A Magical Time in Michigan's Copper Country
What I discovered in Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan.
A slight departure from my regular Substack posts: a blog!
This post will give you a glimpse into my travels to areas off the beaten path. When I’m not afforded time to film, I plan to “blog” about my travels —something I need to work on more. Today’s read is on the Keweenaw Peninsula, the northernmost section of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Warning: lots of pictures incoming! I hope you enjoy my musings.
-Gabriella
A Primer
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a magical place.
Last year, the area got blanketed by a record-breaking 300.5 inches of snow. (Yes, you read that right.)
Unlike most speaking events I’ve done, where time is limited, this one at Michigan Tech would be different: I was graciously treated to a grand tour of the region’s best spots in Houghton, Calumet, and Eagle River.
Houghton, MI
My travels brought me to Houghton, MI. It’s the only UP town to see population growth per the 2020 U.S. Census.
Houghton has proud “Yoopers” boasting Finnish heritage. Unsurprisingly, the region drew them to the area to work copper mines. After some time, the industry languished and others left for Detroit to work in the automobile industry. The Finns, of course, remained. Local archives note:
“The ethnic composition of the Copper Country not only resulted from in migration but out migration as well, as not all ethnic groups out migrated at the same rate. The Finns appeared the least likely to leave the Copper Country, while the Croatians and Italians were the most likely to out migrate.”
Finnish culture and fixtures are ubiquitous here. Michigan, especially the UP, is home to more of them than any other U.S. state.
One place paying homage to Finnish heritage is Suomi Home Bakery & Restaurant. I tried the pannukakku for breakfast, which is best described as “a thick, creamy, baked custard pancake.” Mine came with a helping of raspberry jam and Cinnamon Nisu toast. I also added crispy bacon on the side. Verdict: delicious!
After breakfast, we headed to ACE Seaman’s Mineral Museum on Michigan Tech’s campus to learn about copper’s importance to the region.
The Peninsula is called “Copper Country”: a nickname attributed to the pure copper metal deposits found here. Government archives describe the significance of Keweenaw copper:
Geologically, Keweenaw copper had its beginning about 500 million years ago as hot waters, rich in dissolved minerals, rose up from the depths of the earth. Not all geologists agree, but one common theory is that copperbearing solutions were forced upward into the tilted beds of Keweenawan rocks. Here, under favorable conditions, copper was deposited in available openings. These openings were cross fissures, cracks, crevices, pores, and especially the many vesicles or gas holes prevalent in the uppermost parts of some of the lava beds. Copper was the most important economic mineral to be emplaced. Silver and a great variety of other minerals, some quite rare, were also deposited.
I don’t recall ever eating a pasty before. I tried one from Roy’s Pasties and Bakeries before our afternoon excursion around the Peninsula.
If you didn’t know, pasties originated from Cornwall, England. They have a flaky crust and can be savory or sweet. A brief history on the UP pasty from NPR:
The Cornish miners favored the dish due to its portable nature — a small meat pie that could easily be carried into the mines for 12-hour workdays. In 1864, an even bigger wave of Finnish immigrants flooded the area. Folklorists William and Yvonne Lockwood noted that Finnish immigrants took cues from the Cornish population on how to behave American and adopted the pasty as their own. Different ethnic groups would make their own version of the dish and the Finnish were known for sometimes substituting carrots for rutabaga. The pasty became so popular with the Finnish miners, there remains a prevalent misconception that the dish is Finnish in origin.
I was in the mood for a Bacon Cheeseburger one. It was the appropriate meal for above-freezing temperatures.
Calumet, MI
Next on the itinerary: Calumet.
While smaller than Hancock and Houghton, the town serves as Keweenaw National Historical Park HQ. It’s also the backdrop for the annual sled dog race, CopperDog 150, each March.
We toured The Calumet Theatre, which first opened in 1900. One of the nation’s first municipal theaters, it’s also rumored to be haunted. This place hosted some of America’s first actors and actresses including Frank Morgan (the Wizard in Wizard of Oz) and Polish-born actress Helena Modjeska — the same surname I recall from growing up in Orange County because of Modjeska Canyon. What a coincidence!
Next, we visited the memorial dedicated to the 73 victims, mostly children, of the 1913 Christmas Eve Italian Hall Massacre. Someone falsely shouted, “Fire!” and it led to a mass casualty event. As for the conditions that led to the massacre, MLive explains:
Rumors emerged later that the Italian Hall's doors were designed to open inward, preventing the panicked crowd from pushing them outward to the street. Those were debunked, along with the suggestion in Woody Guthrie's "1913 Massacre" song that mining company thugs were holding the doors shut from the outside that night.
Then we stumbled upon Copper World, a local gift shop, to check out their offerings.
Eagle River, MI
After visiting Camulet, we drove to the town of Eagle River on Lake Superior. There, we stopped to admire a large deer herd at a park. Locals feed these voracious whitetails throughout winter.
As we continued our drive along Lake Superior, I spotted a recognizable building I had seen on TV: the Holy Transfiguration Skete Society Of St. John. Here’s more about them:
We are a Catholic Monastery of the Byzantine rite, under the jurisdiction of The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago.
We belong to the Ukrainian Metropoly in the United States of America, which is in union with the Pope of Rome, supreme pastor of the universal Church.
We embrace evangelical poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability of life, according to the Rule of Saint Benedict and the traditions of the Christian East.
Yooper cuisine, including the monastery’s Jampot Bakery “Poorrock Abbey” preserves, was prominently featured in Season 4 of renowned chef Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Uncharted’ series on National Geographic.
Here’s a video of Ramsay using some “Poorrock Abbey” preserves.
While I didn’t get to visit the bakery, I wanted to mention it here.
After passing by hungry Eagle River whitetails again, we ate lunch at the nearby Fitzgerald’s Restaurant & Hotel. I ordered more lite table fare for the occasion: Stir Fried Udon Noodles with Mushrooms.
It paired well with some Premier Noir from the Marquette, MI brewery Barrel + Beam.
Michigan Tech Speech: Conservation is Conservative
Topping off my inaugural visit to the UP: delivering a “Conservation is Conservative” speech at Michigan Tech University.
The impressive Young Americans for Freedom chapter, jointly with Huskies for America, hosted my talk with Leadership Institute’s help. Lynn Artman and Jarek Drelich, MTU professors, have advised this phenomenal group of students over the year.
Thanks to their advertising efforts, my event - their first featuring a guest lecturer - drew 110 students and community members. Personally speaking, this was my biggest crowd for a campus speech ever. MTU students really set the bar high for future speeches!
I wish them nothing but success and hope to be a resource for them going forward.
Were you unable to catch my remarks? Watch them on my YouTube Channel below:
Before heading home on Friday, I visited a local radio show to debrief listeners on my lecture and talk current events.
Places Yet to Visit
Isle Royale National Park: My new friends mentioned Isle Royale National Park, home to moose and the infamous wolf pack.
Quincy Mine: It was closed when we visited, but it’s a must-see.
My new Yooper friends insist I come back to film a “Conservation Nation” episode at some local mines this summer. And I hope to do just that.
Stay tuned!
Resources/Links
Suomi Home Bakery & Restaurant - Houghton, MI
ACE Seaman Mining Museum - Michigan Tech
Roy’s Pasties & Bakery - Houghton, MI
Holy Protection Monastery + Jampot Bakery “Poorrock Abbey” Preserves - Eagle River, MI
Correction: I originally posted 300.5 feet of snow during the 2021 winter season; it was amended to the correct amount of 300.5 inches.