More often than not, if Rick Anderson isn't flying high in his airplane, you'll find him somewhere near the water. This time, he's out at Big Traverse Bay, with Energy and Spirit. Sure, Rick has energy and spirit, but that's not what I'm referring to....those are the names of the two fishing boats pictured here. Good names when you think about it too. A commercial or sport fisherman on Lake Superior, needs lots of energy AND spirit!

It looks like the boats are in his front yard :)

 
AT THIS DISTANCE,GROUNDHOG DAY IS 
 
   LIKE A VERY NARROW WINDOW THROUGH 
 
      WHICH ONE CAN SEE ONLY A CRACK OF LIGHT. 
 
         AS ONE COMES CLOSER THE VIEW 
 
            GROWS WIDER AND WIDER, UNTIL FINALLY 
 
               THROUGH THIS SAME NARROW WINDOW 
 
                      ONE IS LOOKING AT THE UNIVERSE!

At least you don't have to worry about the beer getting warm.

Good Morning! For our regular visitors who live in the U.P., we're receiving a number of calls that one of the other Internet services presently has a big outage. If you call to get hooked-up to Pasty.NET access, leave a message if we're helping someone else (voice #'s: 337-5979 in Keweenaw, 800-327-0966 out of area).

With connections across the U.P. and the entire U.S., Pasty.NET has also introduced a service exclusively for cable modem/DSL users who only need occasional dial access. If you're on Comcast, Charter, Road Runner, etc. you may find Pasty.NET Lite to be just right when you travel.

Yesterday someone asked how the NEWSWEEK mention has affected pasty orders. The pasty counter on our home page jumped from 207,000 to 209,000 almost overnight. We apologize if you get the voice mail when you call... we'll get back to you as quickly as we can. Things have gotten quite busy here in Calumet :o)

A book on MICHIGAN fish tugs is in the works and now looking for a picture of the CHARLES J. when it was in COPPER HARBOR. If you can help in anyway, I'll give you a further rundown for the "why's" that I am looking for this.

fishtug@doorpi.net

Go Charlie Go! Let's keep everyone connected and up to the armpits in pasties!!! I must say the whole Pasty enterprise run at Stillwaters and all good things coming from there make me proud to be a customer! Keep up the good work. Do you know in all the years I've been a Pasty dial up customer I've only encountered one busy signal? Very good stats! Well, I couldn't help but make a plug for a great business. Have a good day everyone!

Commercial fish tugs; what a wonderful part of our area's history that seems to have been forgotten. There were so many commercial fishermen in the Copper Country back when I was growing up. Many of the fish tugs were locally built as many of them back then were made of wood. There were a lot of skilled boat builders at that time in the Keweenaw. [a lost art]

Fisherman's Armour's boat is still under wraps on Sedar Bay. Does anyone know if there are plans to get "Hope" into a museum or the like?

WHEN I WAS A KID, I WENT ON RIDES WITH ARMOUR ON THE HOPE AND "TINA". I WASN`T SCARED ABOUT THE WATER, THE FEAR WAS WOULD THE BOAT WOULDN`T HOLD UP AND NOT SINK. TINA WAS A ROWBOAT NAMED AFTER MY LATE AUNT, TINA ROWE. THOSE WERE THE DAYS, THE BEST DOWN CEDAY BAY. HELLO FROM LAS VEGAS, MARY

Good morning, all. Great photo -- I thought these tugs were parked in the street! Although there seem to be a lot of topics introduced already today, I'd like to introduce one more. I have a postcard from 1940 that is a map of the U.P. and has the greeting: "Hello! from the Northern Peninsula of Michigan" Does anyone know if the U.P. used to be called the Northern Peninsula rather then the Upper? And if so, why did it change? Does it have to do with "Yooper" being preferred over "Nooper"? Seriously, any thoughts?

Armour's boat, Hope, has been purchased by The Keweenaw County Historical Society and will be added to the exhibits at the Society's Commercial Fishing Museum at the Eagle Harbor Light Station. Stop by next summer - the museum has lots of information and displays celebrating the rich history of commercial fishing in the Keweenaw waters.

nice shot of the fishing tugs, makes me want to anticipate spring so my little boat can go back out.

I have visited that musum and am a member of the K.C. Historical Society. It IS where "Hope" belongs. Armor's place is a few doors from our family's "camp" and I have lots of great memories. Thanks for the infomation and see you next summer!

Ahh, Big Traverse Bay-a sight for sore eyes indeed to many a fisherman over the years. Offered a glimpse of the "Tall Waters" of Ol' Lady Superior over the breakwall one can hardly take the time to put in his drain plug, so eager is he to be afloat.

P.S. to Charlie (as if he didn't know!),
The Pasty Counter is now at 210,268. Another 1200 since your posting! Go Pasty.com, GO!

Finally nice to see blue skies on the Bridge Cam!

It's been gray up there for quite a long spell.

Re Northern Peninsula vs Yooper: I have an Upper tourist map of the UP dating from about 1940. It is labeled, "Highway Map of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan," and is published by the Upper Peninsula Development Bureau. I've searched in vain for a photo of the tourist lodge in Menominee (my home town). There was a sign there which said, "Gateway to the Upper Peninsula." In my memory (I'm pushing 76) the U.P. was either U.P. or Upper Peninsula until maybe around the 70's when perhaps UPer, followed by Yooper came in. I don't ever recall it referred to as the "Northern Peninsula."
BTW--aren't those just plain fishing boats? I don't think they acted as tugs.

I love it up there! All the pictures are beautiful! We think of moving up there. I think are two cats Fred and Bill and our dog will love it there! thank you!

