29 July 2022  Friday
Posted 17 March 2023

Today we explore Houghton, Hancock, Calumet, and the Quincy Mine.

0908  48,001  56°  Left the Houghton County Historical Society after a quiet night at this Harvest Hosts museum spot.  

Just outside of Lake Linden we pulled over to photograph old pick-up trucks, 

an abandoned factory, 

and as half-sunken dredge.

0957  48,016  58°
Found sheltered parking in downtown Houghton with enough clearance for our 9’4″ tall van.  

Downtown Houghton rises quickly from the Portage Canal. We like the old buildings so will share some photos of those that survived from the late 1800’s. Brick was first used in a commercial building here in 1888 during construction of the Houghton National Bank.

The 1899 Douglas House is four stories in front and two stories where the back of the building meets the hill. The bar survives from the original hotel, but the rooms are now apartments.

1883 Fire Station

1887 Court House 

The opulent High Victorian design of the Houghton County Courthouse testifies to the prosperity that the copper boom brought to the area in the late nineteenth century. The red sandstone trim and copper roof were products of the Upper Peninsula. The architect, J. B. Sweatt, was from Marquette. 

(from a historical society sign)

Not important architecturally, but high on the list for us, is Victoria’s Kitchen where we restocked our supply of fresh baked goods. 

1120  48,017  Checked out the Houghton RV Park. Located on the waterfront, there were no sites available, even for Sunday night. 

Visited the 1899 Copper Range Railroad Depot. The railroad was built to deliver supplies and people offloaded from ships for area copper mines. The same ships were then loaded with copper ingots for their return voyages. The last train ran in 1972. The depot is currently a restaurant with a view of the lift bridge.

Crosswalks caught my attention. They aren’t just the usual stripes, but feature local influences like boats and fish.

Houghton and Hancock are connected by a lift bridge crossing the Portage Canal.

Crossing the bridge into Hancock we immediately faced the only synagogue in the Keweenaw.  Temple Jacob Congregation was founded in 1912.

1155  48,019  Hancock Downtown. Parking on Quincy Street was free for 2 hours

Here’s the combination Town Hall, Police, and Fire Station built in 1899. The red sandstone used in construction is from nearby Jacobsville.

I’m interested in your comments on scenes like this. Should the power lines have been edited out of the photo or is it better to show the scene as it actually looks?

Beth found a little crafting fix at Sew Cranky. This shop is full of hand cranked sewing machines which they use to create period costumes for historical reinactors.

Quincy Street is the main drag and runs through Finlandia University .

While writing this I found that the University, founded in 1896, isn’t enrolling students for the 2023-2024 academic year. That’s a sad change for Hancock and the educational community.

The Finish American Heritage Center is on the university campus. It houses the Honorary Consul of Finland, The Finnish American Reporter, and a gallery.

The gallery is free and we enjoyed an exhibition of beautiful fabric works like this Plant Dyed Knitted Wool Sweater by Clare Zuraw

A fox peaked through a window in this multi-layered felted art called Home in the Woods by Anita Jain

After enjoying the gallery, we headed north to find more about the copper boom that fueled development in the Keweenaw peninsula.

1315  48,022  Keweenaw National Historic Park.  

The Quincy Mining Company mined copper ore here from 1846 to 1945. This ore accounted for almost a billion pounds* of finished copper smelted in Hancock.

*Quincy Mine Hoist Association

Parking was plentiful, even for large vehicles, and there was no charge for a walking tour.  We parked near the hoist house where ore was lifted from the mine and loaded into railroad cars.

Didn’t ride this cog railway tram down the hill for a walk into the mine today, but it looks interesting.

The tram was quite an upgrade compared to this original red wooden car that lowered 30 men at a time into the mine. Miners sat on wooden benches arranged like steps. The unpainted car on the left lifted ore from underground for loading onto trains. This is all inside the hoist house.

The Quincy & Torch Lake Railroad moved ore from here to Hancock and Torch Lake where we camped last night. Abandoned when the mine closed after World War II, a few locomotives and cars still remain on the property.

A very nice G gauge (1:22.5) model of the mine complex was running inside the museum. The structures and rail models were made by Chuck Pomazal. 

1400  48,033  60°  Calumet 

Driving further north we stumbled upon a Firefighter’s Competition in downtown Calumet. Buckets of water were passed overhead in this challenge resulting in some very wet firefighters.

An extension of the Keweenaw National Historic Park, the Calumet Visitor’s Center has history displays and rangers that can answer questions about Isle Royal and the Keweenaw Parks. The building was built in 1888 to house both an Odd Fellows and a Masonic Lodge.

The Calumet Art Center sits across the street from the Visitor’s Center and houses a nice gallery. They offer an extensive list of classes open to locals and visitors.

1500  48,048  Eagle River

We pulled into a pretty spot at Smokin’ Soul, a Boondockers Welcome host. We look forward to two nights here as a base for exploring the tip of the Keweenah.

Two other rigs came in after us. Watching a fifth wheel that took 30 minutes to park reminded me of sitting in the marina watching boats dock. 

It was good entertainment while Beth defrosted the fridge. This is the ice that builds up on the cooling fins. The fridge cools much better without ice.

We are thankful for the ease of parking our little van. Also thankful for the hosts who welcome boondockers on their lovely property.

Where’s the Copper?  This 1846 map of mineral regions shows deposits in most of the Keweenaw.

Today’s Route

(click image to enlarge)