• Sunday-What'sUP October 14 - 09:41 pm

Keeping promises... A couple of regular visitors reminded me of last week's follow up on the open house at Temple Jacob in Hancock. That's where we took the two bottom photos above. I also forgot to post the history page from Gartner's website that tells more about the enterprise of the Temple's namesake.

Back in the '30s, when I was a little boy, my mother shopped often at Gartners. The store had a raised office in the elbow of the second floor stairway. There were always white wicker chairs in front of the office. While shopping mother had me sit on one of those chairs. Very often the other chair held Isadore Gartner. He was a small man, with a nice smile, always dress perfectly. I remember him because he was so nice to a little boy. A real old fashioned gentelman.

Thanks for 'the rest of the story', Charlie.

The Temple is beautiful! The bridge history quite fascinating!

Great pictures and stories! I wish I could remember the swing bridge, but I don't really remember it. What year was the present bridge built?

That temple is beautiful!

Deb S. (Usedtobeayooper):
"Great pictures and stories! I wish I could remember the swing bridge, but I don't really remember it. What year was the present bridge built?"

From the (click →) City of Hancock web site: Portage Lake Bridge History:

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Quote:

In the late 1950s, the Michigan Department of Transportation began studies on how best to replace the aging bridge, with a more modern one, that would accommodate the now much larger ships plying the waterway. It was decided to build what would be become the worlds heaviest aerial lift bridge, which was under construction by 1959, just to the West of the then current bridge. This new bridge, with 4 traffic lanes above, and a railroad crossing below, had it’s ribbon cutting on Saturday, June 25, 1960.

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Thanks FRNash! I could vaguely recall that thing, but I just can barely remember a time where we didn't have the Portage Lake Lift Bridge.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if that isn't my Aunt pushing the baby buggy on the far right corner of the pic above!--? Just to the right was/is the Swift Hardware building where we shopped. Further beyond that a little ways was my Uncle Toms Barber shop. The newer looking house just to the right across the bridge up aways I think was the new Komula home. I went to Hancock school with John & Bertha Komula. Their dad was the local Chrysler dealer. This was in 1948 and their house was just built. Besides living on Cooper Street (316) at the top of those WPA stairs we also lived in Pewabic in a Quincy Mining company house just a few hundred feet to the right of the Steam Hoist building at the top of Quincy Hill shown in the photo above. --The view was incredible! As a little boy we too shopped at Gartners and I think I remember once for some reason being in the Temple shown here!
Deb: The "new" bridge was built in 1958 & 59. My cousin Dennis worked on it with the diver crew under the caissons! When Syl & I were married April 1960 we honeymooned up there and crossed over the new bridge for our first time

Russell---Your memory is working quite well, but Swifts Hardware was 3-4 bolcks east of the bridge (as a kid it was my favorite store). You mentioned the lady on the curb, well I remember a lady futher out in the road. I was coming down Bride St in a 1933 2 door Ford with suicide doors. When I hit the bottom of the hill both doors flew open--I stood on the old mechanical brake and the doors swung semi closed missing that lady by a few feet. NEVER came down that hill that fast again. BTW, when I let the UP in late '60 I was driving a Hudson just like the one leaving the bridge. That photo stirs a lot of memories.

Your eyes are better than mine, Richard, I thought that was a Kaiser.
Hudsons were great cars, I remember 'em well.

i remember crossing the swing bridge on my
bicycle to the gazette to pay my
weekly collections. of course, i crossed
on the sidewalk -- the sidewalk is
clearly pictured.

i also remember the dairy queen on the
houghton side. i like treats.

go lions. good win today.

Great pics. The old bridge pic is very historic.

I remember a 2 digit phone number on a Gundlach
concrete truck that was captured passing over the
old bridge in a movie made by the MDOT about the
time the new bridge was being built. That's a great
movie, by the way, originally on 16mm film, then
video tape. I wonder if DVD's exist now?
Tim

Flarich: Thanks for the compliment! 3 or 4 blocks would take it way down past the Douglas House etc.? I'm thinking 3 or 4 "buildings" from the bridge--? Swift was one of my favorite places to go also . I remember the old man Mr. Swift waiting on us!
That is a 51 Hudson and I first thought a 53 Chev. Zooming the best I could the tailights look more like a 52 Chev. or maybe a 53 Plymouth! If so, being it appears the new bridge hasn't been started on yet, this pic must be about 1952--possibly 53 or 54. Note the snow patches up on Quincy! How about it cousin Sue in AZ--would that might be your mom? If so that would be you in the buggy --! !

Russell----The first block east contained O' Donnell-Seemans and Brook's drug store. The next bloch started with, I believe, Kresges (we called it the dime store). The next block had the Hillside Restaurant, Newberry's, Swift's Hardware, Haug's Jewelry and ended with Douglas Insurance. Weber's sporting goods was across from Newberry's. Hadn't thought about some of those placs until today. Bugs that I can't remember all the places. As a youngster I cranked up and down many store front awnings alone that side of the street.

Many thanks to Charlie Hopper. Without his
tireless efforts, we would not even be looking at
all this great history of an area we all love so
much. As a native of Florida, it certainly has won
my heart over. What a wonderfull piece of the
USA. Just blows me away thinking how lucky I was
to marry a local girl and become part of history.
Like the t-shirt I have says, "I wasn't born here,
but I got here as soon as I could". Thanks
Charlie for your vision and tireless efforts to
bring it to about. Sunset Bay Campground would not
be what it is today without those resources.

Thanks for the kind words, Bill. We wouldn't be "on the air" if it weren't for all of our members and sponsors, like you and Ellen.

You're missing out on a soggy day in the Copper Country :o)