• Thursday-What'sUP September 13 - 09:57 am

Today's photos are compliments of Casey Coolich from a visit he made to the Baltic Stamp Mill in Redridge. There are a number of these old smoke stacks around the Keweenaw and they're always somewhat of a landmark for whatever area they're in. Seems like they always bring modern explorers to the base of their footings to check out what remains of the mining era they once heralded. And, of course, once you're there, you might as well take a look up inside too!

Strange moon picture.

I agree with Margaret. It's almost eerie!

That's what I thought it was too..Da moon. Sure is a long way up.

Are you sure its the moon, to me it looks like the photographer went inside the smokestack, looked up and shot the picture during the day.

We know it's not the moon, but it LOOKS like the moon. That's what she did, she went inside and took a shot looking up.

It looks like a closeup of someone's eyeball.

You just can't take a bad picture when you're in the UP....

Does anyone know how things are going with the winter carnival at Michigan Tech?

Smokestacks seem so typical of the Keweenaw. I have photos of the stacks on Quincy Hill and at Ripley, Freda, Gay, C & H at Calumet (the brick work is beautiful), the old fishery on Portage Canal(now demolished), and the twin stacks at Hubbell demolished around 1998). There are small (short) stacks at Boston location, and, since I forgot to get the one at Baltic, that means a trip up there.
The Gay stack is a great landmark for the sailors on Keweenaw Bay. The view up the Baltic stack is great.

Greetings from Columbus, Ohio. No snow here and the weather is actually quite balmy for winter. The city is going CRAZY over the upcoming game in Arizona with the GATORS. Some restraunts are even selling "gator meat" dinners this week.!!!
Loved the beautiful morning pictures of God's Country!! Even the deserted mine looked pretty with the snow.

When I saw the last picture I thought of "the light at the end of the tunnel." But it does also look like the moon.

We all need to start Tinking Snow!!
If we all tink hard enough maybe it will happen.
just a thought of the day

Students are still on break thus not much happening yet for Carnival. The new logo is painted on the
ice at the arena (looks real sharp).

As for snow statues............. man we need snow

;-)

My first impression was a full moon, but after reading what it actually was, could see that too.Talk about your optical illusion. You're right, it is eerie!!

Dorothy....while the city is gearing up for the next big game, it sure will be hard to top Boise's win last Sunday at the Fiesta Bowl. That was unreal....made a football fan out of me!!

I have a bad feeling it will be too warm for carnival again, I believe it was 2 years ago the sculptures were melting. Houghton needs a good storm and a couple weeks of cold to pull it off.

My grandmother was born in Redridge. There is also a stack in Mass City, actually between Mass and Greenland. I bet you gave a holler up that stack when you were inside to take the picture. I wouldn't be able resist.

I am going to have to visit one of these towering Stacks.....great place to pre experience the white light! The kilns in Fayette give you a different perspective as they are shorter..and stubby .....Well today was the big trip to Escanaba.....it was something to see all fishing huts sinking through the ice near Gladstone....and some crazy fool was out walking around........Its got to get cold! I missed the carnival for the last two years and I have planned all year to have this time free.....SNOW!

Mining ruins...you'd think someone would have cleaned all of those old mining ruins up by now.
It's been soooooo...many years!

What are ruins to some, are monuments for others. To some, the mining ruins are memorials to the family members who worked there and the communities that surrounded them. Be they good memories or bad they are part of the Copper Country and a time when we were a self-sustaining country.

What are the rather methodically (sp) placed objects at the base of the chimney in photo #2? Thanks

Well put, Paul.

I second Kosk. Also, even though I am a 'semi yooper' who never lived there, I have been there once or more a year for my entire life, and I never tire of the mine ruins, tours etc.

My Dad lost his eye on the smoke stack in Hubbell when he was sixteen, working for C&H, he was at the top of the stack and was cleaning some of the creasote off of the interior when some one threw lye into the fire and it went up the stack into my Dads face causing him to lose his left eye. The company didn't give him any compensation just put him into the company hospital. Even though he had a lot of bad feelings about the accident, he felt bad when I took him home and the stack was down. I think they should be left as memorials to the workers. I notice there are fewer mentions of the Copper Country and more references to the Keewenaw Peninsula. Wish it was still the Copper Country.

Mikie..........that loss of an thing is a tough one. No compensation just bugs me. Here this great country is about to give full social security benifits to illegal imigrants after they have been in this country for 18 months! 18 months! Our Soldiers do not even get treated this good. I feel for your dads loss of his eye, I lost my left eye three years ago....it has been an incrediable struggle for me. Social security has me on a two year waitng list for benifits.......two years. But illegal imigrants only need 18 months for full benifits. I wish it was truly a copper industry in copper country.

Paul my Dad lived a normal life from sixteen to eighty two with only minor problems caused by his eye. I remember telling the next door neighbor off about his eye, the neighbor was making fun of my Dads inability to see something. There all kinds of inconsiderate people who make comments to the disabled, although my Dad never considered himself disabled. So hang in there you eventually will get your dues. Like my Dad you seem to be copeing with your loss. Wish I was more litterate so I could be more comforting.

Mikie--

Nobody would ever question your words of comfort. They are
always heartfelt and greatly appreciated. Sorry to hear of Paul's
problems too.

Sean,

The objects are the foundations for the various jigs and tables used to separate the copper from the rock. These are "downstream" of the steam stamps and are in multiples of the number of stamps, 6 in this case. The Baltic Mine which opened in 1897, operated until 1932 and mined native (metallic) copper, so the separation was by mechanical crushing of the copper bearing rock and the use of differences in specific gravity to separate the copper from the rock. Tremendous amounts of water were used. The water was added to the rock at the stamp head. The crushed rock and copper moved through the mill as a slurry. The Baltic Mill closed in 1922 and Baltic Mine rock was milled at the Champion Mill in Freda.

Remains of history that stay. Thanks 4 sharing.