• Tuesday-What'sUP November 11 - 08:22 pm

Here in the Keweenaw, the fall colors have quickly turned to winter white, but that doesn't mean viewing those beautiful autumn hues is over and done with. To accompany his debut DVD, Neil Harri has two more now available. The latest contains today's two photos taken while flying over Isle Royale. The first is the Lighthouse on Menagerie Island and the second photo is one of the entry points of the Island, Middle Island Passage. If you look real close, you can just make out the white dot that is Rock Harbor Lighthouse, too.

The third photo is Chippewa Harbor, which has special meaning to Neil and his wife Susan, as that is her Grandfather's homestead, where her Dad lived until he was 16 years old. The Park Service rebuilt the homestead to include four shelters and a dock, which you can see in the fourth photo.

Susan's Grandfather came to the Island from Sweden in 1903 and made his living as a commercial fisherman there. Susan's Dad, Holger did the same until just after the Island became a park in 1931. His last boat was the Ahwaneesha (pictured in the last photo), which he carried passengers from Eagle Harbor to the Island from about 1938 until the mid-50's. Neil said he there was also a resort at the site. The Park Service actually scuttled the Ahwaneesha, but it later floated up on the shore where it still sits today. Great history lesson...thanks Neil!

Neil's endeavor into the business of creating DVD's has expanded from his first: Autumn Aerial Tour of the Keweenaw Peninsula, to his second release: Autumn Aerial Tour of South Houghton and Baraga Counties, to the latest addition: Isle Royale Autumn - Shipwrecks, Lighthouses & Northwoods. There are over 150 incredible photos of Isle Royale on this DVD. The photos are of Isle Royale landmarks such as Middle Island Passage and Moskey Basin, Rock Harbor, Passage Island, McCargoe Cove, Chippewa Harbor, Siskiwit Bay, Lake Desor, Washington Harbor, Windigo, and the famous Rock of Ages Lighthouse, to name a few.

For anyone that has ever been to or wants to go to Isle Royale, this is a real treasure. Any one of these DVD's (or ALL three of them) would make a great Christmas gift. Neil and his wife, Susan have a number of other unique gift ideas, so be sure to check out their webpage: NeilHarriPhotos.com.

P.S. Don't forget to thank a Vet today!

"THANK YOU" TO EACH AND EVERY PERSON (VET) WHO SERVED THIS COUNTRY TO PROTECT ME.

um WOW, amazing pics neil. I'd give anything to be sitting on that Chippewa harbor dock today for a couple hours.

Chippewa is a great place to stay. I stayed two nights there in 2006 and it was very scenic with few people around. Great kayaking.

These all look like great places to go and hear yourself think!

Very nice pictures. I've never been to Isle Royale, nor had the desire to do so because it means traveling a little too far out on Lake Superior. So I will have to order Neil's DVD. The Keweenaw one is great!

Thank you to all of our servicemen, past and present, who have or are now serving this country. You guys and gals mean a lot to all of us.

THANK YOU VETERAN'S!!! My hat is off....Blessings!!

What is the story with The Ahwaneesha? How did it get there and when?

Great shots, as usual, Neil! It's nice to have a name and a bit of info about the Ahwaneesha. I had snapped a picture of it from the opposite shore last time I was through there. Also read "The Diary of An Isle Royale School Teacher" a few years back. I'll have to have a talk with Susan next time I'm up.

The Ahwaneesha was brought to Eagle Harbor in 1929 by H. Stewart Goodell. He sailed it to Isle Royale many times. I hear stories from his daughter, Charlotte Catoni about their trips.
Holger Johnson Sr bought it in about 1938. He took passengers to and from Isle Royale until the mid 1950's. He used Raley's dock in Eagle Harbor for many years.
The Park service scuttled it as a dive site but it drifted to shore before it sank.
Charlotte was doing research as to where the ship came from before her father bought it. I asked a few sources and the best I could ever came up with were a few rumors that it came from the North shore of Wisconsin.
Ahwaneesha is a Native language phrase that means "Away We Go Again" or "Here We Go Again".
I have it heard it said both ways.

