Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day with Ghost Signs of Calumet tour June 11

Can you find a historic "Ghost Sign" in this photo? Join Keweenaw National Historical Park's free Ghost Signs of Calumet tour on Saturday, June 11, and discover hidden history while celebrating National Get Outdoors Day! Great fun for all ages! (Photo courtesy Keweenaw National Historical Park)

CALUMET -- Keweenaw National Historical Park will host a free guided Ghost Signs of Calumet tour beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, as part of National Get Outdoors Day (GO Day).

Participants will learn about the past while discovering historic signs, symbols, and advertisements, often hidden in plain sight. This free GO Day event will begin at the Calumet Visitor Center, 98 Fifth St., at 2 p.m., will cover 1.5 miles and last about one hour.

GO Day, led by the USDA Forest Service (USFS) and the American Recreation Coalition (ARC), is an inclusive, nationwide effort to inspire and motivate people to get outdoors. The concept was tested in 2008 at Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona, and launched nationally on June 14 that year. Built on the success of the More Kids in the Woods program and the Get Outdoors USA! Campaign (among others), GO Day is designed to connect Americans -- especially children -- with nature and active lifestyles. It has grown every year since it launched. Last year, more than 171 official GO Day sites across the nation welcomed over 48,000 new faces to the joy and benefits of the great outdoors.

This year, all across the country, organizations will be offering opportunities for families to experience traditional and non-traditional types of outdoor activities. Primary goals for the day are reaching first-time visitors to public lands and reconnecting youth to the great outdoors.

For more information about this event or the GO Day program, please contact the park at 906-337-3168 or check the web at www.nps.gov/kewe.

National Park Service to mark 99 years at Open House events in Calumet, Hancock Aug. 25

CALUMET -- In celebration of the 99th anniversary of the National Park Service, Keweenaw National Historical Park will be hosting a Park Open House from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at two Park locations. There will be activities, live music, and a reception with refreshments and ice cream at 3 p.m.

Outside of the Calumet Visitor Center, live music will feature Elijah Halpin from noon to 4 p.m. Elijah is gifted singer-songwriter and composer of Irish and Americana music. As a talented multi-instrumentalist, Elijah picks, strums, plucks, and bows many instruments, including the cello, viola, violin, guitar and mandolin.

Throughout the day, activities will be held at both the Calumet Visitor Center and at the Quincy Mine in Hancock. At the Quincy Mine there will be a Mechanics of Mining interactive activity, geology tours by Erika Vye, and a ranger-led photography activity for 6th-8th graders. At the Calumet Visitor Center there will be live foundry demonstrations, LEGO building of Historic Calumet structures, pollinator construction from recycled materials, map and compass activities, tours of the Calumet and Hecla general office building and library, historic kids games, and screenings of park films on local history and geology. While at the Visitor Center, be sure to stop by the gift shop, as merchandise will be 10 percent off.

The Park Open House is part of the national Find Your Park campaign. Find Your Park is a public awareness and education campaign celebrating the milestone centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016. The National Park Service preserves and interprets some of the best places in the country and Keweenaw National Historical Park is excited to take part in this landmark celebration.

U.P. Farming History: Tour Wintergreen Foods July 23

CALUMET -- Food has always been an important topic in U.P. history. From harvesting wild thimbleberries, whitefish, and other native foods to clearing fields for rutabagas and herds of dairy cattle, the ways in which people have sourced their food have changed over time. Food production remains an important part of the local economy.

Join Andrea and Scott Corpolongo Smith of Wintergreen Farm for a brief overview of U.P. farming during the last century. Stay for the tour after their presentation, where you can get your hands dirty and experience a bit of agriculture today!

This presentation will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, 2015, at Wintergreen Foods, located at 18334 State M-38 (the former Candlelight), in Ontonagon, Mich. The event is free and open to the public. 

The Fourth Thursday in History series arranges public presentations on important aspects of Copper Country and regional history, including techniques for historic preservation. Presentations are scheduled in venues throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula, particularly at historic sites associated with specific topics.

For further information, including specific directions to this event, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at (906) 337-3168 or check the web at www.nps.gov/kewe.

Local summer youth projects benefit from National Park Service increased funding

Kendra from Dollar Bay paints a window for the Carnegie Museum in Houghton. Her work is a summer youth project supported by Keweenaw National Historical Park. (Photo courtesy Keweenaw National Historical Park)

WASHINGTON -- From trail repairs to new wayside interpretive panels, road and bridge repairs and restoring the most photographed barn in America, the National Park Service announced $26 million for more than 100 initiatives that will help parks prepare for centennial visitors.

The National Park Service received a $10 million Congressional appropriation that was matched with $15.9 million from more than 90 partner organizations. The 106 projects, located at more than 100 parks in 31 states and the District of Columbia, are designed to improve visitor services, support outreach to new audiences, and leverage partnerships to reinvigorate national parks while forging connections with communities.

"As the National Park Service approaches its Centennial in 2016, the National Park Foundation and local park friends groups have pledged to raise private funds to improve the facilities, accessibility, and programs of our national parks, matching the federal appropriation and resulting in a $26 million investment in the parks," said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis.

