The North Country

The North Country
The Upper Peninsula, Michigan, Wisconsin, into Minnesota
This woods, hills and lakes are a special place of study communities, old families with roots from old stock, here because of its similarity to their Northern Homelands in Europe, they came to work the land, some have farms, raise families, some worked the woods and mines to scratch out a living, they drive rusting cars and trucks, some trucks with an extra set of headlights mounted high to get though 200+ inches of snow a year, they have relied on little help from the outside, taking care of their own, ain’t this the family values some folks are talking about?
They get together, coats in hand, don’t be like me and leave your coat behind, come prepared to talk, share, dance, even sip on some of the hard stuff, then some get up for church on Sunday, some like me, feel that is church everyday, God is in all things, and we don’t own them.
Recently Congress was able to offer a high minimum wage for folks, a $2.10 increase over three years, making a whopping $7.25 by 2009, now that some real money, and add-ons including capitol gains on timber, rural devopment incentives and a program to clean up abandoned coal mines. Yet the Republican can’t give the American people the help they need unless it eases the burden on the rich, Senator Frisk, where’s your Hand of Hope Now?
As a visitor and a tourist, folks up here rely on my dollar, even Maine, says on its license tag, The Tourist State, on the radio, 70% of up state visitors are Trolls from down state, this year people are traveling less, even in there own state. Without leadership in this country to know what it is really like survive in rural communities, they will wither away, their kid will run away to places like Portland, Silver City, Austin, no righteous believes will save them, not when we continue to spend our nations money foolessly on the Crusades, pushing to end the world, one in which the people, all peoples wish to live in a community and be left to live their culture, their morality, dance and drink and still believe, can we believe again?
My mind is shifting heading west, starting to have thoughts of friends, work, my social commitments, I am trying to not think of this things, yet as I inch forward on the big map, I am headed home. To wander this great country has been a privedge, an honor, to be able to see, hear, smell, taste and breathe the same air as the people and land I visit. Yet these areas can not survive on tourists alone, we need long range plans, not every distance place can be a theme, as we privatize this nation, and it is, some for mere existence, some for more profit and gain.
“The insurance companies, drug companies, and oil companies might not like me very much. But they already have great represtation in Washington. It’s the rest of the people that need it.” Paul WellstoneWe need more leaders willing to be honest and fair to all.
Leaving Paradise and the Falls, heading west on Rt. 123, a small black bear runs quickly across the road, herons are hunting in ponds for breakfast, so patient, motionless they stand, like a yoga pose, down to Newberry, stop at Timber Charlie’s for the Big Breakfast, Lumberjack Days August 25-26, then right on Rt. 28 across lowlands of small lakes and forest, the birch tree are so divine, standing out, kinda like me in Detroit, we can all get along, all small store here are called Party Stores, guess because they have stuff to drink and eat, on to Munising, for a look a Pictured Rocks, a little time to explore, a little bakery, Pasties, what’s this, I am told its miners food, meats, vegetables wrapped in pastry, about the size of ones hand, the Cornish Miners had experience in the mines coming over here, they introduced this meal in pouch, later other immigrants came along to work the mines and picked up on it, still seeing signs for these in Minnesota, everyone sells them, they are not bad, not sure about the Rutabaga ones, off for views of rocks, lots of kayaks, some folks swimming in the rocks, the Native Americans would put their prisoners in small rock caves, no way to get out, unless you climb straight up these rock faces on the shoreline, Magnificent views, no Indians, thank somebody.






And don’t forget the Fishhouse for Smoked Fish, the next town west is Christmas, on Rt. 41N to Houghton, where Cooper Mines use to rule.
Into Houghton for the night, 6 days of camping, time for four walls and a bed.
History:
The City of Houghton was born during the nation's first mining boom. Douglass Houghton (the city's name sake) was the state's first geologist and documented the rich copper deposits of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The City of Houghton grew out of economic prosperity and by 1865 was a thriving shipping port and business cultural center for the rich mining district. Low copper process and the cost of operating deep underground mines forced the decline and closure of the mining industry. The entire region suffered, and the population decreased 51% between 1920 and 1970.
After this economic catastrophe the City of Houghton found it has a unique urban fabric of waterfront, historic buildings and steep hillsides along with unparalleled scenic environment of the Keweenaw Peninsula. These provided the opportunities for an economic revitalization program. In the late 1960s, the City of Houghton, like other communities in the region was suffering from the loss of its economic base. With a deteriorating infrastructure in need of improvements, the city participated in the HUD 701 planning program. A comprehensive plan was prepared and adopted. While many communities also approached their problems this way, Houghton actually implemented many of the plans and recommendations; improving the water, sewer and transportation network, central business and Portage Lake waterfront. The city's aggressive roll in facilitating economic growth has given the community new impetus and a positive attitude toward the future. The population mix reflects the benefits of cohesive community values. A strong work ethic, love of the area and traditional family values provide a solid foundation for continued growth. MICHIGAN’S COPPER DEPOSITS AND MINING
The first mineral boom in the United States occurred in 1843 when people from all over the continent began to chase the copper, silver and iron of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. These mines were in commercial operation for more than a hundred years.
Michigan has produced over 14 billion pounds of copper since mining began in 1844. Silver is often extracted along with the copper deposits. The copper mined in Michigan help fuel the industrial revolution that occurred in the US, because copper products were needed by the growing nation. All mining of native metallic copper ceased in the UP in 1969. Currently, Arizona leads the nation in copper production.
