If you're a new visitor to Pasty Central, let me introduce you to our regular Sunday feature, Shoebox Memories, where we invite our contributors to dig out that old shoebox in the closet which is loaded with neat old photos. Clyde Elmblad has been a frequent contributor to this growing archive, with pictures from the Baraga area, both past and present. This is the scene at the docks near the bottom of Keweenaw Bay on the L'Anse side, where ships were being loaded with wood, bound for the Soo Locks and beyond.

Some of Clyde's photo collection also appears in the delightful "Copper Country Homecoming Collectors Program Book", which Edie and I picked up before the Old Settlers Ball last weekend. Over 200 pages of photos, family histories, and stories of this region's colorful past. We were able to obtain a few of these before they were all gone, to make available for Pasty Camwatchers. If you would like to have a copy of this one-of-a-kind publication, email me for details.

Oh my goodness! Don't tell me I'm the first one today??

BARB...YUP! YOU'RE the first post...Congrats!Hope everyone has a great day!

Everyone must be sleeping late. GOOD MORNING!

Good morning Mr. E.H Troll!

That bear returned again last night at around 10PM. I always thought that bears dined at the dump, I never knew they would eat bird seed. Maybe this guy is part squirrel.

Z-Man
Where does it say that a troll doesn't know how to use a spatula turn over Vollwerth's pork sausage and tater triangles?? Where do you get your information from anyhow?? Not from any other "YOOPER," other than yourself eh?? Do you even know what a spatula is??

Dave Hoatson ....

Being new residents in the Keweenaw, we too were surprised to wake up to totally trashed bird feeders this spring. We did not know that sunflower seeds were such an "attractant" to bears waking up with very empty stomachs. The foot prints were good sized, and nearest neighbors feeders a couple miles over, were hit on the same night.

We're learning ............

Back when wood was used in cars, Ford owned a lot of timber land around the L'Anse area and wood was shipped to Detroit. Getting back to July 7, the Sandstone Princes wrote, on July 8, about the Jacobsville mail man. This was in the 50's, the mail mans name was Waino Sorvala and he lived in Jake. He had a car in Portage Entry and rowed across to White City. I thot he also delivered mail on the Portage entry side before coming across to Jake. Our box was 62 in the Jacobsville store.

Hehe... bears will definitely come after bird feeders. Lots of oil in those seeds, and they're pretty fragrant. We tried to put up a feeder outside our apartment on the east side of Houghton, thinking it would be nice to watch the birds. It was pulled down and dragged into the woods the first night. Managed to find the feeder and the post pieces - feeder had toothmarks around the lid where the bear tried to get a grip to open it.

Squirrel-proofing feeders is hard enough, but bears are much worse!

Had breakfast a couple of weeks ago with a fellow who was one on Henry Ford's head accountants. On mentioning the Ford Mill at L'Anse, he told us the wood was used for the first Ford Woodies, or station wagon with the wooden sides. They were a beautiful piece of woodwork in their day.
JohnP

And Henry Ford had his brother-in-law set up in business to make charcoal briquettes in Kingsford, and that is the rest of the story.

My maternal grandfather was Henry Ford's logging
contractor and worked out of Skanee. My mother has
many photos of the lumber camps. Grandpa was known
as 'Big Erick' Erickson.
Good morning from the Evergreen State!

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think those ships are actually barges. They would be loaded with lumber and towed by a steamer (also loaded with lumber). They had small crews for handling lines, etc. but were just along for the ride.

ps: former Chassell residents should check out Saturday's Gazette for a really cool "Citizen of the Year" selection. Way to go Jim!

Thanks to everyone for your nice comments about "my" bear. He is actually just a baby - looks maybe four to six months old, and he's rather naive. Not afraid of me at all, and he doesn't even know you're supposed to crunch the feeders. He sits there and sticks his tongue into the holes and laps up seed...he also doesn't know how yummy thistle seed is, because he hasn't touched the thistle sock.

I'm really afraid he's too young to be away from his mama, and if he keeps coming around I may have to consult the DNR.

There's a somewhat better picture of him at http://www.aviewfromthefield.com/p040709b.html

I noticed that since ELVIRA's mentioning of not liking to address initials, that more people are using their names: how nice.

Charlie: Do you know or have an idea when this picture was taken? From the cars in the picture it looks like the middle 30's.
Can remember my Dad replaceing some of the wooden parts in those old cars when they would get bad. The door frames and the bows on the roofs were all wood.
Been a long long time ago.

DH if you look close each one has a pilot house and a smoke stack, I think they are ships?

Steve,
The stack and the pilothouse look small for the size of the ship. Maybe its the angle the picuture is taken, but it sure doesn't look like there is much in the way of crew's quarters, etc. I'm digging around for more info.

