Mass serving God. Bless his soul ,He is one in a Million

Ref: Sterring knobs, we called 'em "suicide knobs". So named because of the danger of the knob getting caught in the cuff of your shirt sleeve when letting the wheel spin back.

How about the old time overdrive transmissions? You had a handle that was mounted under the dash which pulled out, and a button on the floor under the gas pedal.

Baby-Moon hubcaps.

"Glass-packs" (mufflers)

My Grandpa ed chaput lived near by that store and he always tells me stories from when he used to go there to hang out with him