Historical Images Gallery – Miscellaneous 01
Here are some of the historical images from the Mikel B. Classen Historical Pictures Collection. The Collection is approximately 1000 pictures ranging from 1800s through recent years. Here are a few. Click on the image to see a full-size view.
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- This is a couple out in a buggy somewhere in the Keweenaw Peninsula. I think this is Mohawk, but not sure. Take note of the decorative ropework around the horse.
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- This is a pair of Whaleback barges docked at Sault Ste. Marie. They were used for transporting ore, coal and grain. None are in use today.
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- This is a nice hand-colored picture of a logging camp near Bessemer in the west end of the U.P. Like the rest of the U.P. logging was prevalent and lumber camps were common. Virtually every acre of the Upper Peninsula has been logged at least once.
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- This is a rare picture of the Union Mine, near Silver City, located today in the east end of the Porcupine Mountains. It produced copper and silver.
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- A view of William’s Landing on Grand Island in Lake Superior. Before there was a Munising, Grand Island was the hub of local activity.
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- This is the Portage Entry Lighthouse in the Keweenaw. This marked the entrance to the Portage canal which provided access to Houghton and Hancock.
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- The millions of tons of copper mined in the Keweenaw had to be shipped and every available ship was used in some capacity. In the picture, the ship being loaded is a passenger ship and not a freighter or cargo ship. A ship would rather make some money and carry extra cargo than run empty. Most of the cruise/passenger ships took on ore whether it was copper or iron. Often they were overloaded. If a chance storm were encountered, the extra weight would send a ship to the bottom.
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- This stereoview shows how hard it was to make a place for a tent within the thick forest. The stovepipe sticking out of the tent door shows how they battled the cold of the Lake Superior weather. This was not a lifestyle for the faint of heart. This picture is from 1860 or earlier.The man in front is leaning on his rifle and his beard goes to his waist.
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- The image shows a tow of ships, something that was common on the Great Lakes. One main ship towed several others attached only by a single rope. The trailing ships only had a few men as crew, nowhere near a full compliment. This frequently led to disaster when the weather went bad. With a skeleton crew, held together by a single rope line, these groups of ships would shipwreck all at once, often killing everyone involved.
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- This is from a Stereoview labeled Ke-ga-de-sa, Chief of the Chippewas. One of the problems with photographs of Native Americans is that they are often not labeled or mislabeled as in this case. The picture title above is wrong. I have seen this picture with three different names on it. It is actually believed that this is Chief The-che-bivos (Hole-in-the-Wind) and very little is known about him. My information says he was originally from the Keweenaw Bay area. Another copy of the picture has him labeled as How-How-Jim, Chippewa (Big Medicine.)
Enjoy these pictures? Check out my book: Faces, Places, & Days Gone By.