Michigan’s Copper Country in Early Photos, by B. E. Tyler: a Project Gutenberg eBook

History, with all of its ramifications, is a complex subject. Often, students pursue it with only the written word in hand, in an attempt to gain a deeper, and more meaningful understanding of it. This is usually the case because other means of historical relation are not available, or completely nonexistent. The strict narration of facts is not a sufficient means alone for broadening one’s knowledge of the past.

Whenever the written word can be complemented with other media, for example, worthwhile actual photographs, a more complete understanding of the past is experienced. Literally, a picture is worth a thousand words, and the student can gain, for himself, a more penetrating insight into his subject which words alone cannot always provide him.

In publishing Michigan’s Copper Country In Early Photos, a pictorial account of the Copper Country around 1900, the Black Letter Press has made a more complete understanding of the region possible by supplementing its written histories with the varied collection of photographs. The area’s setting, its people, and their work are portrayed. Originally, the book was published as, Souvenir of the Copper Country Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Copies of this original work are extremely scarce today.

In his introduction to the original publication, B.E. Tyler, the publisher, states that the Copper Country is a place of natural beauty, with the mining of copper from the bowels of the earth as the district’s major industry. This was written in 1903, and the pictures presented in the volume’s pages offer supportive evidence to his words. However, time has moved on, and much has both changed and remained the same in the Copper Country.

Tyler mentions a picture of the Cliff Mining Camp, and relates that the work has been abandoned, but, “almost every house that was ever erected there is standing.” This is no longer true. All structures have been dismantled, and all that remains of the once proud and fabulous Cliff mine are a few poor rock piles.

The many gabled, and uniquely constructed Quincy Rock House was to be found in Hancock, and it was reputed to be the most photographed mine structure of its kind in the country. It was destroyed by fire in 1956.

The Douglas House, a famous meeting place, and hotel, in Houghton still remains, although its appearance has been altered, and its surroundings have changed.

The Kerredge Theater, in Hancock, was completed in 1902, with some seats costing as much as forty dollars for a single performance. Popular shows, Shakespearian plays, and operas, were presented on its stage.

Copper mining no longer remains the major industry of the area. Once where many shafts were sunk deep into the earth, and their rockhouses lined the horizon, only a few remain today as reminders of a bygone era, standing as ever vigilant sentinels, guarding what may be left of their once rich copper deposits. Gone are the giant hoisting machines used to bring copper ore to the surface. Gone are the miners, who labored hard by candlelight with simple hand tools, replaced by today’s modern miner using his battery operated head lamp, and power machinery when work is available. Only exploratory and experimental work is presently being conducted in the Copper Country.

One aspect of the Copper Country which remains relatively unchanged is its rugged natural beauty. The sparkling clear deep blue waters of chilling Lake Superior still crash upon its rocky tree lined shores. A green mantle of dense forests covers much of the land, which in places is wild and mountainous. Water still rushes over spectacular falls as it flows onward toward the world’s largest fresh water lake. Past and present residents, and many visitors, have witnessed the scenic panorama, with some insisting that the climate of the Copper Country has an exhilarating, and refreshing therapeutic affect upon them.

Suggested reading material on the Copper Country might include the following titles that are considered to be of more than passing interest: Red Metal, by C. Harry Benedict, Prehistoric Copper Mining in the Lake Superior Region, edited by Roy W. Drier, and Octave J. DuTemple, Boom Copper, by Angus Murdock, and The Cliff, by Donald Chaput. Also of worthwhile reading are such historical novels on the region as, Where Copper Is King, by James Wright, published in 1905, and, The Long Winter Ends, by Newton G. Thomas.

Another beneficial book is, A True Description of the Lake Superior Country, written by John St. John, and originally published in 1846. It was republished by the Black Letter Press in 1976, and it provides its readers with a rare and invaluable first hand account of early Copper Country settings. Of particular interest are the author’s descriptions of the region’s geologic development, and of the early copper mines.

Michigan’s Copper Country In Early Photos adds a new dimension to the historiography of the Copper Country, providing in pictures what the student may not grasp from the written word.

The simple beauty of the Copper Country of Michigan, the vastness of its enterprises and the activity of its marts are impressive in their very nature. Their pictures are more pleasing when left unmarred by wordy descriptions. Scenes may be absorbed and grasped by the eye which no language can describe.

This book is a simple collection of pictures, characteristic of scenes which are familiar to those acquainted with the Copper Country. The effort has been put forth to make it as comprehensive as possible.

The winning of the copper from the earth constitutes the dominant industry of the district, and is deserving of first place in a representation of the Copper Country. All features of the industry are shown—in the depths of the mine; on the surface, where the world’s most massive machinery furnishes power to actuate the air drills and operate the hoisting cables; in the mills and smelters, where the metal is refined into copper bullion; along the wharves, where ships are laden with the product, to carry it to lower lake ports, whence it is distributed throughout the world.

Historic points of interest are given. There is a picture of the old Cliff Mining Camp, one of the earliest, and, in its day, one of the most populous and prosperous communities in the Upper Peninsula. To-day almost every house that was ever erected there is standing, most of them dating back nearly half a century, but the place is deserted—hundreds of houses with bare walls staring out through bleak windows, and scarcely a dozen souls to inhabit them. The old mine workings are abandoned for more profitable deposits of mineral.

Pictures are given which show the natural beauty of the Copper Country. Pleasing views are so bountifully bestowed by nature that it is a difficult task to choose the most impressive. But enough are given to create a taste for more—a taste that can be gratified to its fullest only by rambling among the vales and hills, through the forests and along the banks of the quiet streams and the shores of the mighty Unsalted Sea.

The new South Range is thoroughly pictured. This is the young giant which in the last five years has forged forward and wrought from the ground which was the rooting place for an unbroken forest a group of copper mining camps that stand to-day close rivals to the older camps which have been half a century in the making.

Such pictures constitute within themselves a story of beauty, power and pathos which no words can enhance. Those responsible for the book have drawn from its preparation a wealth of pleasure. Courtesies have been extended from all sources, in recompense for which the sincerest expression of appreciation is now extended. May those into whose hands the book shall come glean from it all the subtle meaning and all the stirring thoughts which its pictures are capable of inspiring. It will then be an epic, indeed—a poem, a song, a burst of harmony beyond the power of words to utter.

OTHER AVAILABLE REPRINTS FROM THE AWARD WINNING BLACK LETTER PRESS

Transcriber’s Notes

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MICHIGAN'S COPPER COUNTRY IN EARLY PHOTOS ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:

• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”
• You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.
• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.
• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Michigan's Copper Country in Early Photos

MICHIGAN’S
COPPER COUNTRY
IN
EARLY PHOTOS

INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW EDITION

OTHER AVAILABLE REPRINTS FROM THE AWARD WINNING BLACK LETTER PRESS

Transcriber’s Notes

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Michigan's Copper Country in Early Photos

MICHIGAN’S COPPER COUNTRY IN EARLY PHOTOS

INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW EDITION

OTHER AVAILABLE REPRINTS FROM THE AWARD WINNING BLACK LETTER PRESS

Transcriber’s Notes

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

MICHIGAN’S
COPPER COUNTRY
IN
EARLY PHOTOS