Fort Wilkins chief transferred to Porkies Dan Plescher, former manager of Fort Wilkins, relaxes at hunting camp. (Photo courtesy Eileen Plescher) COPPER HARBOR ’Äì Fort Wilkins State Park is losing a manager and Grant Township a treasurer with the transfer of Dan Plescher and his wife, Eileen Plescher, to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. For more than a decade Dan has managed Fort Wilkins, a favorite Keweenaw tourist attraction and campground, where, in summer, young role players simulate mid-nineteenth-century life at the fort and families can enjoy camping and picnics as well as a historical atmosphere. Eileen, who has served as Grant Township Treasurer for the past year and a half, leaves that position to be filled by a new appointed treasurer until the next general election. Dan said the transfer is a decision of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Parks and Recreation Bureau and not anything he requested, since he enjoyed working at Fort Wilkins and living in the Copper Harbor area. "It wasn’Äôt by choice, but if I have to go someplace else, the Porkies would have been my first choice," Dan said. "I’Äôll still be the manager ’Ķ It’Äôs quite a different operation. I’Äôll be leaving all the historical facilities (at Fort Wilkins). I love that stuff. It was the best part of the whole job." Dan said he would miss not just the park but the whole area, especially Copper Harbor and Lac La Belle, where he kept his fishing boat. Fort Wilkins employees said they would miss Dan’Äôs easygoing but competent management of the fort. Said Carpenter Mark Jindrich of Calumet, who has worked at the fort for the past three years, "Dan is excellent. Everybody likes him. He’Äôs just an easy guy to work for ’Äì just a real nice guy." Dennis Sotala of Copper Harbor, who has worked as a Fort Wilkins park ranger since before the Pleschers arrived in 1989, also noted Dan’Äôs easygoing nature. "He’Äôs a comfortable manager to work for ’Äì easygoing," Sotala said. "He doesn’Äôt push the crew, but he makes sure the jobs get done." Dan will be hard to match as a manager according to Fort Wilkins Secretary Peggy Tanskanen of Allouez, who has also worked for him more than 10 years. "He has done a lot for the park," Tanskanen said. "He was largely responsible for getting the new playground equipment in the day use area, along with the help of the Fort Wilkins Natural History Association. He also convinced his superiors to save the historic WPA building (in the east campground), which was targeted to be destroyed." Tanskanen added her appreciation for Dan’Äôs practice of listening to his workers on what is needed and what is needed to be done in the park rather than just deciding himself. She noted both Dan and Eileen demonstrate a concern for people that extends beyond the park to the community. "He’Äôs always been fair and honest to everyone," she said. "He and his wife Eileen have helped people in Copper Harbor. I know several people who depended on them in both summer and winter months ’Äì whether to shovel out their drive or to check on their septic tank. Dan has never said no to anyone, no matter how busy he was. He has been a very good manager to work for." As manager at the Porkies, Dan noted, he will again be overseeing the entire operation, but for a much larger park ’Äì which includes camping, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, backpacking and year-round cabin rental programs. "The biggest difference is it’Äôs so big. It’Äôs Michigan’Äôs biggest state park," he said. "You have the ski hill operation in the winter, so this is really a year-round (intensive use) park ’Ķ It’Äôll keep me busy. That’Äôs the best thing." While Fort Wilkins offers cross-country skiing, winter is really considered an off-season there, he explained. At the Porkies, winter interpretive activities include such programs as guided lantern light cross-country skiing and snowshoeing with the park naturalist. Dan is presently dividing his time between the two parks until a manager with state park experience is hired for Fort Wilkins. "Hopefully, they’Äôre going to have somebody there by the end of March," he said. "I’Äôll be going back and forth for at least one month (maybe more)." Meanwhile, Eileen Plescher is just as busy, preparing to move from the family residence at the fort to a new residence at the Porkies. In addition, she is organizing township records in preparation for helping her successor, who will be appointed at the Jan. 9 Grant Township meeting in Copper Harbor. Eileen has held the treasurer position since August, 1999, when she was appointed to fill a vacancy left by former treasurer Al Catron, former owner of the Lake Fanny Hooe Resort. She said she plans to continue as business manager for the Fort Wilkins Natural History Association. Newly elected Grant Township Supervisor Ken Korhorn said he appreciated Eileen’Äôs willingness to help train the next treasurer. "Eileen is most helpful and gracious and said she’Äôd help in any way she can," Korhorn noted. "My assessment is she’Äôs a very competent lady, and I’Äôve been pleased to work with her so far." Said Eileen, "I enjoyed the position. It was challenging, and I regret having to leave because I found it very interesting. But I am thankful that there are other people interested in taking the job." So far two candidates ’Äì both Copper Harbor business owners ’Äì have declared an interest in the appointment: Karen Trucks, owner of the Brockway Inn, and Carol Meilahn, owner of the Garden Brook Market. Korhorn said if anyone else shows interest in the position they will be considered before the Township Board makes the appointment Monday night. Until their move (probably in February), the Pleschers can be reached at (906) 289-4804 or by email at eplese@up.net. Click here for more information on the Porkies. Click here for guest writer Karin Emond’Äôs story about historical role players at Fort Wilkins. -Michele Anderson January 6, 2001