Dolmen in Upper Michigan

Recently while reading a history book about Upper Michigan I ran across some information about a Dolmen on Huron Mountain Northwest of Marquette. I had never heard of a Dolmen

much less known what it was? The fact there is one on Huron Mountain and another in Northern Minnesota is fascinating. Who put them there? What are they? How did they move that big rock on top of the smaller rocks? Were there people here before the native Indians? The book author believes people came across the Atlantic after the Copper in Upper Michigan. The bronze age was the period this occurred. My thought was how did they know about the copper? The questions are many.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolmen

Some info about the Dolmen in Minnesota:

http://www.jewellhistories.com/ancient_mines.htm

Gooseberry State Park Minnesota

One of my favorite Minnesota State Parks. On the upper trail to the falls they have a wonderful display dedicated to the CCC workers that built the buildings,stone work and trails in the park. I just read the book about CCC camps in Minnesota. It is called "Hard Work and a Good Deal". During the Depression these boys were more then eager for the work and the adventure that came with being in the North land. In Michigan they were also working on Isle Royale but that is another topic. The Gooseberry River name was a curious thing to me in the past when visiting back in the early 1980's? Why that name? Where are the berries?? But what I have found by reading is it's a corruption of the explorer's name Groseilliers. Some map maker really botched that up but good. I have found this to be true for many locations in the north.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/gooseberry_falls/index.html

http://www.pbs.org/empireofthebay/profiles/rg.html

Illgen City Minnesota

Over 30 years ago on the first ever trip up the North shore of Minnesota we got as far as the little village of Illgen City. We simply didn't have the time or resources to continue further. But of course we wanted to just keep going. The North shore has that effect on you, what is around

the next bend on the coast? We can make Canada today! So many stops along the way and wonderful State Parks of course impeded our progress on that long weekend. We had to turn around and start heading back. Back when the road opened up in the 1920's they build what

were called Tourist Parks or Motorist Parks. They had places to camp or cabins for rent. Often they had a cafe in front. Also there were Lodges but these were more costly for the travelers. When people started traveling for tourism they were called Tin Can Tourists because the would bring canned foods and cook them on the campfire while sitting on the running boards of the Model A. We camped in State Parks out of the car and pup tent and there were no tin cans but there were hot dogs and Snicker bars. It's really wonderful history.

http://www.lakesnwoods.com/IllgenCity.htm

What are those pictures?

So what are these shots? They are satellite shots of Huron Mountain Michigan.

What is Huron Mountain? It's the famous Huron Mountain Club that has been in existence

for over 100 years. Some of the countries list of leaders and corporate heads have been members over the years. Henry Ford and others. The history of the club is simply a fantastic story. The first picture is the commons area and the second is of cabins between the Pine River and Lake Superior. Two bridges are visible clearly but the cabins are hard to see. The club owns a huge tract of land in the Huron Mountains and preserve it with care. They hired John Muir at one point to help manage the forest. I have read one lake on their property has trout that can only be found in that lake and nowhere else. The oldest preserved Hemlock Forest in the Midwest is on their property. Its likely that their Huron Mountain Club has the most pristine forest of old growth trees in the Midwest. Its easy to say why is it private but if it wasn't a private club its more then likely it wouldn't be preserved or pristine. And there is plenty of room

in the Huron Mountains that isn't private for visitors.

Yooper Scooper

Yooper Scoopers have gotten attention recently due to the big snow storms in the MidAtlantic states. Matter of fact it was reported that they had to hire a few more employees due to the demand for their products.

http://www.silverbear.biz/

I really am fond of the U.P of Michigan and they have rough times in recessions.

Glad to read the newspaper today and find that this company is doing some business.

Good for them!

The Finnish Cabin

While reading books this winter about the early settlers in the U.P of Michigan I have run across much detail about the early homesteads and cabins. They built their shelters or cabins from local materials and by hand. Some of the settlers were Finnish in orgin and build their cabins in wonderful detail. They cut down whatever trees were near their homesteads and hand hewn the logs and then added details to link the logs. Some used the locking dovetail joint at the ends. Others did elaborate notching which I've never seen before. Some however in a hurry before the winter didn't get as fancy. Even their barns looked very nice. There still are some of these cabins and barns in the U.P if you search around.