Michigan’s copper deposits were remarkable for their quality and purity. Bands of native copper were contained in outcrops 2 to 8 miles wide and of varying depth. The surface deposits first attracted the notice of Native Americans who dug out the easily accessible chunks and fashioned copper tools and adornments from them. The British and French saw the indigenous pieces but did little to exploit the resource.
Michigan’s unique contribution to archeology is found in the ancient copper mines of the Lake Superior region. The presence of copper in the rocks of the Keweenaw Peninsula has been known for centuries. Copper artifacts show that long before Europeans arrived, Native Americans throughout the upper Midwest used the metal for making a variety of ornaments, tools, utensils, and weapons. Much of the copper used by the Native American was "drift copper" — removed from the rocks by the glaciers and dropped randomly in the glacial debris. The Indians were made aware of the existence of the metal by masses of float copper carried south by the glaciers and left lying on the surface. Sometime in the remote past, an unknown tribe began to mine the native copper in the Upper Peninsula. They dug pits in the ground and separated the copper from the stone by hammering, by the use of wedges, and, possibly, by the use of heat. Thousands of hammers have been found in and about the old pits. Copper from these mines was widely distributed throughout the country, and it is probable that numerous tribes made summer pilgrimages to the Upper Peninsula to get supplies of the precious metal.
Copper jewelry and amulets worn by the Indians excited the interest of the early white explorers. They learned the Indians had not mined the copper but had found it scattered on the surface west of Pictured Rocks. Explorers from the time of the Jesuits on have searched without success for the "mother lode." Although the French explorers were told of the copper deposits by the Chippewa Indians in the early 17th century, no mining was attempted until late in the 18th century, and none of the French mining ventures were successful. The first copper mine opened in 1771, and its owner, Alexander Henry, sent the Ontonagon Boulder--of pure native copper--to Detroit as evidence of the region’s richness. But speculative activity did not begin in earnest until 1841, hastened by the favorable reports of the first state geologist, Douglas Houghton. These reports, combined with publicity given the Ontonagon Boulder, sparked the first mineral rush in the nation, predating by several years the more famous California gold rush. Between 1843 and 1846, thousands of prospectors arrived from the East with the hope of "striking it rich."
These events brought a rush of copper-seeking prospectors into the Upper Peninsula in the early 1840s. Copper mining has been almost continuous in the Keweenaw Peninsula area for the 150 years since then. During that time over 12 billion pounds of native copper have been mined. The image below shows pure copper ingots, awaiting shipment. Iron and copper are the two most economically important minerals in Michigan. Michigan produced 5,385,849 tons of copper between the beginning of commercial operations in 1845 and 1969 when several companies ended operations because of labor troubles.
Back on the trail:
A night in Houghton, located on the a river, with hills all around, very active downtown, taking a stroll to eat, beer, Keweenaw Brewing Company, Pick Axe Blonde with a busty blonde girl with Heidi locks of hair on the can, then there’s Red Jacket Amber, Magnum Pale, Hilde’s Brown, Empress Hefeweizen and RAM Stout, I get the Blonde to take back to my room for later, she not bad! There are at least 45 Microbrewers, Brewpubs and Brewers in Michigan’s Beer Directory check it out at www.michiganbrewersguild.org for more info. Later that night in Chassell, Pasi & Cats are playing, a Finnish band from these parts, Pasi on the accordion with his thick accent, Polkas are big stuff here, it’s outside, under cover, on the lake, a bit cold. still folks of all ages, families and friends, they come up to me and talk, interest on both sides, the dances are all fun, skipping, holding hands, large groups, singles, four older women sweet as can be, a beautiful thing to watch these people, some sipping whiskey, some beer, pastries and Finnish coffee, wish I would have written down the names of the pastries, and they continued to dance, some learning, me watching, a bit shy this night, for those looking, there seems to be some single girls there too, one band member said they may come out west, large Finnish Communities out in the NW and celebrations, if possible, go and have fun!
Back to my room with the Blonde.
Paradise to Houghton
65mpg/ 255.7 miles traveled
Still in Michigan
A little run up Rt. 41N to Copper Harbor, pass old cooper mines, building falling apart, like there cars, rusting, worn buildings along the roadside, pass Mohawk, the Wooden Spoons with fresh Chow-chow and pasties, pass Gay, what kind of church service here, some of the most splendid forest on this drive I have seen, still trying to leave this state, up to Cooper Harbor, I can see why folks don’t left this country, back down Rt. 26, and folks here are friendly here, too, not as reserved as the East Coast, a find a gem , The Jam House run by Catholic Monastery of the Byzantine Rite, these monks in black robes with long beards get up at 4am, pray, then off to bake and make jams, all native fruits, Wild Thimbleberry, Raspberry-Currant, Wild Blackberry, Wild Apple Butter, to name a few and breads, fruitcakes, cookies, I ask to monk at the counter, if I can stay, he says “people just don’t show up”, after thinking about this later, did not Mary and Joseph just show up, still Heaven is Here!
Their website is www.societystjohn.com/jampot.jp, I have some jams to bring back to Oregon!!!
Back down the road leaving this beautiful place, a nice side trip, a hundred miles later I pass Houghton again, back on Rt. 41S to Rt. Rt. 26S, nice coffee shop in Twin Lakes, not much espresso found up here, then down to Bruce Crossing to Rt. 28W into flat lowlands of farms and forest, pass the turnoff to Porcupine Mountains to Ironwood, Michigan, then into Wisconsin.
An update on the rest of this ride later.