Keweenaw National Historical Park (Keweenaw NHP), with $20,000 of federal funds and $20,000 from the Keweenaw NHP Advisory Commission, National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation, and Isle Royale and Keweenaw Parks Association, will establish a Youth Stewardship Work Crew to Assist Heritage Sites and Partners.

"We are very grateful that some of our outstanding park partners have stepped in to help make this program a reality," said Keweenaw NHP Superintendent Mike Pflaum. 

Local youth will be employed during the summer to work on a variety of projects throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula while also learning about the area’s copper mining history. For this project, the Park is also partnering with SEEDS Youth Conservation Corps, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth to create change. Everyone involved is excited about this upcoming season and the chance to work with historic properties and engage with park visitors.

"We will be able to accomplish important work for the park and partner sites and provide meaningful employment for young people in our community," stated Superintendent Pflaum.

Follow the Keweenaw NHP Facebook page for project updates and photos of the youth working throughout the summer. Click here for a complete list of centennial challenge projects and partners.

Discover "lost Hancock" in May 28 history presentation at Scott Building

HANCOCK -- Hancock, Michigan, is home to many beautiful historic buildings, particularly in its downtown. However, there used to be many more. Some of these buildings were destroyed in catastrophic fires, while others were vacated voluntarily and eventually demolished. All of them have stories to tell about Hancock’s past and present.

Join local author John Haeussler as he shares some of the stories of "lost Hancock" in a talk illustrated with pre-1940 photographs of missing buildings and historic streetscapes at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, in the Community Room at the historic Scott Building, 103 E. Quincy Street in Hancock.

Please use the back entrance from the parking lot on Reservation Street (between the Scott Building and the former church) to access the Community Room, which is located on the second floor. The event is free and open to the public.

This event is part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park's Fourth Thursday in History series of public presentations on important aspects of Copper Country and regional history, including techniques for historic preservation.

Presentations are scheduled in venues throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula, particularly at historic sites associated with specific topics. Additional support for this event is being provided by Mike and Sharon Lahti of Hancock.

For further information, including specific directions to this event, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at (906) 337-3168 or check the web at www.nps.gov/kewe.

Fourth Thursday in History: Change in Aug. 28 program

CALUMET -- Due to unforeseen circumstances, Keweenaw National Historical Park is adjusting the program for this week’s Fourth Thursday in History event.

National Park Service Ranger Lynette Webber will be presenting "The People’s Portage: Early Travel on the Keweenaw Waterway." This program replaces the scheduled talk, "Copper Country Streetcars," which the NPS (National Park Service) intends to present at a later date.

The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014, at the National Park Service’s Calumet Visitor Center, located at 98 Fifth Street in Calumet. It is free and open to the public.

The Fourth Thursday in History series arranges public presentations on important aspects of Copper Country and regional history, including techniques for historic preservation. Presentations are scheduled in venues throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula, particularly at historic sites associated with specific topics. They are free and open to the public.

For further information, including specific directions to this event, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at (906) 337-3168 or check the web at www.nps.gov/kewe.

Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission to meet July 15

CALUMET --The Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission will convene for its regular quarterly meeting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15, 2014, at park headquarters located on the corner of Red Jacket Road and Hwy. US-41 in Calumet.

The meeting will include an update on the Commission’s efforts to acquire the nationally significant Quincy Smelting Works. The Keweenaw NHP Advisory Commission, paneled by citizens appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, represents the general public and works collaboratively with the National Park Service to advise and assist with managing the resources of Keweenaw National Historical Park. The Commission’s quarterly meetings are open to the public.

For further information or directions, please contact the park at 337-3168.

Keweenaw County Historical Society to host "A Brief History of our National Parks" July 9

GAY, Mich. -- Keweenaw National Historical Park Superintendent Mike Pflaum will present "A Brief History of our National Parks" for the Keweenaw County Historical Society’s Adventures in History program at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, at the Gay School Museum in Gay, Mich.

Pflaum, who is a career National Park Service ranger, will share the colorful history of America’s national parks. Beginning with Yellowstone in 1872, the American national park system has grown to include 401 different units stretching from Guam to Puerto Rico, from Alaska’s Noatak to Florida’s Dry Tortugas, and all points in between -- including two in our own backyard.

From awe-inspiring national parks like Grand Teton, to quiet places of reflection like Pearl Harbor, each unit preserves sites that are key to the American experience and identity. Each unit also has a unique story to tell. Pflaum will provide an historical overview of national parks before diving into a deeper view of the stories and resources of the parks on Lake Superior.

The Gay School Museum is one of the resources preserved and interpreted by the Keweenaw County Historical Society (KCHS), a Keweenaw Heritage Site partner with Keweenaw National Historical Park. The program is part of the KCHS Adventures in History program. Admission is $6 for the general public and $5 for KCHS members.

Keweenaw National Historical Park reopens to visitors

CALUMET -- Keweenaw National Historical Park re-opened to visitors today. Visitors can access all public areas and the Calumet Visitor Center. Keweenaw National Historical Park has been closed since Oct. 1 due to the lapse in Congressional appropriations.

"We are excited and happy to be back at work and welcome visitors to Keweenaw National Historical Park," said Superintendent Mike Pflaum. "Autumn is a particularly special season to enjoy all that the park and our partner sites have to offer."

