The Upper Peninsula of Michigan
A Different World - Part Two
Leave early for Copper Country, the Keweenaw Peninsula of the UP. There is a campground in Hancock, MI, located on a canal which separates part of the peninsula (island) from the mainland.
Tour the Quincy Mine. The Number two shaft building and the hoist house dominate the hillside overlooking Hancock and Houghton. For over one hundred years, this mine produced millions of tons of copper. There are ninety-two levels to the mine reaching the depth of over nine thousand feet. To take the tour of level seven, the only one open to the public, you take a short ride on the only cog wheel tram in the Midwest. This goes down the hillside at a thirty-seven degree incline. It feels like you are on a roller coaster descending the first hill in slow motion.
When you reach the correct level, the temperature drops thirty degrees from the cold air being expelled through the adit (the horizontal mine entrance). You are given coats and hardhats to wear as you board a tractor driven wagon into the mine. From the 1840s through the 1960s there were hundreds of mines stretching from Copper Harbor to Ontonagon. Very few made any money. Most were closed down because of the fall in copper prices after the World Wars. The wages were pitiful, $1.00 to $2.00 per day for 10 hour days work. Some of the conditions and wages improved, because of violent strikes in the 1910s and later. Nevertheless, being a copper minor was hard, back breaking, work, its fringe benefits were outstanding though. There was blindness, deafness, and early death due to the old standbys such as falling down an open mine shaft if you tripped. And another great company perk was free housing as long as you lived--of course if you died your wife and kids had 30 days to ship out or marry someone else. Ah yes, the romance of being a miner.
Imagine working in total darkness with only a candle on your hard hat (felt soaked in resin). From the 1840s up to the invention of the power drill around the beginning of the 20th century. The men worked in three man teams: one held the four foot drill, while the other two hit it with eight pound sledge hammers at a rate of one swing per second. After each swing the holder would make a quarter turn on the drill. If he grew tired he used hand signals to stop the swinging. This was to place his thumb over the edge of the drill; the area being struck. You did not leave the mine for any reason until the end of your shift or else you were not paid for the day. You had to provide your own tools, including candles and drill bits. If your candle went out, which happened frequently because of air currents in the mine or water dripping, you just sat there until found. Only the fool walked in a totally dark mine. There were open shafts, low ceilings, and passages leading to other levels and areas of the mine.
When you are in UP, you have to try the pasties. They are meat pies brought by the Cornish miners to the area. They can be found anywhere in the UP. What a great meal!
Drive the spine of copper country. Stop at the Mining museum at Calumet. The Calumet and Hecla Mining Company was one of the largest on the peninsular. Calumet is still a relatively thriving town, even though the mines have long been closed. Many of the old buildings are being used for other purposes, such as education, storage, etc.
On December 24th 1913, a disaster took place at the Italian Society Hall. During a deadlocked and vicious strike a Christmas Party for the wives and children was being held at the hall. Someone yelled "Fire" and panic ensued. Even though this occurred ten years after the infamous Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago, the doors to the upstairs hall sill opened inwards. Over eighty women and children were trampled to death in this incident. There was no fire. The building is long gone and grave locations are unknown, but the memory lingers on. Ironically, there are still many public buildings still with doors which open inward.
Michigan Upper Peninsula Article Resources
Munising, Michigan
Munising, Michigan is a Midwest vacation travel of treasures. Little known, the quiet little city of Munising in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is one of the most beautiful cities in the Mid West.
Au Train Recreation Area
The area is rich in natural resources and the perfect area for a quiet and peaceful vacation get-away for the entire family. Enjoy Michigan Upper Peninsula in Au Train, Michigan.
Munising, Alger County Michigan Attractions
The City of Munising, Michigan will provide your entire family with an avalanche of outdoor recreation activities and enjoyment- Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
