Newsletter–Spring, 2018

Trustees– Sherri BrandtPhyllis LanctotJanet Gregorich

Barbara Manninen PresidentCatherine Lewis Vice PresidentAnton Pintar TreasurerSherri Lewis Secretary

(906) 231–5542www.PainesdaleMineShaft.comPainesdaleMineshaft@yahoo.comPO Box 332 Painesdale, MI 49955

Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc.

Family Research By Barbara Manninen

One of the main attractions of the Captain’s Office are the heavy payroll ledgers that we have on display on the tables in the office. Visitors are welcome to look through them to see if they can find the name of a relative, someone they know, or a friend of the family. We also have a supply of canceled payroll checks that we give out to relatives, free of charge. It may take a bit of time to search through the envelopes, but there is such joy if you are lucky and find your relative.

Questions often come up, through correspondence, or perhaps while on a tour of the mineshaft, about relatives, possibly immigrants, that have lived in Painesdale and worked in the Champion mines in some capacity. Being an all-volunteer organization, we don’t have the time to do the research required, ourselves, but have compiled a short list of local sources to contact that may be of help, or provide leads to follow for further information.

The Houghton County Court House: http://www.houghtoncounty.net/directory-clerk.php. Call (906) 482-1150 and set up an appointment to go through the ledgers for the years you are interested in re: deaths, marriages, naturalizations, all public records, from 1867 to the present. Cost is $5.00. Birth records, however, are not public records and are off limits (special instructions are given). No photos allowed of pages searched, but you can write stuff down or request a copy of a certificate.

Michigan Technological University Archives: http://www.mtu.edu/library/archives/visiting/ The Copper Range Mining Company records are stored here. To actually see the records, you will have to make a trip to the library on the MTU campus.

The Houghton-Keweenaw County Genealogical society: http://www.hkcgs.org/

Copper Range Historical Museum: https://www.pasty.com/crhm/ Phone#’s to call: (906) 482-3097 or (906) 487-9412.

The Finnish American Heritage Center: http://www.finlandia.edu/fahc/archive/ If you are interested in Finnish relatives, they have a comprehensive collection of all things Finnish. Phone number: (906) 487-7374.

Parish Registries (Metric Books): Records of baptisms, marriages, confirmations, deaths. Several churches have closed over the years in the Range town areas, or have burned. For Catholic records of Sacred Heart of Painesdale; St. Mary’s of Donken; Holy Family of South Range; and St. Mary “Star of the Sea” of Atlantic Mine, contact the St. Ignatious Loyola Church in Houghton, MI, phone# (906) 482-0212. For the Suomi Synod Finnish (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) churches, now closed, of Painesdale, Baltic and Toivola, their records are kept at Grace Lutheran Church in South Range, MI. Phone# (906) 482-2011. The records of the now closed Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in

Continued on page 2...

A close up of a page from one of the payroll ledgers.

Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc.

Family Research Continued...

Industrial Archeology Research By Vince Kanthak

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Winters in the Copper County are long, dark and perfect for doing internet research. A personal interest of mine is Industrial Archeology - particularly as it relates to the Copper Range Company. My research this past winter produced a real motherlode of articles published more than a hundred years ago in the professional journals of the time. Google, in it effort to digitize the world, has been working with libraries to digitize their out-of- copyright holdings. These documents are now available through Google Books. As a result of my research I found four articles that relate to the Copper Range Company:

Article #1 is an in-depth review of the underground practices in the Champion, Baltic and Trimountain mines published in 1922 by the Lake Superior Mining Institute. This is fascinating reading for those who want to know the details of mine operations in the Copper Range Company. If you are familiar with the size of the poor rock piles around the Champion Mine you might be surprised to learn that this is only a fraction of the rock that was blasted. Much of the poor rock stayed down in the mine and never saw the light of day. You can learn what happened to it in this article.

Article #2 is actually a series of four articles published in the Engineering and Mining Journal in 1915. While much of these articles discuss the operations at the Quincy Mine’s Rockhouse, there is discussion of the practices used at the Champion Mine’s Rockhouse also.

