Month: October 2023

Historical Photos – Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

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This is a picture of a pair of unknown homesteaders near Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Unknown homesteaders from near Sault Ste. Marie showing off their horses.

Two Homesteaders with Their Horses

Here are several historical pictures from the Sault Ste. Marie area, The first one is two homesteaders with their pair of prize horses. There are no names attached to this picture so we don’t know who this is. I do like the dog in front of the woman. Also, the front door seems to be covered with blankets or some kind of fabric. This is a great example of early homestead life.

Native Americans fishing on the St. Mary's River with canoes and nets.

Sault Ste. Marie Native Americans fishing in canoes in the St. Mary’s River.

Soo Native Americans Fishing St. Mary’s with Canoes

Taken from the Canadian side of the St. Mary’s River, these Soo native Americans are out fishing the Rapids. This was taken from an old stereoview. This was probably taken in the late 1800s. Though it is hard to tell, I think the Native on the left side is Jack Lapete, a well-known Lake Superior guide.

Years ago there was a railroad depot next to the locks at Sault Ste. Marie.

The train depot that used to be at the Soo Locks exchanging ship for rail passengers or vice-versa.

Sault Ste. Marie Train Depot at the Soo Locks

Back when trains were abundant, a railroad depot was located at the Soo Locks. This allowed passengers to embark and debark from train to ship in one location. The depot was located west of where the locks observation platform is now. From an old postcard image, with the car next to the ship, it shows three modes of transportation for the era, 1920s or 30s.

A Steamship called the Athabasca is captured by photographer Allan Fanjoy.

The ship Athabasca as it sails into the Soo Locks. Photo by Allan Fanjoy.

The Steamship Athabasca

Allan Fanjoy, a Sault Ste. Marie photographer captures the S.S. Athabasca as it heads down the St. Mary’s River. The Athabasca was built in Scotland in 1883 and then sent to America for passenger use on the Great Lakes. She sailed between Thunder Bay, Ontario on Lake Supeerior and Owen Sound on Lake Huron. It was one of three ships in a fleet that also included the Algoma and the Alberta.

Trout fishing along the river in Sault Ste. Marie.

A fisherman baits is line after pulling in a prize trout on the St. Mary’s River.

Trout Fishing on the St. Mary’s

Trout fishing has been a time honored tradition throughout the U.P. One of the reasons the Native Americans lived in the region was because of the abundance of fish. Even former governor Chase S. Osborn was known to enjoy pulling a big one out of the river. He even had a local guide come an get him if he had something special on the line and he would drop whatever he was doing and go pull in a big trout. The picture above shares a fishing tradition that continues to this day.

If you enjoyed these pictures you would probably enjoy my book – Faces, Places, and Days Gone By. 

Attention Craft Beer Fans – Yooper Ale Trails – All Roads Lead To Beer.

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Bringing Upper Peninsula beer to the world with the Yooper Ale Trails book.

The cover of the book, Yooper Ale Trails for Craft breweries and brewpubs in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The popularity of independent and craft breweries has been on the rise for several years now. They have been popping up across the Upper Peninsula almost faster than one can keep up with. From the populaton centers to some of the remotest places, nearly all roads lead to beer.

A couple of years ago, Jon Stott began a journey that would take him across the Upper Peninsula to document all of the brewpubs and breweries, tasting and documenting this rising and tasty industry.  The result was a book concept called the Yooper Ale Trails.

The idea was to create trails to breweries  and brewpubs that a beer lover could follow to hit each place within a specified area. Eventually all the brewpubs and breweries in the entire Peninsula would be not only documented, but thoroughly described as to brews and even menus from those that provide food. It became a book that is unique. 

Now it is my turn to take up the mantle of the Yooper Ale Trails. I will be exploring new brewpubs and breweries to keep things up to date. I will be revising past entries as the need arises. Each month we will be doing a “Featured” brewery or brewpub on the blog. This new feature will whet readers appetites for adventures down the Yooper Ale Trails.

The legacy of U.P. brewers from the past continues with this new era of hand-crafted beers. The journeys of the Yooper Ale Trails invokes that historical past all the while ushering it in to a new day. Yooper Ale Trails is a must have for any craft beer loving fans. 

Go here to pick up a copy: Yooper Ale Trails 

 

Historical Photos – Copper Country – Keweenaw – Michigan

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Pasty Boy from the Copper Country holds a pasty bigger than his head.

This is from the Keweenaw with a caption the reads “I’m ‘Rale’ Cornish.”

I recently received a few new additions to my historical pictures collection. I thought it might be fun to share them with everyone. The first one is Pasty Boy up top. This delightful image comes from the copper country.  He’s holding a pasty that is bigger than his head and a cane meant to represent a shepherd’s crook. Cornwall was a long way from the Keweenaw Peninsula, but the Cornish copper miners kept their heritage alive. The Cornish Pasty lives as a shared heritage between the Upper Peninsula and Cornwall, England.

Part of a fleet of four ships the Tionesta made regular runs to the Copper Country.

The luxury passenger liner S.S. Tionesta enters the Portage Canal to receive cargo and passengers from Houghton and Hancock.

Next we have a nice picture of the luxury passenger steamship liner, the Tionesta. Part of a fleet of four, she could carry passengers and cargo. The ship was a frequent visitor to the Portage Canal which runs between Houghton and Hancock, Michigan and would pick up loads of copper and people. If you rode on the Tionesta, you were treated to the best life had to offer. She was launched in 1903 and plied the waves until 1937 sailing through the tumult of a world war, the roaring 20’s and prohibition.  A link below goes to a video of historical images of the S.S. Tionesta.

An excellent video on the Tionesta: SS Tionesta ~~ The Revolutionary Steamer – YouTube

Called the Scott Hotel in recent years, this old landmark still stands a Michigan Historical Site.

The Hotel Scott was one of the premier places to stay in the City of Hancock.

Named after  Archibald Scott, the Hotel Scott opened in 1906. The five story building was made of Lake Superior Sandstone and was one of Hancock’s outstanding places to stay. Currently it is on the National Register of Historical Places. Still standing today at 101 East Quincy Street, it houses apartments instead of the 100 rooms that was previously for guests.

If you enjoyed these historical pictures, check out my book, Faces, Places & Days Gone By.