The park is fully open, including the Calumet Visitor Center located in downtown Calumet. The visitor center is open Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in October. During the winter months, November through April, the visitor center will be open on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Calumet Library Oct. 2 program cancelled; Friends of Calumet Library to hold meeting, music program

CALUMET -- The Calumet Library regrets to announce that the program, "Red Rocks and Ancient Cultures: Parks of the Great American Southwest," presented by Mike Pflaum, Keweenaw National Historical Park Superintendent and scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 2, has been cancelled. The library will reschedule it at a future date.

Friends of Calumet Library to meet Oct. 8

The regular monthly meeting of the Friends of the Calumet Library will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in the library.

This is an open meeting, and the group welcomes new members and new ideas. There are many ways to lend a hand at the library: programming ideas, volunteer opportunities, the Red Jacket Readers book club, and more! Come find out what's ahead at the Calumet Public Library. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the library. Mark your calendar!

Oct. 16: Songs of 1913-1914 by the 1913 Singers

The 1913 Singers will present "Don’t Go Mine Down in the Mine, Dad" -- Songs of 1913-1914 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at the CLK Commons with a reception to follow in the library. 

Music has been a steadfast part of the cultural fabric of the Keweenaw, binding concerns of family, church, politics, and work. "Don’t Go Mine Down in the Mine, Dad" -- Songs of 1913-14 will bring the audience not only local songs from the 1913-14 copper strike, but will include other thought-provoking favorites of the period. Join the 1913 Singers as they transport you back a hundred years or more via a magic lantern show of projected images and live music reflecting the period.

Use the library entrance at the school, and follow signs directing you to the Commons. All ages are welcome!

These events are sponsored by the Friends of the Calumet Public Library. For more information, visit the library or call 337-0311 ext. 1107. (In case of bad weather, when school is cancelled, all library programs are cancelled.)

Induction Ceremony for "Big Annie" Clemenc into Labor's International Hall of Fame honors Calumet labor leader of 1913 Copper Miners' Strike

By Michele Bourdieu

Shawn Ellis, Labor co-chair of Labor's International Hall of Fame, presents an award honoring Big Annie Clemenc to Annie's great granddaughter Anne Marie Kelly of Oak Lawn, Illinois, during the Induction Ceremony for Big Annie held on July 26, 2013, in the Calumet Visitor Center. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

CALUMET -- An estimated 175 people nearly filled the Third Floor Lodge Room of the Calumet Visitor Center on July 26, 2013, for the Induction Ceremony to mark the acceptance of Big Annie Clemenc, labor leader during the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike in Calumet, into Labor's International Hall of Fame.

Keweenaw National Historical Park officials hosted the event, which was held just a few days after the actual centennial of the strike's official beginning -- July 23, 1913. The ceremony was one of many events scheduled this year in commemoration of the centennial.*

Special guests for the ceremony included Big Annie's great granddaughters, Anne Marie Kelly and Debra Devlin of Oak Lawn, Illinois, and their children; Shawn Ellis, Labor co-chair of Labor's International Hall of Fame; Lyndon Comstock, nominator of Annie for the honor and author of Annie Clemenc and the Great Keweenaw Copper Strike (2013).

In the Calumet Visitor Center, Keweenaw National Historical Park Ranger Tom Baker welcomes the audience to the July 26, 2013, Induction of Annie Clemenc into Labor's International Hall of Fame and introduces special guests, including Annie's descendants -- Anne Marie Kelly and Debra Devlin of Oak Lawn, Illinois, and their children, seated in the front row.

After a welcome by Mike Pflaum, Keweenaw National Historical Park (KNHP) superintendent, and an introduction by Tom Baker, KNHP park ranger and management assistant, Comstock presented the historical context for the induction. He reported on the research he did for his book on Annie and the strike -- and he noted how his interest in Annie began while working on research with his cousin Joanne Thomas of Allouez, who put together the museum exhibit on Annie, now displayed in the Coppertown Mining Museum in Calumet.**

At the July 26, 2013, Induction of Annie Clemenc (Big Annie) into Labor's International Hall of Fame in the Calumet Visitor Center, Lyndon Comstock, author of Annie Clemenc and the Great Keweenaw Copper Strike, talks about Big Annie's origins and how she came to embody the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike in Calumet, Michigan. (Videos by Keweenaw Now)

Comstock continues his talk about Annie and describes the events that led up to the Italian Hall tragedy of Christmas Eve, 1913:

Author Lyndon Comstock speaks about Annie's leadership role in the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike, her heroism and the Italian Hall tragedy.

In his conclusion, Comstock affirms his belief that Big Annie deserves being included in Labor's International Hall of Fame and introduces Shawn Ellis, Labor co-chair of the organization, based in Detroit:

Lyndon Comstock concludes his speech about Annie and introduces Shawn Ellis, Labor co-chair of Labor's International Hall of Fame, who explains the process for selection of inductees. (The official induction of Annie Clemenc into Labor's International Hall of Fame took place on May 16, 2013, in New York, NY.)

