Copper Country

And today we prove the possibility of taking an excellent photograph with an inexpensive camera.... Took this photo by pointing my camera out my hotel window in Houghton on the prettiest fall weekend I remember, in late September of 1990. The Keweenaw National Park was not "real" at this time but while we were in the vicinity we had some contact with the efforts which would create it. The wreck of a building complex across the Portage River was the Quincy Copper Smelter in Ripley--it still stands, more or less, and folks still hope to restore it. That would be worthwhile, but I'll believe it when it happens. Like Cliffs Shaft Mine and Painesdale's Champion, these buildings were last fully active in 1967, but have not stood up nearly so well. The ship in the foreground is Ranger III--transportation to Isle Royale National Park--and the buildings in the foreground are a part of that truly remote park. I was in town for a meeting of the South Shore Special Interest Group (DSS&A SIG) of the Soo Line Historical & Technical Society, which was just forming at the time (the SIG, not the Society). We spent the weekend touring mining locations, looking over old rolling stock, and sharing stories. A good time. This photo has often been mistaken for a model railroad picture. Nope: A photo from real life. Camera: Minolta Freedom 100

McLain State Park is west of Calumet, in Michigan's Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. While there are many other reasons to visit the area, the sunsets alone can justify the trip. This photo was taken in July of 1998 with my Nikon N90s

Northern Michigan's mining districts: Heavy industry in the wilderness. Now largely gone to ruin. Champion Mine's Rock (Shaft) House #4 in Painesdale on a gorgeous fall day in 1990--another pic from our DSS&A excursion. Like Cliffs Shaft Mine and the Quincy Smelter, this facility closed in 1967. That coincidence of dates is not really a coincidence. About half the Champion Mine complex still stands and is in reasonably good shape, partly because the mine serves as Adams township's main water source. The shaft house and other structures at the location now belong to a local preservation/historical group, called Painesdale Mine & Shaft, who are turning the place into a museum. Camera: Minolta Freedom 100

Another picture from Painesdale's Champion Mine on a beautiful autumn day in 1990. Since I was there with a railfan group, the Copper Range boxcars naturally drew some comment, and some speculation about the efforts which might be required to preserve them. There should have been some follow-through, as the cars were eventually sold for scrap. Camera: Minolta Freedom 100

Champion Mine #4 Rockhouse, Painesdale, Michigan. Being preserved by Painesdale Mine & Shaft . Best viewed as a potential museum.... Explored! #369 on Flickr [August 2, 2013] Thanks!

Twin Lakes State Park in Michigan's Copper Country. We had marvelous skies and delightful weather all week. Camera: Nikon D70 Photo by Joel Dinda

Another view of the Twin Lakes sky. I've also posted a version in black & white .

The Calumet and Hecla Mining Company built a substantial complex of buildings around the Red Jacket and their other mines early in the twentieth century. Those buildings, now the heart of the Keweenaw National Historical Park , are a truly impressive monument to the miners who toiled far beneath the surface in what was then the planet's deepest mine. This building, according to the site's map (available at the park but not on their website), was the Drill Shop.

Explored! #171 on Flickr [February 9, 2008] Thanks! Your classic postcard shot of the delightful light at Eagle Harbor, on Lake Superior in Michigan's Copper Country. Now a museum of local history, and well worth the visit. Yes, I pushed the color a bit. The light is still functioning.