Article #3 is a re-publication of a paper that was originally from the Lake Superior Mining Institute’s Ninth Annual Meeting in 1903. Unfortunately this document is not currently available in digital form. However, it was republished (with editing) in February 1913 in the Journal of Engineering and Contracting. A single copper mill required around 20 million gallons of water daily to operate. The mills located in Redridge had access to the water from the Redridge steel dam. The Baltic, Trimountain and Champion mills used Lake Superior. Not a big deal until you want the water in the middle of winter. This is the story of how the workers in Freda and Beacon Hill built the water intakes so that they could provide a steady water supply year round. Some of the work was incredibly dangerous. Imagine “swimming” in an old fashioned diver’s suit up a 900’ intake pipe that is only 36” in diameter.

Article #4 Mines run on compressed air. This article is a description of the air compressor used at the Champion mine. It was published by the Lake Superior Mining Institute in 1906. It is kind of technical but quite interesting. You can see where this pump was located in the Hoist House at the Champion #4 mine. Sadly, the pump was removed when the mine was decommissioned. Members who are interested getting copies these documents can contact me via email (vrkanthak@gmail.com). I can provide a link to digital copies or I can provide a limited number of paper copies for a modest donation to Painesdale Mine and Shaft, Inc.

Painesdale are in the archives of the Finnish American Heritage Center, phone# (906) 487-7374. The Albert Paine United Methodist Church in Painesdale is an active church and has records. Call Ruth at (906) 482-1470 for further information.

DNA testing is now available through several companies and are a good source for connecting with relatives. Testing through more than one company might increase your chances of locating the persons you are looking for.

The Portage Lake District Library in Houghton, MI., phone# (906) 482-4570, has a free version of ancestry.com. You have to be at the library to access it, as it is a “Library Edition.” If you don’t live around here, it may be available at a library near you. The only difference from

a regular subscription to ancestry.com is that you can’t create your own family tree. However, you can search other people’s family trees. For more information about the Library Edition: https://www.ancestry.com/cs/us/institution#library-edition.

For additional sources on finding your family history and ancestors check out this website: https://www.usa.gov/genealogy.

We appreciate your interest in the family aspect of the history of the Champion #4 and what it means to you who have a connection to it. We hope to be of help.

Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc.

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Morris the Mining Moose is still available to come home with you! He is 9 inches tall and is wearing one of our navy hoodies printed with our logo, and is also ready for work in the mine with his hardhat with headlamp.

He is available for a $20 donation (or 2 for $35) and can be ordered by contacting us (please include shipping if you need him mailed to you).

Mining Moose Fundraiser

Restoration Update By Vince Kanthak

Summer 2018 is going to be a busy time around the PM&S grounds. We have a big lineup of projects to maintain our structures as well as to make them more viewable for our visitors.

The biggest project will be repairing the steel siding and roof in order to secure the shaft/rockhouse from the weather. Sadly some of the timbering inside the shafthouse has been damaged over the years due to leaking water. PM&S has received a Keweenaw Heritage Grant to help cover approximately 50% of the cost. The remaining cost will be covered by a generous donation from the estate of Thomas Roberts. Robert E Johnson Contracting will be handling this job.

Dale Johns Construction will be working on several projects on site. Reroofing the Captain’s Office is a high priority due to the deteriorated condition of the shingles. They will also be helping us enhance the interior of the shafthouse to give visitors better access to the ground level and repair the broken windows. Molpus Woodlands Group (the current manager of the remaining poor rock pile at Champion #4) has generously offered to provide poor rock gravel for leveling the floor. This project is completion of the 2017 Keweenaw Heritage Grant of $3,550.

The PM&S match will come from the Joseph Putrich Memorial Fund and from a Leuthold Family Foundation Grant. We will also be building an outside stairs that will give easier and more direct access to the lower level of the site where the rockhouse and hoisthouse are located. These projects are made possible by the generous support provided by the many individual and family donors who have contributed over the past years.

A missing piece of siding can be seen on the top of the shafthouse.

Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc.

Rex Carlson

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It is with sadness we note the passing of Rex Carlson on March 15, 2018. Rex was 81 years old, a resident of Painesdale, and a long time supporter of the Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc. He loved giving tours and sharing his knowledge and stories of what it was like during the active mining days of the past.

Obituary: Rex Carlson

As received from the Antila Funeral Service:

Rex Carlson, 81, a resident of Painesdale, passed away early Thursday morning on March 15, 2018, at his home with his loving family by his side.