Anne Marie Kelly, great granddaughter of Big Annie Clemenc, accepts the 2013 Labor's International Hall of Fame Induction Award from Shawn Ellis and offers an acceptance speech to the appreciative audience:

After accepting the 2013 Labor's International Hall of Fame Induction Award from Shawn Ellis, Anne Marie Kelly, Big Annie's great granddaughter, introduces her sister, Debra Devlin, and welcomes Virginia Burns, author of Tall Annie, a biography of Big Annie for young readers. Kelly also notes she is inspired to meet young visitors who attended the event because they are interested in Annie and writing about her for school projects.

 A program from the May 16, 2013, Labor's International Hall of Fame event, distributed at the Calumet event, notes Annie Clemenc shared the honor of 2013 induction with Evelyn Dubrow, a lobbyist for the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union, and with Viola Liuzzo, who was killed by Ku Klux Klansmen while aiding civil rights marchers during the march to Selma, Alabama, in 1965.

The program describes how Annie Klobuchar Clemenc carried the flag in the daily marches during the 1913-14 Copper Miners' Strike in Calumet.

"She was arrested several times," the program notes. " She was physically attacked by strikebreakers, company goons and local police. But she never wavered in her determination to bring social justice to a mining workforce that was underpaid, forced to work under dangerous conditions and subject to constant management harassment."

Stuart Baird, manager of the Coppertown Mining Museum, who has been enthusiastic about having the "Big Annie" exhibit in the museum for the centennial, commented on the induction ceremony.

"I think it's the best event they ever had to celebrate Big Annie's legacy," Baird said.

 More photos ...

After the Induction Ceremony, Big Annie's great-granddaughters, Anne Marie Kelly, right, and Debra Devlin (holding award) are pictured here with Shawn Ellis, Labor co-chair for Labor's International Hall of Fame.

Following the Induction Ceremony, authors Lyndon Comstock and Virginia Burns offered book signings for the public.

 

Lyndon Comstock, author of Annie Clemenc and the Great Keweenaw Copper Strike and nominator of Annie to Labor's International Hall of Fame, is pictured here with Janet Gregorich of South Range after signing his book for her. The two chatted about their Croatian heritage, very close in background to Annie's. In his book, Comstock discusses Annie's Slovenian heritage and her connection with Slovenian women's groups.

During her book signing event at the Coppertown Museum after the Induction Ceremony, Virginia Burns of Owosso, Mich., author of Tall Annie, chats with Debra Devlin, great granddaughter of Annie Clemenc, and her son, Patrick.

Virginia Burns makes a special friend during the book signing -- Madison La Bonte of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., who is doing a school project on Big Annie.

Virginia Burns is pictured here at her book signing in Coppertown Museum with her family members who attended the Induction Ceremony -- from left, her grandson John Ritchie, her daughter Meg Ritchie of Owosso (Mich.) and her son Duncan Ritchie. Duncan and his son John made the trip from Madison, Wis.

After the Induction Ceremony, Big Annie's descendants from Oak Lawn, Ill. -- Anne Marie Kelly and her daughter Aine, right, and Debra Devlin and her son Patrick -- visit the "Big Annie" exhibit at the Coppertown Mining Museum. Debra and Aine are holding the 2013 Labor's International Hall of Fame Induction Award the family received during the ceremony.

Susan Comstock, left, author Lyndon Comstock's sister, from Evanston, Ill., and Peggy Germain of Calumet, author of articles on the Italian Hall disaster, visit the "Big Annie" exhibit after the induction ceremony.

* Click here to see our videos of the Italian Hall Ceremony held in Calumet during Finn Fest on June 20, 2013.

** Click here to read our July 22, 2013, article with photos of the "Big Annie" exhibit, created by Joanne Thomas.

Calumet Art Center to host The 1913 Singers TONIGHT, Aug. 22

CALUMET -- Much has been written about the 1913-1914 Copper Miners’ Strike, but new research has uncovered what strikers and company loyalists sang to raise morale and build solidarity both on and off the picket lines. Join Alice Margerum and The 1913 Singers as they perform "All the news that’s fit to sing: verses from the 1913-14 copper strike" -- songs and poems that were published in local newspapers during this tumultuous period.

This presentation will take place at 7 p.m. TONIGHT, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013, at the Calumet Art Center, located at 57055 Fifth Street in Calumet, Michigan (at the corner of Red Jacket Road and Fifth Street). It is free and open to the public.

This special performance offers a rare opportunity to hear the music of the period. Margerum scoured all the local sources she could find to learn what music people were listening to during the strike. Songs from the Miners’ Bulletin, the official pro-union newspaper of the strike; Työmies, the daily Finnish language newspaper from Hancock; and Truth, the anti-union newspaper of the Citizens’ Alliance all contained songs, verses, and poems. The 1913 Singers, vocalists from the Houghton and Hancock area, have revived these songs, which are an often-overlooked part of the history of the labor confrontation.

The Fourth Thursday in History series arranges public presentations on important aspects of Copper Country and regional history, including techniques for historic preservation. Presentations are scheduled in venues throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula, particularly at historic sites associated with specific topics. They are free and open to the public.

For further information, including specific directions to this event, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at (906) 337-3168 or check the web at www.nps.gov/kewe.