Did anyone else see this about the 20 Millionth
Ford being found near L'anse

http://www.geocities.com/jim_mason_49913/twentymill.html

DH & Steve, I'm not much of a boatnerd. I have to agree with Steve, the stacks and the pilothouses on them make me think they are self propelled ships; there also seems to be rudders appearing in the shadows.
These maybe the Great Lakes versions of lumber hookers. From what I do know about shipping "lumber hookers" are just about at the bottom of the food chain - accomodations were very spartan. Yes, "hooker" has much the same meaning as its other common use.
Take a look back to this week in 2001 for a look at the SOUTH AMERICAN which was a Lady at the oposite end of the pecking order.

Hello from Oklahoma. I know most of you people wished that yur weather was a little warmer BUT be very, very careful what you wish for. It is hot and humid here and I would gladly take last weekends weather in The U.P right now. Hope everybody is having a good day. Hopefully heading to Baraga to haul some more machines from Terex next week.

HI H
I have been meaning to ask where in Ok you live?Ok.. OK. is a big state but a buddy from the u p {once lived lived near Houghton -went to Mich tech Unv} now lives in FT Gibson and works for the Cherokee Nation Heritage Center at Talaquah. We hope to get him to move back to work at the Keweenaw National Historic Park. But, for now he likes it out there.Drive save.

thats drive saFe.Me not typ gud!!

I live in Jones, OKlahoma. It is about 20 miles NE from downtown Oklahoma City. Or about 135 miles due west of Ft. Gibson. I have an old high school teacher that moved to Tahlequah after he retired. He liked living there too.

Where do you live in Wisconsin? I really like the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and for sure da U.P. too

Hey Pasty friends,
When is the Aura Jamboree? Anyone know? I am thinking it is next weekend.
Have a great evening!

H,
I am in Green Bay.Oklahoma's own Woodie Guthrie wrote a sad song about the Italian hall in Calumet.It was called 1913 Massacre..

We had a bear come through our area last summer (most of ours live in the mountains in the north and around the Okefenokee Swamp in south GA w/ a small population at a wildlife management area in central GA). Anyway they're not common right around here, but this one seemed to be on the way to somewhere. His best haul here was when he found a plastic tub containing a huge bag of sunflower seeds under someone's deck!

Hi All...You're absolutely right DH. The boats in the picture loading lumber in L'Anse are Ford Lumber Barges. Once loaded, a Ford tugboat or Ford ore boat would tow these barges to the Rouge Complex in Dearborn, MI. The wood was used in the production of Ford cars and trucks.

To in Wi. I will have to see if I can find that song. Thanks.

Click on the link below to see the ore boat, Henry Ford II loading lumber in L'Anse in 1924.

http://www.hwy41north.com/picture_1920s_ford_sawmill_henryfordII.JPG

I have many more historical pictures on my personal webpage. Just click on the link below.

http://www.hwy41north.com/historical_photos.html

Lorelei: The Aura Jamboree is this coming weekend. We won't be there making our famous bean soup as we have my husband's class reunion the same day.

Bears love sugar water in hummingbird feeders, too. Lots of people have had them torn from their windows up here.

Trish: I've enjoyed Big Erick's Falls in Skanee many times. I assume it was named after your grandpa.

Earnie from WA state: Thanks for reminding me what the post man's name was. Not being an entertainer like Elvira, I can't remember anything!
E, are you and wife UP there yet?

Hello to Barb in BEAUTIFUL, wonderful downtown Jake;-)

The vessels in the pictures look like ships that have been converted to barges which are towed or pushed. This is not an uncommon practice to convert old ships into towable barges.

Marsha, Big Erick's Falls is indeed named after him. I
understand the river's full of brook trout.

Clyde E., howdy cuz!

Kathie in SD, heading to Calumet soon for R&R?

Hiya Cuz!

A big thank you to Paul from Illinois for the reference to "This Week" in 2001 for the South American. My husband is a Great Lakes shipping history nut, and also has many fond memories of "The South".

Does anyone out there remember the Finnish language news broadcast on Saturday morning on WHDH? I think Reino Suojanen was the newscaster, but I'm not sure.

Do you mean WHDF?{I think WCCY NOW} ..Or was there a WHDH before my time.
Well there also was WHUH{now the wolf}.I do think the letters sound a bit familiar..

In some box I have a tape for what I think was called.. The Rudy Spelich?? Oldtimers hour on WMPL ...I think it ended about 1972.

B.C.: You're right. It was WHDF. And this goes back to the late 40's.

Regarding the notes about the South American... It appeared on the Pasty Cam the second Sunday in July three years ago, as the first "Shoebox Memory" at Pasty Central. In fact, it was Nancy Nelson who came up with the picture AND the idea for a "Look what I found in a shoebox" page.

I remember Reino Suojanen on WHDF and remember him saying, "Nosta ja Nousa". (sp?)

