Sunday, August 4, 2013

KEWEENAW PENINSULA COPPER HARBOR JULY 29 DAY 90

On the way to Copper Harbor, Michigan
 Leaving the Porkies

 Narrow road here

 Nice countryside
 Coming into Houghton, MI
 Hancock, MI across Portage Lake
 Big lift bridge to let the large freighters in


 Over we go
 Hancock, MI


 Mostly red sandstone buildings from the 1800's

 Everyone plants lots of flowers 
 This is Copper Country
It was known that copper was plentiful in the 
peninsula from ancient times;  but, in the 1840's,
Douglas Houghton, State Geologist, said there was 
an abundant source of copper and the mining boom 
started.  There are mines all over, the last producing
mine closed in 1996. This is the Quincy mine, one of the
 last ones.  The copper boom brought workers from
all over the world-- 30 different countries.
All with their own ethnicity.
The Welsh brought their meat pies, which the miners
 would eat down in the mine, known all over the U P as 
Pasties (Pass-tees).
That's Youper soul food.
 Mine ruins


 Nope..not going down that old shaft!
 Phoenix and the old church Circa 1840's
 The road to Copper Harbor
Nice road but up and down hills and around curves
 The road is known as The Covered Road

 Lake Superior on your left
 
 Got one of the last sites here too
 Here we are, way at the end
 Nice spot-not too level
 Thought you would like this.....
 Took this road to no where and turned back; only because
someone wanted to go ALL the way to the end of the Road!
 Fort Wilkins
and Commandant
 On Lake Fanny Hooe
 Fort was built in the 1840's to keep the peace
between miners and native Objibwas and Chippewa
 Barracks



 Officers quarters
 Parade Ground

 Copper Harbor Lighthouse
Can you believe it?????
Hwy 41 goes all the way from Copper Harbor to Miami 
 

 Happy Campers on a sunset cruise to the 
Copper Harbor Lighthouse
in their Sunset Years!


 Ship that takes passengers to Isle Royal
 Geese


 Dangerous Rocks and only a narrow channel for ships,
that is why the Govt.constructed a lighthouse and range 
lights for this important harbor.








 Enjoy the sunset snaps











This snap was a hard one to capture..
the navigational light blinks every 6 seconds


 Golden Eagle

Built in 1866







A night of dualing picture taking
MY Sunset pictures are better than yours!
Karen far right taking a picture of Buzz
 Buzz taking a picture of you know who


 This is the point where copper was discovered,
old French writngs from the French voyeguers tell
of the green spot gleaming for miles out into the lake.
It was like a beacon. 
Of course, when they started mining here, that massive
hunk of copper was removed and now is at the
 Smithsonian. 

Beautiful sunset
The captain said it was the best of all summer.
Tomorrow: we tour more of the peninsula

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