Coppertown Museum exhibit, Induction Ceremony honoring "Big Annie" Clemenc to kick off centennial commemoration of 1913 Copper Miners' Strike

By Michele Bourdieu, with information from Keweenaw National Historical Park

Joanne Thomas, creator of the "Big Annie" exhibit at Coppertown Museum in Calumet, points out details about the life-size painted cut-out of labor leader Annie Clemenc to Calumet residents Margo McCafferty Rudd and her son, Max. Annie is pictured carrying the American flag during the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike. Coppertown will offer free admission tomorrow, July 23, to commemorate the 100 years since the beginning of the Strike on July 23, 1913. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

CALUMET -- The 1913 Michigan Copper Miners’ Strike began on July 23, 1913, and continued until April 4, 1914. It was one of the most significant events of the labor movement in this country. One-hundred years later, on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, the commemoration of the centennial will begin with an Open House at Coppertown Mining Museum in Calumet.

Coppertown, one of the 19 Keweenaw Heritage Site organizations that work with the National Park Service (NPS) at Keweenaw National Historical Park (KNHP) to tell the story of the local copper mining heritage, will offer free admission from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23. The museum features a brand new exhibit about "Big Annie" Clemenc, the Italian Hall doors exhibit, and other exhibits related to the strike.

Joanne Thomas of Allouez, creator of the new exhibit, will be present Tuesday; and NPS will have a ranger on hand at Coppertown throughout the day.

 

This display panel in the "Big Annie" exhibit at Coppertown Museum tells about Annie's role as a labor leader during the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike in Calumet. Click on photo for larger view.

Thomas says she became interested in the story of Annie partly because of her own Croatian heritage (Annie has been called both Croatian and Slovenian) and partly because she noticed the plaque honoring Annie at the Italian Hall Memorial in Calumet had disappeared.

"I surmised that if someone or persons bothered to remove it, it was not because they wanted it as a keepsake," Thomas said. "They wanted the representation of Annie and her story removed from our local history. I contacted the Women's Historical Center in Lansing, and the director was eager to get the plaque replaced."

This panel recounts the influence of socialist writers and political leaders on Annie Clemenc -- including Mother Jones, who visited Calumet during the strike.

Thomas said that led to contact with KNHP, caretakers of the Italian Hall site, and to plans for a wayside that tells the story of the Italian Hall, the strike and Annie. It is expected to be installed soon at the Italian Hall Memorial in Calumet. Thomas also  decided to learn as much as she could about Annie and to create this exhibit as a part of Calumet's 2013 centennial commemoration.

This detail on the life-size painted cut-out of Annie in the exhibit shows the socialist political button she proudly wore.

"I found that reestablishing Annie's story and all she stood for could become an important form of social justice activism that interested me," Thomas adds. "Annie was not considered 'well behaved.' Not in her day, and not even by today's standards. She divorced her husband because he physically and verbally abused her -- which likely increased as she became an outspoken woman leader for the rights of her laboring community. It takes great courage to withstand the onslaught of disapproval, but courage is nonetheless required for a conscientious activist to realize the needed change. 'Behaving' in the sidelines did little to correct injustices."

This display of photos shows Annie carrying a large American flag during the strikers' parades in Calumet.

As part of her research, Thomas located family members of Annie's and some historical photos. She says this exhibit at Coppertown is a condensed collection of all the known material and photos of Annie's legacy.

"Her own quotes lead the viewer to tell her story," Thomas notes. "All elements were created to come as close to scale and accuracy as possible. The entire process from its inception to its actualization yielded opportunities and miracles, with very few obstacles. The KNHP staff that aided me in this project was meritorious in bringing this exhibit to the standard that it is."

This painting of Big Annie, by Joanne Thomas, hangs on the wall in the Coppertown Museum as part of the exhibit. Thomas based the painting on historical photos of Annie and Calumet.

At 7 p.m. on the evening of Friday, July 26, at the Calumet Visitor Center, Annie Clemenc will be inducted into Labor’s International Hall of Fame in a ceremony honoring the eminent strike figure. On hand for the occasion, Lyndon Comstock, author and nominator of Annie, will speak and conduct a book-signing afterward for his recently published Annie Clemenc and the Great Keweenaw Copper Strike. Several descendants of Annie’s will be in attendance as well to receive the honor on her behalf. A reception will begin at 7 p.m. followed by the induction ceremony. Coppertown will also remain open until 9 p.m. that evening for those who wish to see the new exhibit.

"The Strike Centennial provides great opportunities for park partners to collaborate in commemorating a nationally significant time period," said KNHP Superintendent Mike Pflaum. "The National Park Service is proud of our many partners whose passion and pride for their heritage continue to make the Copper Country a nationally significant place that has great relevance in today’s world."

Strike-related events and exhibits will be occurring throughout the remainder of the year at National Park Service facilities, Keweenaw Heritage Sites, and other park partners throughout Upper Michigan’s Copper Country. On August 17, Main Street Calumet’s Heritage Celebration will be commemorating the strike, and on August 22 the Calumet Art Center will be hosting an evening of labor music for a Fourth Thursday in History event.

For further information, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at (906) 337-3168 or check the park’s website at www.nps.gov/kewe.

