• Monday-What'sUP June 17 - 07:24 pm

If you've ever driven out on the peninsula in Eagle Harbor that is home to the marina, you've probably noticed the large white building in today's photos from Bob Williams. That's the U.S. Coast Guard Life Saving Station building, which years ago, housed the Coast Guard rescue boats. It is the only remaining building on this site, from that time in Eagle Harbor's Coast Guard history. It now houses a Life Saving Station Museum, opened by the Keweenaw Historical Society, which will honor the brave men and their families that served at this station. There will be a Grand Opening of this exhibit on July 20, 2013. You can find more information about the exhibits it houses, here: www.keweenawhistory.org.

In Bob's second photo, which looks out towards Mt. Baldy, also known as Mt. Lookout, you can also see the remnants of what I think are docks that came out from the life saving station on the water side, which the Coast Guard personnel used to launch the boats. Please correct me if my assumption on that is wrong, as I wasn't able to find any information on whether they were docks or ramps of some type.

The last photo, gives you a view of the opposite end of the harbor that is not as often photographed, since most folks are snapping shots of the Lighthouse and beach end. It's a peaceful harbor unless the winds are whipping, then even this sheltered area can turn wavy and rough.

Hi Mary ~

Not sure about the set up at this station. But you are correct, most Life Saving Stations had rails or ramps from which the boats were launched rapidly.

Hope some day we can see this new museum in person. Thanks for the 'alert'!!

About 1967 I met Wesely Kumpala, a teacher at Grayling High. He came from a mining family from the Central Mine location. He said that while growing up young men of that area had few work options--mining or the Coast Guard at Eagle Harbor life saving group. He and some of his brothers went to work for the Coast Guard. He showed me a medal his crew received for saving lives. Believe it was the Carnegie Medal. He told stories about rowing out in wild waves to reach people. Would make an interesting video. Tough men during tough times.

Wondering why the Life Saving Station was closed? Is there a Coast Guard replacement in that area for life-saving needs?

Around here we believe picking wild berries and concocting pies and jams from them creates a sense of personal accomplishment that plucking items off the shelves in a climate-controlled, neon-lit supermarket can never match. Looks like this will be a late season, but the anticipation is mounting daily!

Shirley---I think the place was closed down when the method of life saving changed. Now days they just send out a chopper and pluck folks from the water.

Thanks, Richard. Probably a lot less risky.

Eagle Harbor CG Sta was closed, I believe, for about the same reason the old Portage CG Sta at Upper Entry / McLain (where I served during 1970-1971) was closed and relocated downriver -- they were originally built as rescue units to safeguard the transit of the cargo vessels, but once the ships became safer and weather reporting became modernized, there were few calls for rescue. I'm assuming the current Portage station handles mostly distress calls from recreational boaters.
Coming back to the UP in August for vaca! Haven't been there since 1971!!

There were ramps with rails that came from the Building to the water with the docks between them. The ramps are now filled in. A small area of one ramp was left near the building.

You've been away too long George! You need a month long vaca to catch up and check out things like the Life Saving Station!

Interesting. I'm always interested in the Coast Guard.

This is a bit off topic, or maybe not really. We'd like to visit Manitoba for a vacation someday. The other day I was looking for information on ships & ferries on Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba, and ran across three very interesting web pages.

The first one is a photo album from the Canadian Coast Guard Auxilliary, reminiscent of the recent discussions about Eagle Harbor and Coast Guard Lifesaving Stations.

http://ccga-ca.com/gallery/?action=album&gaid=21

The second one is an account of a 1952 storm on Lake Winnipeg.

http://www.lh-inc.ca/index.php/11-icelandic-paper/328-a-night-to-remember-on-lake-winnipeg

The third web site is all about the glory days of cruise ships & train travel. The link below has several pictures of the North American and South American. The latter used to call at Houghton every Tuesday evening during the summer.

http://cruiselinehistory.com/sailing-the-great-lakes-on-the-ss-south-american-and-ss-north-american/#more-9336

If I recall correctly, the Eagle Harbor Life Saving Station----which became the USCG Station----opened in 1912 and closed in 1952-53.

I am a member of the Keweenaw County Historical
Society Maritime Committee which is planning the
Grand Opening of the Eagle Harbor Life-Saving
Museum. It will be a day of marvelous adventures
in learning about our LSS/USCG stations, rescues,
and crews. I am typing bios of the crews at Eagle
Harbor and Portage Stations which will be
available to browse thru at the event as will
their rescues/assists. We are commemorating the
Gold Medal Rescue Nov. 11, 1913 of the crew of the
LC Waldo. I am honoring crews and descendants
during the dedication program at 2 pm July 20th.
If you served or are a descendant of a crew member
I sure would love to talk to you and get
information during the Grand Opening. Barb Koski.