He was born Rex Gene Carlson on November 10, 1936, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a son to the late Raymond and Evelyn (Huffman) Carlson. Rex’s mother, Evelyn, passed away when Rex was seven years old. Eventually Raymond married Irene Scott and together they raised Rex.

Rex graduated from Houghton Lake High School in 1954.

He went into the U.S. Army where he served in Occupied Japan as a Morse Code Specialist.

Rex served on the Michigan State Police Force as a radio operator and certified diver. He worked as a sheriff’s deputy for Oscoda County. He retired from Kneeland Industries in Mio. After retiring, he had his own business, Little Viking Sign Shop in Mio.

Rex married the former Barbara Armstrong in July of 1988, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Kalkaska, Michigan. The couple moved to the U.P. in May of 2004, making their home in Painesdale.

Rex was an avid fisherman and loved leading many father/son trips to the U.P. and Canada. He was very active with the Painesdale Mine & Shaft. He loved giving tours of the mine and telling folks stories of what it was like in the mining days.

Rex was very artistic. He enjoyed drawing and painting pictures, which are proudly displayed in his home. He enjoyed people and loved sharing stories.

Rex is survived by his loving wife, Barb of Painesdale; children, Kelli (Carlson) Mark Wysocki of Petoskey, Traci (Carlson) Wasnack of Lewiston, Cory (Wendy) Carlson of Mio, Andi (Armstrong) Brent Light of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Nikki Carlson of Lansing, and Heidi (Armstrong) Szymanski of Mio. Besides his parents, Rex was also preceded in death by a daughter, Christi Carlson; and three grandsons, Austin Carlson, Christian Szymanski and John Szymanski.

Funeral services will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mio on Saturday, March 24, 2018, at 11 a.m. Burial will be in the Mentor Township Cemetery. Arrangements are being handled by the Mountain View Mortuary of South Range, Antila Funeral Service, Inc. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at antilafuneral.com.

An example of Rex’s artwork for Painesdale Mine & Shaft.

Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc.

Thomas C. Roberts

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We are thankful for a generous donation provided by the estate of Thomas C. Roberts, a lifetime member of the PM&S, Inc. and supporter of local Copper Country history, from Battle Creek, MI, who passed away on February 16, 2016 at the age of 68. This gift enables us to go forward with much needed work on the mineshaft/rockhouse.

In Memory of: Thomas Charles Roberts He was born in Hancock, Michigan October 5, 1947 to Mary Coon Roberts and Dash C. Roberts.

Thomas (Tommy) was raised in Battle Creek, Michigan, where he attended school through High School. He then went to Kalamazoo Jr. College, finishing his college degree from Michigan State University in Education. He substitute taught at several schools in the Battle Creek area.

He served in the US Army, doing a tour of duty in Vietnam. Upon his being discharged from the army he was employed at the Federal Center in Battle Creek, Michigan, from which he retired.

Tommie’s hobbies (passions) were the Copper country where he and his mother vacationed every summer. He collected all things Railroads and trains…Stamps…Post Cards (especially Michigan)…Baseball Cards…Music in different mediums (sheet, records, 8 tracks, tapes, CDs, etc.)

He sang in the Church Choir for a long time. Played the Accordion for select audiences.

Tommy died on February 16, 2016, after a long battle with cancer.

His mother Mary Coon was a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Thomas A, Coon (May & Tom), life-ling residents of Hancock, Michigan.

Written by Mary Elizabeth Coon White (Her father, Bob, was Mary Roberts oldest brother)

Thomas C. Roberts – Local Trust Heirs Quincy Mine Hoist Association; Copper Range Historical Museum; the Calumet Theater Co.; Quincy Smelter Association; The Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc.

Tom and Mary Roberts

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Please make checks payable to: Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc. PO Box 332 Painesdale, MI 49955

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Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc.

What You Are Telling Us By Anton J. Pintar, Treasurer

We often receive comments from our members on their family ties to Painesdale, Copper Range, the Champion Shafthouses and the Range Towns. We share these as memorials to the many everyday people who built, lived in, worked in, and died in the towns of Painesdale, Atlantic Mine, South Range, Baltic, Trimountain and Toivola. If you have comments to make, please send them to us and we will put them in future Newsletters.

“I would like a Lifetime Membership in memory of Harry Williams. Harry Williams was the son of John Henry Williams killed on June 1, 1928. I am Harry Williams daughter.”