Larryk
Was WHDF in Calumet at that time..I think it was along side what is now Copper world at one time?

Hei Larryk, I too remember Reino Suojanen on WHDF. He used a lot of "Finglish" during his broadcasts. :>) Was a Suojanen family here in Cornell (deceased now) but don't know if they were related to Reino. Love the pic of the SS South American, I sailed on her sister ship, the SS North American in '59.

I heard this so many times on the radio as a child, that I remember it to this day - " WHDF, with studios on Scott Street in Calumet and in the Douglass House in Houghton, the center of all activity."

If you want the lyrics to WOODY Guthrie's song, just type Italian Hall into your search engine....

Arlo does sing this song as well, but his dad wrote it....I don't have a source for the melody, however.

There's a lot of info on the web about this tragic but true story that can be easily accessed.

Brad in Wi.
Thanks for sharing about the 20 millionth Ford, very interesting reading.

To pht/milw Thank you so much. I did check it out.What a sad ordeal. Why did we never learn anything about things like this in school? I have really only been aware of the "specialness" of the Keweenaw for 7 months now. Everyday I find something new to learn about. I truly love the area and the history. I can't explain it, but something has bit me and I can't get enough.

We had a discussion about the Italian Hall tragedy on Christmas Eve in 2001, which included a real audio version of the story by the late Jack Foster.

Thanks Charlie. Giving it a listen now.

I had a little trouble sleeping last night too! Had no idea the affliction was so wide spread.

Twenty years ago I was living in Arizona. While writing a letter to my family back home in the Keweenaw,this song came on about Calumet, Michigan, in the Copper. Blew me awaaay! Arlo Guthrie was singing "1913 Mining Disaster". The song was playing on my roomate's eight track. It was on the same tape that had "500 Miles Away From Home". Milage was a bit off, but still, I'll never forget the feelings and emotions that song brought on. Brought me right to tears. Haven't heard it tho' since I've been back. So sad. Sometimes I feel that Calumet and the Copper Country will always be haunted by this tragedy. But you "Pastynauts" sure do help to make this place a whole lot cheerier. Thanks!

Woops! Left out the country in "Copper Country". Now THATS sacreligious!

My grandfather worked in L'Anse for a year or two as a bookkeeper about 1921-23. From the histories I've read, Henry Ford didn't get involved with the lumber business there until the late 20s or early 30s, when the "woodies" were manufactured. But my grandmother's story was that he "worked for Henry Ford" in L'Anse. Does anyone know how early Ford was employing people there?

Henry Ford purchased the L'Anse sawmill in 1923 and was employing people at that time. Ford Motor Company shut it down in the 1950's when it stopped using wood in it automobile manufaturing.

Thanks Clyde.

At one time you could find the actual song 1913 Massacre all over the net.With all the copywrite problems I cannot find it now..The best version I have heard was by an Irish singer...I could easily imagine it was an old immigrant to the Keweenaw singing it.
on this page http://www.songsforwoody.com you will find a recording of 1913 Massacre PART 2 Written by an artist from the east coast I think.It is from the point of view of the one who yelled fire..at the end of his life.the music used is very close to the original Woody G. song.

Replanted yooper
I felt the same way when I first heard it in a Jr High , Michigan{u p} history class in Escanaba.I also felt that feeling while hearing The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald for the first time.I was alone in the camp in Bootjack during a Heck of a {summer}storm.I must of missed the intro and it ended with no mention of who did it or what it was called.That must of been on
"PEOPLE POWERED- WMPL"

By the way I once heard a song called "there's no Work In Houghton {the last mine shut down}" on Wisconsin public radio.I waited too long to track it down ..Does anyone know anything about it.It was about driving out of the Keweenaw after the 1968 strike

Woody was undoubtedly one of the great folk writers of the 20th Century. That said, enjoy the song but don't take the lyrics as fact. The man who called out "fire" was never found. Some say it was a malicious act by a Citizen's Alliance Member, others say it was a prank that went terribly bad, and yet others believe it was mis-communication. Which ever, a panic ensued, there was a rush to the stairs, someone fell, and 73 were crushed or sufficated in the stairwell. No one held the doors shut, and the doors were not a factor in the tragedy. There were no "copper boss gun thugs" on the scene when it happened.
The true 1913 Massacre happened at Ludlow, Colorado that winter when the National Guard rode into a strikers camp shooting and burning. Another time honored Colorado strike breaking technique was to round the strikers up, put them on a train and unload them across the nearest state line, out in the open on the high plains or dessert - summer or winter worked quite well.
Woody was a patriot, but his politics and economics were to the far left and his sources were from the IWW and WFM. There were wrongs on both sides of the 1913 strike, weather the the Italian Hall was a deliberate act by some individual is still debatable.

Paul have heard that it was someone saying something in Croation perhaps or something like it..that sounded like fire.someone asking for.. quiet!..