Videos, photos: Italian Hall Ceremony in Calumet

By Michele Bourdieu

Keweenaw National Historical Park Superintendent Mike Pflaum welcomes visitors to the Italian Hall Ceremony on June 20, 2013. Standing at left is Dave Geisler, Calumet Village president, and seated behind the speakers' podium are, from left, Jim Kurtti, Finnish American Heritage Center director at Finlandia University and Honorary Consul to Finland for the Upper Peninsula; Paul Lehto, Calumet Township supervisor; Tom Tikkanen, Main Street Calumet executive director (not visible); Eva Torstila (not visible); Pertti Torstila, Finland's Secretary of State; Rev. Robert Langseth; and Larry Lankton, Michigan Tech professor of history. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

CALUMET -- A large crowd gathered at the site of the 1913 Italian Hall disaster in Calumet on June 20, 2013, for a ceremony honoring the 73 victims, mostly children, who who were crushed to death in the stairwell of the Italian Hall when someone yelled "Fire" -- a false alarm -- during a Dec. 24, 1913, Christmas Party for the children of striking miners. The event, co-sponsored by the Keweenaw National Historical Park and the Village of Calumet, was part of Calumet Day during the recent FinnFest USA. Keweenaw Now presents some video clips and photos of the ceremony.

On June 20, 2013, the Turun Metsänkävijät Wind Band of Turku, Finland, plays the National Anthem of the U.S.during the Italian Hall Disaster Site Commemoration in Calumet, Michigan. (Video clips by Keweenaw Now)

 

The Turun Metsänkävijät Wind Band of Turku, Finland, plays the National Anthem of Finland at the Italian Hall Disaster Site Commemoration in Calumet, Michigan.

Pertti Torstila, Finland's Secretary of State, speaks at the Italian Hall Disaster Site Commemoration on June 20, 2013, in Calumet, Michigan. Torstila speaks in English, expressing his appreciation for the opportunity to hear the story of Italian Hall and the role of Finnish immigrants to the Copper Country. He also offers a brief message in Finnish to the people of Finland.

Assisted by the Calumet High School Junior ROTC Color Guard, Calumet Village President Dave Geisler and Finland's Secretary of State Pertti Torstila lay two memorial wreaths at the Italian Hall Disaster memorial arch from the doorway at the Italian Hall. The arch is all that remains of the building and serves as a monument at the site of the tragic event that occurred here on Dec. 24, 1913.

Calumet Village President Dave Geisler recounts what occurred outside the Italian Hall on Dec. 24, 1913, after people learned about the tragedy -- especially parents looking for their children -- and how the bodies were taken in procession to the Calumet Village Hall. He invites the audience to follow the Turku (Finland) Wind Band in a commemorative procession along that same block of Elm Street and to visit the exhibit of historic photos set up in the Village Hall.

Following the commemorative ceremony at the Italian Hall Memorial, the Turun Metsänkävijät Wind Band from Turku, Finland, leads a procession along Elm Street from the location of the historic Italian Hall to the Calumet Village Hall -- in memory of the procession of mourners on Dec. 24, 1913, when the bodies of 73 victims of the Italian Hall tragedy were taken to be laid out in that same hall.

A historic photo of the funeral for the Italian Hall victims, which was held on Dec. 28, 1913.

Historic photo of some of the coffins of the victims. White coffins are those of children, who were the majority of the victims.

After the Italian Hall Ceremony, visitors view a display of historic photos related to the tragedy. In the foreground is a photo of the Italian Hall as it existed in 1913.

More photos:

The Turun Metsänkävijät Wind Band of Turku, Finland, and the Calumet High School Junior ROTC Color Guard (right) participate in the June 20, 2013, Italian Hall Ceremony in Calumet.

The Rev. Robert Langseth speaks during the Italian Hall Ceremony.

Members of the Turun Metsänkävijät Wind Band of Turku, Finland. At right is one of two memorial wreaths that would be laid at the Italian Hall arch to honor the victims.

Park recruits Youth Conservation Corps applicants

CALUMET -- Keweenaw National Historical Park (Keweenaw NHP) Facility Manager Charles Masten has announced that area young people will share in a summer work opportunity offered through the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program, administered by  Keweenaw NHP in Calumet, Michigan. Applications are being distributed to area high schools for students between the ages of 15 and 18 interested in applying for the popular YCC program. Applications may also be picked up at park headquarters, located at 25970 Red Jacket Road (corner of US-41) in Calumet. There are no income restrictions for this youth employment program.

The Youth Conservation Corps, a nationwide federal program for young people administered by the National Park Service, provides opportunities to contribute to the conservation of our national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges through a combined work and environmental/cultural education program.

The young people will work with National Park Service professionals on conservation and cultural heritage related projects such as trail and roadside maintenance, museum collections, vegetation removal, historic stone ruin stabilization, painting, and other facility repair and clean-up projects.

The Keweenaw National Historical Park YCC program will run eight (8) weeks from June 10 to August 2, 2013. YCC enrollees will work a 40-hour week and receive $7.40 per hour. Five to six positions are expected to be filled and are selected from among all area youth submitting applications to the Keweenaw National Historical Park headquarters in Calumet. The deadline for submitting applications by mail or hand delivery is close of business (5 p.m.) May 24, 2013. Selections of YCC enrollees are made by random drawing by Human Resources personnel. The drawing and notification of selected employees will take place the week of May 27, 2013. The names of six alternates will also be drawn for the program and will be used to fill positions if any of the original selected YCC enrollees decline a position.

Questions about the YCC work program may be directed to Keweenaw National Historical Park YCC program director at (906) 483-3034. Applications must be received by the May 24, 2013, 5 p.m. deadline at Keweenaw National Historical Park, 25970 Red Jacket Road, Calumet, MI  49913.

Calumet First Friday art events to be subject of presentation TONIGHT, Apr. 29, by Michigan Tech students

Landscape Abstract, water color, handmade paper, by Kanak Nanavati, part of the April 2013 First Friday exhibit at Ziyad and Co. (formerly the Ed Gray Gallery). (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

CALUMET -- "First Fridays and Community Sustainability," a presentation on Calumet’s popular art gallery open-house program and its impact on the community, will be held at 7 p.m. tonight at the Keweenaw National Historical Park Headquarters, at 25970 Red Jacket Road in Calumet.

Spring in the Keweenaw I, oil, by Mike Ramos, exhibited at Ziyad and Co. in April 2013. This exhibit included several local artists and their interpretations of spring.

Michigan Tech students will discuss the results of a study they conducted in conjunction with Main Street Calumet and the local art community. Working with several community members, the students focused on the First Friday art tours held the first Friday of each month.

Artist and photographer Miriam Pickens presents a slide show of her photos of Copper Country butterflies on First Friday, April 5, 2013, at the Copper Country Associated Artists Gallery in Calumet.

During First Fridays, Calumet’s downtown art galleries and cafés are open late into the evening, offer refreshments and occasionally host special programs for the crowds of visitors.

At the presentation, students will discuss how First Fridays benefit the community and possible strategies for making them even more effective.

Artist Georgi Tsenov with one of his paintings, part of a January 2013 group exhibit at the Galerie Bohème in Calumet. An exhibit, "New Works for Spring," devoted to Tsenov's work, will open this First Friday, May 3, at Galerie Bohème with a reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Students in Richelle Winkler’s Rural Community Sustainability seminar conducted the research. The class focuses on what makes communities vibrant and successful socially, economically and culturally, as well as in terms of the environment.

"The students have put in a lot of time and effort, but it’s been very rewarding," said Winkler, an assistant professor of social sciences. "They’ve been engaging with members of the community who are cheering them on and are interested in what we have to say. It’s inspired them to work very hard."

Hand-made historic carpet loom (with peg-locking system construction) donated by Paul and Anita Campbell to the Calumet Art Center. Visitors to the Center use looms to make their own creations. (Photo by Keweenaw Now, taken on First Friday, January 2013)

"I am really excited for the opportunity to present in the community," Winkler added. “The students are proud of what they've put together, and we hope their presentation will spur some dialogue."

Everyone is welcome. Admission is free, and refreshments will be available. For more information, contact Winkler at rwinkler@mtu.edu.

More First Friday photos:

Spring Bloom I, painted silk, by Edith Wiard. Exhibited at Ziyad and Co., April 2013.

Painted driftwood by Susan Robinson. Exhibited at Ziyad and Co., April 2013.

Seamstress Carol Bird exhibits her butterfly blouse, worn on the occasion of Miriam Pickens' photography presentation of Copper Country butterflies, on First Friday, April 5, 2013, at Copper Country Associated Artists Gallery in Calumet.

Musician and artist Randy Wakeham exhibited his art and played music for visitors to the Omphale Gallery and Café on Fifth Street in Calumet First Friday, April 5, 2013.

Artist Stuart Baird's wood and feather sculptures, on exhibit at the Galerie Bohème in April 2013.

Fourth Thursday in History: Appreciating Mine Waste

CALUMET -- The Copper Country is home to majestic white pines and crystal clear waters, but more than a century of mining, milling, and smelting has left its mark. Waste rock piles, stamp sand tailings, and slag can be found from Copper Harbor to Carp Lake, next to the highway, along the lakeshore, and deep in the woods. Many consider these wastes unsightly, and blights in the wilderness. Others think of them as a commodity, waiting to be exploited. Is it possible to appreciate them as something more?

Join Sean Gohman as he discusses this question in an illustrated presentation at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 24, at Keweenaw National Historical Park headquarters, located at 25970 Red Jacket Road in Calumet. The event is free and open to the public.

Gohman spent months exploring, cataloging, and photographing over 300 deposits of Copper Country mine waste. A PhD student in the Industrial Archaeology program at Michigan Technological University, he may be familiar to mining history buffs for his recent work at the Cliff Mine site in Keweenaw County. Funding from the Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission enabled him to locate and document mine wastes across the Keweenaw and reflect on their relative significance in the Keweenaw’s mining heritage.

This program is the first Fourth Thursday in History program of the 2013 season.

The Fourth Thursday in History series arranges public presentations on important aspects of Copper Country and regional history, including techniques for historic preservation. Presentations are scheduled in venues throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula, particularly at historic sites associated with specific topics. They are free and open to the public.

For further information, including specific directions to this event, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at (906) 337-3168 or check the web at www.nps.gov/kewe.

Keweenaw National Historical Park to hold 20th Anniversary celebration Oct. 13

CALUMET -- The National Park Service (NPS) and the Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission invite the entire Copper Country community to participate in celebrating the park’s 20th Anniversary in a day of family fun and celebration this Saturday, Oct. 13.

The NPS and the Commission will be hosting celebratory events from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Agassiz Park in Calumet and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Quincy Mine and Hoist in Hancock. They will be gathering under a 40' x 60' tent at each site for a few hours of sharing local heritage through music and dance and a host of activities for the whole family.

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Dance Troupe will kick off both events by sharing their rich cultural traditions, reflecting the thousands of years of copper mining heritage along the Keweenaw. There will also be games for kids (all participants win prizes!), free cookies and cider, door prizes all day long, craft vendors, and music. Senator Carl Levin is expected to be on hand as well as NPS Midwest Deputy Regional Director
Patricia Trap. Awards for the winners of the Heritage Scavenger Hunt and the Historical Quiz will also be announced.

For more information call the Calumet Visitor Center at 906-483-3176 or 337-3168.

Public meeting on 1913 Strike Centennial Project to be Aug. 16 in Eagle River

By Erik Nordberg, Michigan Tech University Archivist

Announcement posted on the Michigan Tech Archives Blog on Aug. 10, 2012
Photos and captions by Keweenaw Now.

On July 23, 2012 (the 99th anniversary of the start of the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike) at the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock, Erik Nordberg, Michigan Tech University archivist, helps community members brainstorm ideas during the first of three meetings on the 1913 Strike Centennial Project, a district-wide community effort to commemorate the historic strike -- possibly through exhibits, historical re-enactments, music, theater, conferences, speakers, K-12 reading and writing activities and more. The second meeting on the project will be held at 7 p.m. TOMORROW, Thursday, Aug. 16, at the Houghton Township Community Room in Eagle River. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HOUGHTON -- A public meeting at the Houghton Township Community Room in Eagle River at 7 p.m. TOMORROW, Thursday, Aug. 16, will discuss activities to mark the centennial of the 1913 Michigan copper miners’ strike. The nearly year-long strike by members of the Western Federation of Miners is one of the most significant events in Copper Country history and also figures critically in national labor struggles of the era.

During the July 23, 2012, meeting on the 1913 Strike Centennial Project, Hilary Virtanen, Finnish American Heritage Center public programming coordinator, and Glenda Bierman, Quincy Mine Hoist Association manager, chat with Gary Kaunonen, Michigan Tech graduate student in Humanities. Kaunonen is co-author, with Dr. Aaron Goings of St. Martin's University in Washington State, of a book (to be published by Michigan State University Press) which argues that the 1913-1914 strike was the culmination of decades of regional labor struggles.

The meeting in Eagle River is intended to confirm specific events during the commemoration. Historical exhibits, speakers’ events, tie-in activities for K-12 students, tours of historic sites connected to the strike, a scholarly symposium on historical topics, a memorial ceremony at the Italian Hall site, and other activities will engage both local residents and out-of-town visitors in remembering and understanding this important era in local history.

Hancock City Councilor John Haeussler speaks at the July 23 meeting about commemorating events of the strike that occurred at Hancock's historic Scott Hotel.

An additional meeting is scheduled at the Ontonagon Theatre in Ontonagon at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15. All meetings are free and open to the general public.

During the July 23 meeting in Hancock, Kathleen Harter of the Keweenaw National Historical Park makes suggestions concerning a possible multi-media presentation on the historic events of 1913.

At the July 23 meeting, local historian and Red Jacket Trolley owner Wil Shapton, who also has experience working with children's historic costume programs and re-enactments, suggests ways to involve children and connect them to the historic events.

Joanne Thomas of Keweenaw County talks about her research on 1913 strike leader "Big"Annie Klobuchar Clemenc with Brian Hoduski, chief of Keweenaw National Historical Park museum services.

Whether or not you attended the July 23 meeting, you are invited to this second meeting in Eagle River and to the third meeting in Ontonagon.

Click here for the updated list of suggested activities.

For more information about this 1913 Strike Centennial Project, contact the Michigan Tech Archives at 906-487-2505, e-mail copper@mtu.edu, or visit 1913strike.wordpress.com.

Barb Koski to present Stanton Township history program May 24

HOUGHTON -- Today, Stanton Township may be more commonly associated with quiet country roads, dense forests, and scenic vistas than it is with industrial activity. One hundred years ago, however, it was busy with logging, fishing, farming, and stamp milling. Revisit historic Stanton Township with Barb Koski as she shares its role in copper production and other commercial endeavors.

The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. TONIGHT, Thursday, May 24, in the Stanton Township Hall, located at 14010 Liminga Road, off Houghton’s Canal Road. The event is free and open to the public.

Barb Koski’s connection to the Keweenaw began in 1958 with summers spent in Agate Harbor. Researching her husband’s family history of immigrating to Liminga sparked her interest in Copper Country history. Since undertaking that project, she has researched and written extensively about the area’s history. Stanton Township has been a particular focus of her research.

Koski has combed archives, talked to long-time residents, and uncovered the history of both well-known features like the Redridge Dam and less obvious ones like Edgemere and shares them with a wide audience on the Stanton Township website. She will share what she has learned in this illustrated presentation.

This program is part of the popular monthly Fourth Thursday in History series, now in its eleventh year, offered by Keweenaw National Historical Park, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

For further information, including specific directions to this event, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at (906)483-3176, or visit their Web site.