Nancy Williams Gaggioli, Mission Viejo, CA

“Thank You to all for the work you do. Merry Christmas.”

Dan & Gail Armstrong, Lake Orion, MI

“Thank You for the lovely article about my Dad, Joe Putrich, in Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc. Newsletter-Fall, 2017. My Dad is truly missed by our family and friends. I am so thankful to all that donated to the Joe Charles Putrich Memorial for the continued restoration & repairs of Champion #4 Shafthouse. I was thrilled to read about the donations being used ‘as a match for a Keweenaw Heritage Grant’. What a further blessing that is for Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc.! May God continue to bless you & your families in 2018.”

JoEllen Putrich Albertson, Warsaw, IN

“Thank You for all you have done to preserve the history of Painesdale mining. It is a history that must be preserved. It was a major contributor to the history of the Copper Country. Thank You for your fine work. Please accept this unrestricted contribution. Use it as you see best.”

Mike Groeneveld, Alexandria, VA

“Grew up in Painesdale, have a home in Trimountain, going to retire back to the U.P! Rudy Gregorich was my grandfather; our lifetime membership and donation will be in his name. He was so proud of the mineshaft and his time there.”

Julie Siirila, Jeffers Class of ’76, Warwick, RI

“Please send current Newsletter to me. I would like a yearly membership to Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc. My father, Wilfred Saaranen (dec.), was a yearly member; Rachel Saaranen was his wife. He was born in South Range and his father worked the mines. Dad graduated from Painesdale High.

Joy Fisher, Jacksonville, FL

“I am enjoying my copper ore specimen that my husband got for me for Christmas. I can see six very small specks of copper. It is special to me because my grandfather, [George Pastore] worked in that mine.

“I also wanted to Thank You for taking on this project, recording samples & mailing them. When I was a child, we spent hours picking through the rock piles at the Painesdale & Baltic mines. I have one sample with a nice little copper spot in it. More special is the copper vein that has been in my bookcase since about 1965.

“I trailered my dad’s (Peter Ambrosiani) boat from Buckley, WV to S. Range & Dad flew up later in his plane. He attempted to move the boat lifting it on the trailer & ‘threw his back out’. One doctor told him he needed surgery. Another said he needed to spend six weeks in traction. He went to a Swedish masseuse in Lake Linden & every night he & Allie Rugani sat in Allie’s sauna & drank a bottle of whiskey. Problem solved!

“Johnny Pastore [now deceased] filled my days while Dad rehabilitated. We swung on a Tarzan rope, played with a raft at Agate Beach, went to ball games in S. Range, etc. One day we were picking the rock pile at Painesdale; a man ‘high in the tipple’ asked what we were doing & who we were. When he learned I was George Pastore’s granddaughter, he tossed down three pieces of copper vein. Pat Rozich, who was with us, mounted his & John’s on a nice piece of wood, but mine sits like it was found only shined by Pat. I treasure it & all the memories I had in S. Range. The man who tossed us the veins said he knew my grandfather well & had worked with him.”

Sherry Kovach, De Witt, MI

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Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc.

Lifetime MembersDale & Kathryn Sechan Adler (by Sherry, Chris & Glenn)Anita Andreini AhearnLt. Col. Howard I. & Irma AlanDavid C. & Cynthia A. AllenAmbrosiani FoundationMavis Holappa Anderson (dec.)William AndreiniRichard & Jean Rashleigh