Marquette Michigan

I've only been to Marquette about twice in my lifetime. Each time on the way to somewhere else. Which is sad really as I've been reading about the area and it's very rich in history and activities. Matter of fact more then most people know. Many people have gone to school at NMU only to return later to live because of Marquette's high quality of life. If you can overlook the annual snowfall that is! But even that is a bonus if you like to ski and snowshoe. And then there is that huge Superior Dome on the NMU campus for sporting events. More about Marquette area in future postings, stay tuned. This from the AP WIRE:

MARQUETTE - Citing Marquette's "dynamic neighborhoods, a rich architectural heritage, cultural diversity and a strong commitment to historic preservation," the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Marquette to an exclusive list of destination cities.
As one of the trust's 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations, Marquette is in line for national media attention and will now compete in an online voting contest to determine a Fan Favorite award.
In a prepared statement, Richard Moe, president of NTHP, praised Marquette for its history and scenery. "Marquette is a must-see for travelers looking to get off the beaten path," he said. "Marquette offers visitors a chance to enjoy history, art, outdoor activities and spectacular natural resources."

Nightly dose of Duluth

If your not lucky enough to live in Duluth you must check the live cams each night.

Tonight its a stunning photo taken from the Army Corps of Engineers building on the Canal.

Dead calm with some lake ice in the distance. It's very nice to see. Some winters are unbearable in Duluth, this year is very mild.

Friends of the woods

A few deer in the meadow below the family house. They get a bit of corn in little spread out piles so nothing can be spread from deer to deer like CWD or anything else. The likelihood is pretty rare however in the North land. The problem to date has been in Southern Wisconsin.

The waiting.....

Waiting for three months to pass these stored sailboats sit. Seems like forever away

but May will be here soon enough. Who invented that shrink wrap anyway? Sure is better

then the old fashion canvas and ropes. This scene in Bayfield Wisconsin with Madeline Island

in the distant background.

Bayfield Harbor fishing boat

Another scene from Bayfield Wisconsin where they still have a nice little fishing industry supplying fish to restaurants and others.

Bayfield Wisconsin Harbor

The harbor is icing up for the winter. This year a old tug is parked for the winter in a slip.

The contrast of the red tug with the ice is very nice. Last year the channel froze solid good enough for the ice road to Madeline Island to be open quite a long time. I drove across and it was two feet thick. Still it felt very odd to drive the channel in a car. Also I was thinking about the fact it's 200 feet deep. But somebody said it doesn't matter if it's 50 feet or 200 feet. The result would be the same. The story that has been floating around for years and I guess it's true, is that a house was transported over the ice and broke thru on the way to the island. I'm sure there are pictures somewhere?

I found it! In 1977 somebody was trying to have their vacation home transported to the island and it made it three miles of the four. Down it went! Truck and all. Here is a picture before it completely sank

Viking Motel

Back in the early 1980's the Viking Motel was our base camp for exploring Duluth and even parts of the Northshore. I found his postcard today and had a good giggle about it. What a interesting design this motel on London Drive had. I'm not sure when it was torn down? Perhaps somebody out there knows? I think it was just south of the Black Woods Supper Club on the

west side of the street. I know before it closed there was a shooting in one of the rooms. I read that in the paper years ago. That was back in the day when going to Canal Park was to see the industrial buildings and even junk cars on the shoreline. Downtown had a few red light businesses also. Have things changed for the better! Duluth is a wonderful city in my eyes.

Camp, Cottage or cabin? Or even Yurt in some parts of the Northland.

Adirondack Style, Lundie design, or just plain cabin.

During the winter and long evenings its wonderful to read and research the history of the Northland. The Camps and Lodges and who did what and when. To read about the camps of the early 1900’s which were turned into much more then camps but real luxury. Places like the McCormick Wilderness Tract and the Huron Mountain Club. People that were captains of Industry that found the need to get back to nature and be rigorous in the outdoors. After all Theodore Roosevelt promoted this idea.Henry Ford in Upper Michigan with friends like Harvey Firestone and Thomas Edison. Imagine those fireside conversations. Venturing deep into what was truly the wilderness and old growth tracts of forests untouched. Some still that way today. It really gets the imagination flowing doesn’t it?

Copper Harbor News about Hunter's Point!

Just a wonderful pristine area is now saved for future generations of tourists:

GRANT TOWNSHIP - A long-anticipated land purchase two years in the making in Grant Township has become a reality.

In 2007, the Grant Township Board authorized the submission of a grant application to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund for assistance in purchasing property adjacent to Hunter's Point Park in the tip of the Keweenaw, said Richard Powers, deputy supervisor of Grant Township and chairman of the Hunter's Point Committee.