My boats spirit and my spirit are parked there also!

I agree. Ahh, Big Traverse. The snow on this side of the fish tugs is actually the snow-covered river. I know this place well, our family has had a cottage here for almost 50 years! When I was a youngster, my sister and I would run to the Pier whenever we saw a fish tug heading back in. We loved to watch the tugs go through the piers and into the Big Traverse River with its load of fish. We always knew when they had a load of fish -- seagulls were circling above the boat. Big Traverse is as beautiful in the winter as it is in the summer. Right JS?

Pat&Glenda
Just what planet are you from?

I don't suppose Reino Erkila's ice house is still there eh.

Wha!!!! MELLOW!!!

As soon as I saw this picture I too thought of the days when my sister and I would run to see the fishing boats coming in. Then as I'm reading the postings, there she is mentioning the same thing. LE, wasn't it a pleasant surprise to see Traverse on the pasty page today???!!! Those were sure the days. Summers spent at the camp, no cares or worries, swim, walk (run) the beach, fish and just have fun. There were no video games, headsets, cel phones etc. in those days. One of the finest treats was the day mother would make doughnuts and would come out to the beach with a freshly fried batch of the "holes" from the doughnuts! What a treat. This picture sure stirred up a lot of warm memories on a very cold day. Thank you.

Leslie's question on the name of UP. I have a road map, no date, but I guess 1920's by the ad's on map. It shows Houghton to Ironwood, Crystal Falls area as "Western Michigan". Also shows paved road from Houghton to Mohawk. Houghton business ad, Malfroid Trading Co., flour, gen. farm produce, oil,service station, rest room. It appears there was some auto traffic in Western Michigan.

Someone help me out, when I was a kid in Hancock WMPL used to play a song called "Hakey Lunta Snow Dance Song" pardon my spelling I've lived down state for two long. I would really like to find the words to the whole thing or get a recording of it. Any suggestions? Is it still played up there.

I want some fresh fish! Can you buy fish directly from the fishermen?

I remember the day when i could catch fish, can't get em like i used to. I know you gotta eat, but not a fan of boats. I could be wrong but i doubt it. Sorry!! Got other states for that, i'm sure they think the same.

JWS in GLedge,

As seen at heikkilunta.com, you can order the CD by calling WMPL toll-free at 866-482-3700. Tell them you saw it on the Pasty Cam.

and

Kathi from Ferndale,

As Toivo would say... Wah! We've had some kind of record day in Internet pasty sales. At one point, orders were coming in faster than one per minute. The NEWSWEEK article came out last Monday, and it probably takes about a week for most folks to read all the way through to the TIP SHEET, where the brief mention appeared, along with Jonathan's snapshot of Grace and Kenny's smiling faces.

Thanks Charlie I appreciate the help

Hello to Yooper in Vegas,
Greetings from Phoenix,Az . I think you are my kissing cousin,right? Are you the former Mary Ryding?
Yvonne Fisher
cfish@chartermi.net

Way back when, my step-dad and I worked for a day for John Wiita. (sp?) I think he was from Gay. Any one remember him? We put in about 8 hours 'choking' herring from the net out on the big Lake. JAD,Oskar, I think they were called 'tugs' because they pulled the nets. The nets went around the winch drum and onto the table where the fish were removed from it. The fish made a loud choking sound, caused by air in their flotation bladders, thus the name of 'herring chokers'. Must've been in the mid 50s, I think we earned about $1 an hour. My step-dad didn't like being out on the lake, it was a little rough that day. His boat looked a lot like the ENERGY.

Does anyone know who built Armour's boat and when? My grandfather was a boat builder many years ago near the Calumet Waterworks. I would doubt any of his boats would still be around after all these years. However, many of the local fishermen were his customers.
I will definitely make it a point to visit the Fishing Museum on my next trip to the U.P.
I remember watching the fishing boats come in surrounded by noisy sea gulls. We didn't call them "rats with wings" back then.

Ah yes- the Charles J- I canremember it going to Isle Royale in 1960 or so. Dont know were it is now- but sure like fish tugs of superior's site. I was about 15 years old at the time, and fished off a tug called the norland, which Mel Johnson had, also the A Jeffrey, which also was Mels boat. Remember the 1 lunger engine that had. Quite the boat. Mel was one of the last fishermen at Isle Royale. Enjoyed those days.
Dont know but the Stranger kind of looked like the Norland with name change.Ed- Write me-janke555@msn.com-love to see your work

Big Traverse Bay.... one of the best places on Earth.

Wish I was there...

In respone to Nadine-VT
I believe Armour's boat was built by Henry Ojas father(his name I don't remember right now). Henry's wife Grace is living in Allouez. I will think on this a little more and check with one of my brothers who would know. I know there are many people here in the Copper Country would know also.
I am assuming you are related to the Remali family that built boats at Calumet Waterworks.

To Mark Rowe:
Thanks for your response. I am not related to the
Remali Family, although they were neighbors. My
grandfather was Siegfred "Pete" Sorensen. He made his living building fishing boats and was always busy. He had a large boathouse where he did all his work. Neither the house or boathouse are there any longer. The property has since been divided into smaller lots. It was and still is a beautiful spot on the lake. I appreciate your interest. Thanks again!

For all of you out there whom read the Pasty Cam boards; Do you remember anything about boat builders of the Keweenaw area. It would be an interesting project to accumulate information as genereal discussion for future historical researchers. Thanks for your reply Nadine.

Did you know that the road to Armour's house has been re-named? Sarkela Road.