This week I went rummaging through Nana Paull's shoebox and pulled out this old postcard. On the back it says "downtown" Mohawk.

Tim,

Can you find out if there is a copyright notice on this card? Most of the pictures on Pasty.com are original works for which permission has been given by the photographer, some are from historical archives. We want to be careful to give credit to the original copyright holder, and obtain their permission to display the picture where possible.

Thanks for sharing the memories.

After seeing all that snow piled up, it is a wonder that it all melts in the summer. Great picture.

Could you show a picture of one of your big 'ol 'snow-eaters' for us Trolls from Downstate?

They're awesome machines.

Thanks!

<Charlie>: OK, here's a shot from a few years ago on the Pasty Cam. A larger version is somewhere back in the Archives

This is Cliff St.in Mohawk.The first house on the right side is Waara's.You can hardly see thier garage which is buried in the snow.Spent many days sliding down the snowbanks on Cliff St. and the old rockpile.

This is what I remember Copper Country being like when I was 4 in Painesdale . . .62 years ago. Building big tunnels in the snow, tunneling to get to your house. Ah, yes, those were the good old days.

Amazing how all that snow is piled up on the ground and barely a flake on any of the roofs.

The roofs are clean because homeowners shovel or "rake" them off to prevent disaster! This can be a monthly chore during heavy snow winters. And while I do miss lots about home, getting the snow off my roof (or calling Kesti Construction to do it!) is not on the list!

Happy holidays to all of you in the snow from those of us in the (today) sun in CA.

I'm glad someone said this is Cliff Street, because I was going out of my mind thinking it was Union Street! That looks EXACTLY like my Grandma's house, and I was even looking at old pix I had to see if I could make that connection. Another beautiful shot. I am going to have to get a program that changes my wallpaper every 5 minutes, so I can see all the pix from here. I have a few more WOW's than I think most of you do! :)

I THINK THIS IS LOOKING TOWARDS BUMBLETOWN, WEST, BY THE SHADOWS POSITION.

WOW!! This clearly brings back memories of my childhood growing up in Laurium on Tamarack St. Those huge snow-thrower machines would come down the street and keep the town running. Truly a winter wonderland.

To JS Washington
I would say because of the poor insulating quality of the homes most of it melted off and the other reason is the pitch of the roof as wind would remove a lot of it. I remember in the late 60's in calumet that is what it looked like and I use to walk to morrison school every day no matter what the weather, I remember they only closed the school once while I was up there and that was due to a blizzard and we as kids only found out about it after having walked to the school through it.

It is cliff st. in Mohawk. Jurmu's house 3rd on right side. Played road hockey there as a kid. Brings back alot of memories.

The old nos. 3 and 4 mine shaft and smoke stack were at bottom of hill.

The car's tell me "sixties", is this the right age of post card?

'60 Chevy & Falcon, looks to be Jan. Or Feb. as the SnoGo's been thru recently. What a snow pile they left, 'rock hard' too. Yeah, no insulation in those attics.

I know the pic is of Mohawk but it looks just like the streets looked like in Laurium when my family lived there (102 South Pewabic, late 40's, early 50's). Looks like the SnoGo must have just gone by because of the cars parked on the wrong side of the street. Thats what they used to do in Laurium when they wanted to SnoGo the street, everyone had to move their cars. Plus the snow plow hasn't been by yet to "clean up". I also remenber that when we first lived in Laurium, the SnoGo didn't have a moveable chute and they would blow the snow into the driveway and walkways and if you didn't get it shoveled out right away, it would harden like concrete and the "Yooper Scooper" wouldn't touch it. It had to be chipped out.

Imagine the insulating effect on the lower floors of these homes! I bet it was dark all day too!

I was born in Ishpeming in '31, but we moved south for work in GM. My father told us many times, how they had to go out after a BIG snow and look for the top of their cars with a broom handle of something. They would leave it there to mark the car so the plows wouldn't take the side off the car when they came by.

Just to add another note, I lived in a similar looking house at 4216 tenth street in calumet that was heated by the old coal furnace and during the winter it was very warm inside I remember being half frozen and going right to one of the convection heat outlets, no forced air back then, at least not in our house and belive me you were roasty toasty in a few miniutes, and I lost quite a few sleds by leaving them where the snow througher would go thru and they would chew them up and stop and tell my mother about it and then she would get mad at me but did I learn oh yes, after about 3 sleds.

I'm stationed with the Air Force in Tucson. Hate the desert, love the picture, can't wait to retire and move BACK up to duh U.P.

Two things I'd like to add. There is no snow on the roofs because of the high pitch, snow just falls off, and as for the comment on it being dark on the first floor, you can see the windows in the pic here, the basements are very high for this reason. I know cause I live on Phoenix st. just behind Cliff st.and right now I'm not really missing all that snow.

I recall visiting our cousin Allen Long at the Keweenaw Co. Garage when he worked there. My dad was a mechanic too, and the two of them loved to talk "shop". The big project that summer (late '50's - early '60's) was rebuilding one of the snow throwers. It was a big 6x6 FWD(?) with the second engine in the rear to drive the thrower. The beast was obviously wounded and under major repair. It seems it tried to ingest a small car that was buried in an unexpected place. Whoever left it along the road failed to mark it with a broom handle. The two guys in the truck never suspected anything until the loud noise began and sheet metal started coming out the chute. The car was totaled.

Ahhhh The fond memories of playing road hockey under the street light, and sledding down the hill of Cliff Street.