In phases, about 45.4 acres were purchased, which extend from the western border of Hunter's Point Park west to North Coast Shore Road, and also from Lake Superior to M-26.

"There's a traditional trail from the marina to Hunter's Point," he said. "A lot of our visitors up here like to go see Hunter's Point."

The purchase also encompasses 76 acres on the north side of Brockway Mountain south of the Copper Harbor Marina and Hunter's Point extending from M-26 south to the Michigan Nature Association's James Dorian Rooks Memorial Nature Preserve, Powers said.

"We looked for some way to get (the land) so that the traditional trail to the marina to the Hunter's Point Park would be maintained," he said.

The township used a $1.1 million grant from the MNRTF to purchase the 121.4-acre addition of land to the 9.4 acres that make up Hunter's Point Park in Copper Harbor. Hunter's Point Park was purchased in 2005 with the assistance of another grant through the trust fund.

"This particular grant was a phase grant," he said. "We put the grant request in ... in 2006 ... and half of it was approved in 2007 and half of it was approved in 2008, and the purchase was made in 2009."

The purchase will assure public access to Hunter's Point over traditional trails that have been threatened by development, he said. The addition of the land will also permit the Copper Harbor mountain bike trail system to be extended over Brockway Mountain to Lake Superior.

"Hunter's Point has long been a destination for visitors to Copper Harbor and keeping access to Hunter's Point available to the public is important to the local tourist industry," he said. "Its flowers and fauna, geological formations and location of the annual bird migrations offers visitors a wide variety of natural features to enjoy."

This acquisition includes 655 feet of Lake Superior shoreline, Powers said, making a total of more than 4,000 feet of shoreline the park has on Lake Superior and Copper Harbor Bay.

"The north shore of Hunter's Point is very weather-beaten," he said. "As you go further inland, there's conglomerate rock."

In certain areas, there is very little vegetation and some pockets of cedar and swamp conifers dot areas to the west end.

"There's a lot of things in there we want to explore and see what we've got," Powers said. "We have to maintain it and make it so the public gets the benefit out of it."

Going into the new year, the Grant Township Board expects to develop a use plan for the land, which appears to be 95 percent forested with white birch, northern hardwoods, pine and balsam fir and 5 percent open, non-forest land cleared for sewer, utilities and roadways, he said.

Right now, plans to build boardwalks are in the making to allow, yet minimize, the public access to keep the land as natural and unharmed as possible.

Democratic Representative Mike Lahti of Hancock assisted in obtaining the grant and Century 21 North Agency of Houghton managed the details of the sale, he said. Grant writing assistance was provided by Bill Olsen of U.P. Engineers and Architects.

Eagle Harbor fall and now winter

Having been in Eagle Harbor at the end of September I tend to keep track of the weather and happenings in the area. I really enjoy the Keweenaw and the small villages there. A fantastic web site to see a daily picture of the Eagle Harbor weather and happenings is this site: http://www.eagleharborweb.net/ People of the U.P are a hardy bunch. When I see the amount

of lake effect snow I think my gosh that is crazy!

The Keweenaw is calling

A area I really enjoy is Keweenaw County of Upper Michigan. A big remote and unpopulated area with very nice scenery and history. I like the lack of bill boards and tourist traps.
If your a history buff and need your daily fix of the Keeweenaw this blog below is just the place.
Pasty.com is a wealth of information with all the postings of it's followers. They know just where that remote waterfall or vista is in the U.P. Often providing information you would never find anyplace else.

http://www.pasty.com/cam/index.html

Bentleyville down at Bayfront Park

This is something everybody in the Duluth area should see. Bentleyville light display.

http://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/

It continues until Jan 2nd 2010.

Speaking of snow

This famous photo of a past big winter storm that didn't miss Duluth.The house on Canal Park was almost buried by the wind and drifts. Perhaps somebody could mention the date? I don't recall the exact date of this huge storm. Will Duluth have another this year???

Grand Marais Cam with no snow??

The snow missed Grand Marais during the last big storm but they have the cold like everybody else. The harbor is iced over. The South Shore of Lake Superior really got the snow. Near 20 inches in Washburn and Ashland Wi. Ironwood Mi. has 29 inches on the ground and Duluth got 10-12 inches also. Copper Harbor Michigan has been getting Lake Effect snows all week and has two feet on the ground. Winter is here for awhile on the big lake.

A very polite Duluth Blogger pointed out that south of Duluth they got 10-12 inches, in Duluth

at Canal Park they got just a inch and north of Duluth a dusting.