From 1923 to 1958 Katie Long was the Postmistress of Eagle River. She was the Grand-daughter of Joseph Long (we suspect the name was Anglized sometime after arriving in the States) who was among the first residents of the town and the first Sheriff. Katie was born, raised and lived her whole life in the Old German Hotel which Joseph built and is now own by Jim Vivian. After the 1929 crash, her brother Henry returned home from his accounting job in Milwaukee, he was a victim of the times, and stayed in Eagle River for the remainder of his life. Together they lived off her salary plus Henry's (as the Eagle River Municipal Water Commissioner), and the land. Katie did have a suitor in her youth, a Mr. Walen who was a member of the Sandhills (Five-mile Point) Lighthouse staff. The unfortunate story is that Mr. Walen met an untimely demise in Lake Superior. Katie was Alan Long's Aunt and he was the last Long to live in Eagle River, his daughters still own some property there making the family probably the longest continuous owners in the town.

During Katie's time, the mail arrived daily and just about everyone in town would come to the post office to pick their's up after Katie sorted it. The time of day was totally dependent on the arrival of the Copper Country Limited in Calumet. If the train was late, the mail was late. This made the the post office one of the social centers of the town. The other was Sibilski's store, a true general store in those days.

The photo is by Margaret H. Meier, my mother c. 1952 or so. She also took the one below of yours truly traversing the stepping stones to Turtle Rock the big amygdaloid boulder just upstream of the lower bridge. Turtle Rock and Eagle River were favorite play areas in my youth, from the Falls to the Lake. Of course those were the days before Gameboy etc. I don't know that today's more sophisticated 5-7 year-old would find it so entertaining.

---

By R.C. Wetton, Dollar Bay, MI on Sunday, September 15, 2002 - 10:59 am:

Working in my shop this morning I wondered what the odd sound was!!! Lo an Behold a UFO maybe????

Thanks for using one of my photos again. Katie was an important part of daily life in the town.
One correction, I did NOT grow up in Eagle River, we were "Summer People" who returned "up home", as my Grandparents called it, every Summer for vacations. I grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

MY FATHER WAS BORN AND RAISED IN EAGLE RIVER, HE HAS PAST AWAY BUT I AMAGINE HE KNEW HER WHEN HE WAS GROWING UP. I WAS BORN AND RAISE DOWN STATE, AS YOU GUYS CALL IT, BUT I JUST LOVE EAGLE RIVER AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE KEWEENAW.
DENNIS JARVI FENTON MI.

it was so nice to see the picture of eagle river p.o.i knew a bonnie long fron eagle river and that must be relatin.keep the pictures coming.how did the mail get from calumet to eagle river.

SW
Bonnie Long was Alan Long's oldest daughter and Katie's grand-niece. The mail was trucked from Calumet. Newspapers from "down below" were also brought up on the Copper Country Limited.

Very interesting to see the old photos of the Copper County. Just wondering if the Sibilsky store is still standing? I have not been to Eagle River in several years. Now that I am retired it will give me more time to get back and enjoy the area of my youth.

I lived in Eagle River for 6 years. Althouhgh I was only 8 years old when we left Eagle River, I knew and remembered Kate Long, Alan Long, and Otto "Cap" Sibilski. My mother, Almira Eister taught at the grade school for 6 years and my father worked in the area logging camps.

The one thing that I remember about Kate was that she always had a smile on her face when we went to pick up the mail. She was a pleasant lady.

Paul, outstanding historical account of our elders. I'd love to hear more about Impy and Doug Sibilski's roots, too. And something about the schoolhouse. I understand that Grace Ivey even taught there during her earliest years as an educator. Mrs. Yokie had a lot of stories to tell abour ER's early days. I think Cindy G. took some personal history from her. It'd be great if someone could get Cindy to share them on this site. E

I knew both Allan Long and Bonnie Long. They were friends of my mother and her parents. Small world. Nice to know some history about the town. Where is the old German hotel? Is it the B&B in Eagle River?

The German Hotel is directly across from the lower bridge on "Main Street" third house down from the store. It is the largest house on the block and is two and a half stories. The old jail is in the half story attic. My Great-great-gradfather Joseph Long was an enterprising man, he ran the hotel, a saloon next door to it and was the Sheriff. It was convenient to house any prisoners in the attic - closer to his business not to mention the extra income.

My grandmother, Mary Bammert, used to live in Eagle River right next door to Annie Jarvis, up the road from the lake from Annie Kankus. On our vacations up there walking to get the mail from across the river was sometime the high point of the day. Later, it seems like the store took over the post office business. It was still there the last time I was in town. I also think I remember Mrs. or was it Miss Sibilsky. I also remember the sand beach before all the rocks!
How I miss those days!

my grandfather, alton fredrick sibilsky grew up there

I am from a Kankus family in Warsaw and my great aunt (my grand'father's sister-in-law was Annie Kankus from Warsaw(Poland) could you tell who was "the Annie Kankus from Eagle River"? Thank you. Alice Humbert

The Sibilsky Store was still standing as of 2004. It was rented out to an artist selling his items. I took my children and husband on a Sibilsky tour so to speak visiting all of the Sibilsky sites and graves.