This shot of the snow canyons brings back fond memories of tunneling with coffee cans, snow forts, scaling the "cliffs", climbing trees we couldn't in the summer, and once my grandmother carved a restaurant booth into the side of one, table, seats and all. But the best (worst?) one was trying to jump our toboggan across "slim's road" after the SnoGo went through. The rock piles made a great ramp and the snow piled up from the SnoGo made a perfect ski jump. Or so we thought. We only made it halfway. It was a wooden toboggan. You know, with the rungs across every foot or so? The bruises didn't hurt so much as having the wind knocked out of us for a good 30 seconds :-) Did we ever try that again Jimmy?

I'm waiting patiently... but this makes me anxious! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Bring it on, we're ready!

hey art newman, fellow pack rat from albion, email me,
this is jack

I remember during the spring snowstorm of '79
having to step out of a second story window into a
snowdrift just to go out and shovel the sidewalk
leading up to the front door so that we could even
get out. Fortunately an inside door in the
basement connected to the garage where the snow
shovel was kept. It's kind of strange how we
romanticize these heavy snowfalls, remembering how
beautiful they were but forgetting all the hard
work and tenacity it takes to live in the U.P. in
the winter. Guess it's just a lifestyle choice. I
truly admire the yoopers who are there dukin' it
out, and thanks to the pasty cam for the memories.

I was told the worst thing one of those big blowers could suck in is a tire. The only way to get it out was to burn it out.

When I was a youngster in Dollar Bay I would love to watch those big blowers and the big V plows doing their work.

I take my hat off to all the drivers of these big machines. They have a very hard job and a lot of long hours.

amen to the road crews!!!while we are all still snug in our beds they are the first ones out there to make sure the rest of us get out!its the first sounds of the day hearing the plows and the back up beeps.although we complain when that darn ole' plow comes by right after we've shoveled we sure are grateful for you guys,thank-you!

Here is a little poem that I just received from Sue in White Pine.


When it's Christmas time in Michigan's UP,
And the gentle breezes blow,
About seventy miles an hour
And it's fifty-two below.

You can tell you're in DA UP
'cause the snow's up to your butt,
And you take a breath of Christmas air
And your nose holes both freeze shut.
The weather here is wonderful,
So I guess I'll hang around,
I could NEVER leave DA UP.
My feet are frozen to the ground!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Charlie: in the spirit of the season (and for those of us who are running late with our charitable contributions for the year) could you post a link to your on-line donation page? Thanks!

Although I've never lived in the UP, my oldest son went to school at MTU. He now lives in SC and laughs when they get a couple inches of snow and just about everything shuts down!
I love the photos posted, and also enjoyed the poem from Sue in White Pine.

This is how the winters were when I lived up there. Heavenly!! Me and my brother would go out to play in the white-outs. Our eyelashes would freeze together, and we'd have to take off our mittens and hold our palms to our eyes to melt the ice. If I was up there in a blizzard, I'd do the same today, there's still a kid in this adult. Happy holidays to all! Great poem, Sue.

Several years ago I did some research for using a large snow blower for a multi acre parking lot at a large insurance company north of Chicago. The bench mark of all units was their ability to handle snow in the Keweenaw and county airport up there. Says a lot for snow up there.
JohnP

By Jean on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 12:26 pm:
Here is a little poem that I just received from Sue in White Pine.

THAT POEM IS HYSTERICAL! I LOVE IT... AND HOW TRUE!

By janmarie, troll... on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 01:50 pm:
Although I've never lived in the UP, my oldest son went to school at MTU. He now lives in SC and laughs when they get a couple inches of snow and just about everything shuts down!

HERE IN GEORGIA, IF SOMEONE "SAYS" THE WORD SNOW, THE MILK AND BREAD ARE GONE FROM THE STORES IN 10 MINUTES. I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOUR SON FEELS, BECAUSE I LAUGH, AS WELL. GEORGIANS DON'T KNOW WHAT SNOW IS!

I remember after the SnoGo went by, there was a few less feet of pathway to shovel to the road.
Also it made for great street hockey games under the street ligt by our house in Kearsarge.

And just to add one last note I too remember playing street hockey under the street light, we would play for hours, snow or no snow and I don't ever remember being cold, those were the good old days, I could go on and on, but I wont because the more I think of home the more I want to be there, it would not be the same as I remember it but there is somthing to be said for starting a new life and doing what is right for yourself, many of the notes I read are about how home sick everyone is, does money mean that much to you?, you could play it safe and stay where you are now, but in the end of your time on this earth are you going to reflect back and say I could have and should have or are you going to say I gave it my best shot and if it works out great, and if not at least you tried.
Merry Christmas to all in the Homeland and the same to all yoopers around this great country of ours.

Wow. Been away too long. I forget how it really looks in the winter. I can remember running from getting pelted with snowballs and falling off the snowbank down the sno-goed side and getting the wind knocked out of me.
David S. of CA- I also grew up on Tamarack Street in Laurium! :-)

Hello, Im a songwriter from Argentina. I compoused a song inspirate it in the movie The winter gues.
I woul like so much to tell this to Alan Rickman, and of course to send my song to him
Can you help me to find Alan Rickman e-mail?
Or the e-mail of his manager or company, agent..etc?
If you can help me, I will very glad.
Thank you very much.

Hello, I oun a 1952 Ford F5, Marmon-Herrtinton All Wheel Drive with a Snogo snow blower mounted on it. The truck only has 8,023 miles on it. I need to replace the continental Red Seal flathead 6 cylinder engine. The last ouners didn't treat it very well. It's a B371 I think a B427 would work also. Help me create memories like your's. Replacement continental engines are hard to find. The rest of the truck runs great you cant hardly hear the flathead V8 run. It's painted yellow and has big headlights mounted on the roof. Thanks, Ken in Idaho, email. stevens2@pmt.org