Most of my life I have been wondering what is in the water on the harbor side of the Eagle Harbor light. It almost looks as if it is a cab to a car from the 20s. Does anyone know?

I would like to thank all Vet's for their service to our country. I would especially like to thank those of my family that served my mom's dad Alphonse, Spanish American War, my dad WWII North Africa and Italy, my daughter Beth US Air force serving for the past 17 years and especially my brother Edward who gave his life in Vietnam. God Bless you all!

Pat

E. Neil Harri (Ilmayksi):
"Ahwaneesha is a Native language phrase that means "Away We Go Again" or "Here We Go Again". "

As an amateur linguist, I find this an interesting similarity:

1. From Yosemite Online Library—Yosemite Indians (Ahwahneechee “People of Ahwahnee”):

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Quote:

"Ahwahneechee Yosemite Indians called themselves Ahwahneechee 'People of Ahwahnee.' Ahwahnee, their name for Yosemite Valley, their home, Ahwahnee means 'mouth' because the valley walls resemble a gaping bear’s mouth."

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Quote:

"The Yosemite people called Yosemite Valley Awooni or Owwoni for (gaping) 'large mouth,' where the stem Awo or Owwo means 'mouth' and the suffix ni means 'large.' This referred to the appearance of the Yosemite Valley walls from the the village of Ahwahnee, which was located on the valley floor. The spelling used by Bunnell was 'Ahwahne' and later 'Ahwahnee.' The Yosemite people called themselves as Ah-wah-ne-chee, or 'dwellers of Ahwahnee.' Ahwahnee originally referred to the largest and most powerful Indian village in the valley (located 1/2 mile west of Yosemite Village and south of Northside Drive), but the word also came to mean the entire valley."

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Quote:

""Though white visitors called the valley 'Yosemite,' the native Miwok people seem to have used the term 'Ahwahnee.' Bunnell states that he could not understand Chief Tenaya’s language. So, by means of signs, Tenaya attempted to indicate what 'Ahwahnee' meant. Bunnell says, 'I inferred from these signs that it must mean the deep grassy valley,' adding that 'still, it may not mean that.' Others have quoted Bunnell”s definition and have cast aside his cautionary remark.

'When Ahwahnee is transcribed through linguistic orthography it becomes “?awo-•ni' [var. ?owo-•ni] (Broadbent, 1969). The stem word is seemingly '?awo' [var. ?owo•-] meaning mouth. Thus, 'awo-•ni' becomes 'the big mouth' or 'place of the big mouth.'

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Thank you all for thanking myself and all of my brothers and sisters that served before me, along side me and those that continue to make this is a great and safe nation.

She may only be 11 but ...

My daughter understands that FREEDOM is not free. Her 6th grade class was giving a picture of the Liberty Bell and was asked to write a poem based on the first letter of each making up LIBERTY. This is what she came up with …

Loving our
Independence and
Brave soldiers that fight
Every battle to give us
Rights
To live the way we do
Your bravery keeps us free.

Beautiful shots of Isle Royale today. Interesting to see how the glaciers have really influenced and shaped the land; a geologic wonderland of sorts.........

Ashley,The metal object in the water on lake side of Eagle Harbor light is the remains of the steam boiler they used to power the fog horn. I was out there today taking photos of the Coast Guard Bouy tender, Alder.It was lifting our buoy for the season. I saw George Hite walkng on the beach and asked him. I wondered myself until he told me.I even took a photo of it.

Neil, i've asked before and i'll ask again ... do you ever let a random passenger in for a ride?

Michael, your daughter has great insight for an 11 year old. It's a very good Poem.
Beverly

Thank you very much for saying Beverly, I'm a PROUD Father and I'm very lucky to have the gift that I have in her. :)

I know I'm a little late to jump in here, but wanted to say hi to my cousin Susan. My mother is Violet Johnson, the oldest of the Johnson kids. Susan and I ran into each other at Fort Wilkins a two summers ago, and didn't even know each other.

I really appreciate the pictures of Chippewa harbor.

Detroit News article about Isle Royale:
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=191