AndrewsWilliam Andrews MemoryGail & Daniel ArmstrongGary Arvo MemorySamuel BagnieskiHarvey W. BarkleyRobert J. & Debra S. Bartosh, JrCharles & Beverly BaxterJames & Mary BeatonKurt BergeRay BertolliMarie Pierini Bianchi (dec.)John M. & Marcia Mason BlomAnthony M. & Kay G. BriskiGlenn & Nancy BugniWilliam & Elizabeth BuhrmasterSteve & Annette Cappo ButinaSpence Carlson Memory (by Marilyn)Frank S. CarltonKayden John CarltonSarah M. CarltonSteve & Sherry ChapmanGregg ChoppGerald Chopp (dec.)Richard & Jane ChurchAmanda & Stephen ClearyKatherine L. CocciarelleDean ColeDonna & Thomas ColeDr. Ward & Josephine ColeFred & Benita ColeGlen & Erin ColeFred Cole MemoryHenry Combellack MemoryCorinne Chaput Coombe Copper Range Historical SocietyAnn M. Pintar Cote (dec.)William & Julie Cowling (dec.)Alex DeForgeVirgil Del GhingaroMary Gibbs DeloriaCarl & Jane Dragovich (dec.)DSS & A Div., SLHTSJames & Marie Coombe DunstanJane L. DykowskiDominic & Susan FeiraRonald M. FindlayMayme E. Frantti (dec.)Dan & Dee FrostJim FruehaufBill & Nancy Williams Gaggioli(Memory of Harry Williams)*Debbie Sergey GagnonCarol GenutisAnita J. Wirtanen GerichJames Teague & Diane GourdCheryl A. & Steven GravesJanet K. GregorichMary Gregorich (dec.)Rudy & Ann Gregorich MemoryThomas Gregorich MemoryMichael C. Groeneveld

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LetvenowSteven C. Leuthold Family FoundationMary C. LewisDuffy & Bill LiddicoatWilma Lindberg (dec.)Evelyn M. Lishinski (by Audrey Peterson)

Louis Lombardi Memory (by Frank & Martha Cuff)David & Kathryn LouksJulia Pintar MacMillan (dec.)Elizabeth Trevorrow MallettJames & Barbara ManderfieldPeter & Kathryn Mariconi (dec.)Diadama B. Mason (dec.)Yalmer & Pearl Mattila (dec.)David C. & Beatrice (dec.)

MeyersFelix & Lois MickusAlbert J. Mickus (dec.)Isabel MiddendorfKenneth D.Chick, Midnight Pocatello YardmastersJanice M. MikkolaMarcia MillerCynthia J. MillsPaul & Julie Pintar MoharBob & Carolyn MusserDiana MusserConrad & Patricia Muth (Mary Gasperich Muth

Memory)Herschel E. NantellePeter & Mary NelliDale & Linda NichollsMarlene D. NordstromNorthern HardwoodsGeorge A. & Brenda J.

NousiainenKarl & Candy NousiainenWilliam Howard & Sada Sarah

Sargeant Paine O’Brien (dec.)Sean & Tina O’Connor (by Frank S. Carlton)Paul & Joyce OllilaAnthony L. & Judith E. OlsonF. Ward & Mary P. PaineMrs. William A. PaineDennis & Karen PalmerWilliam & Jennie PandyGeorge ParrishJohn Pastore Memory (by Sherrill Kovach)Harold Pellosmaa (dec.)Robert J. PembertonFrank & Margaret PerlichJohn J. PerlichChristine & Dennis PerryDarryl & Marcelline A. PerryMr. & Mrs. Rodney K. PertileArlene PetersonDouglas PetersonRaymond & Janice PetersonLillian Hall PinchChester & Debbie PindralMarilyn F. PinkertonAnton J. PintarDouglas J. PintarJames & Jenness (dec.) PintarJoseph PintarRobert & Sandra Rantamaki

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John RitolaRuth Salo RobertsThomas C. Roberts (dec.)Richard A. & Judith D.

RosenburgBessie Stevens Roy (dec.)Thomas Rozich (dec.)Robert RuikkaKarl & Carolyn RundmanJohn W. & Luana RussellFrank & Jackie RussoRobert A. RuthPeter SchierichMatt Russell & Nanette SchulteCarl & Marlene Hovey SechanStuart & Ruby SeleskyJoseph SergeyGreg & Kelly SheaClarence SibilskyJack E. SiirilaNorman Kangas & Julie Siirila* (Memory of Rudy Gregorich)John SillerWilliam (dec.) & Jean SimilaRichard W. SmithAerie #1122, South Range EaglesLarry M. SouthwickFred & Gen SpeharRobert J. & Susan M. SteinenJim & Mary Steinen (dec.)Daniel P. & Kathryn SterkFred & Maria SterkPaul V. SterkBernard R. Sterk (dec.)Rudolph J. & Alice Fredlund Sterk MemoryHelen & Laurence StevensGladys Rowe StimacJoseph D. & Rosalie SullivanMelvin & Carol SuokasJack & Margot TaratutaFrank L. & Rose Marie Taucher (dec.)Dorothy & Walter TervoPaul TesanovichBarbara James Thornton MemoryLawrence & