On the way to Copper Harbor yesterday, we were stopped by road construction near the town of Albert, just north of L'Anse. To our left was the Ford Sawmill Museum. We were already too far to turn in and take a look, but next time, I want to. I looked into it and found out that Henry Ford, who had large timber tracts in the area, started the sawmill in 1935 to provide lumber for his "Woody" station wagons. The mill continued operations into the 1970s. There is a large pond to the right of the highway where logs were floated in from the surrounding area. The complex includes a workers village.
Ford kept producing cars through the Great Depression so I expect the workers were pretty happy to be there.
At Houghton we passed by Michigan Technological University and I was so impressed. Houghton is so far off the beaten track that I assumed the place was small but I was wrong. The 2010 U.S. Census says that Houghton's population is 7,710 but with the students that number swells to about 22,000. The buildings swallow up the south end of the downtown. Houghton's streets are paved with bricks. Old buildings have boutiques and exotic restaurants.In the summer there are outdoor cafes. It would be a charming place to go to college except for the weather.
There several places in the lower 48 of the United States that have claims to bad weather. International Falls, Minnesota usually shows the coldest temperatures on the weather forecasts. Death Valley, California is inevitably the hottest. There are two cities that vie for the honor of the most snow: Buffalo, New York, and Houghton, Michigan. In the winter of 1978-79, Houghton had an astounishing 32 and 1/2 feet of snow, not all at once, but I remember pictures of people tunneling into their homes and businesses.
Gary talks about moving north but I wonder if we are hearty enough old timers to take the winters.
***
My cousin and compadres have passed their 2,000th mile on the Pacific Crest Trail with a mere 650 to go. They expect to be in the State of Washington in another two days.
You can read about their travels at 3gaycabelleros.blogspot.com
Ford kept producing cars through the Great Depression so I expect the workers were pretty happy to be there.
At Houghton we passed by Michigan Technological University and I was so impressed. Houghton is so far off the beaten track that I assumed the place was small but I was wrong. The 2010 U.S. Census says that Houghton's population is 7,710 but with the students that number swells to about 22,000. The buildings swallow up the south end of the downtown. Houghton's streets are paved with bricks. Old buildings have boutiques and exotic restaurants.In the summer there are outdoor cafes. It would be a charming place to go to college except for the weather.
There several places in the lower 48 of the United States that have claims to bad weather. International Falls, Minnesota usually shows the coldest temperatures on the weather forecasts. Death Valley, California is inevitably the hottest. There are two cities that vie for the honor of the most snow: Buffalo, New York, and Houghton, Michigan. In the winter of 1978-79, Houghton had an astounishing 32 and 1/2 feet of snow, not all at once, but I remember pictures of people tunneling into their homes and businesses.
Gary talks about moving north but I wonder if we are hearty enough old timers to take the winters.
***
My cousin and compadres have passed their 2,000th mile on the Pacific Crest Trail with a mere 650 to go. They expect to be in the State of Washington in another two days.
You can read about their travels at 3gaycabelleros.blogspot.com
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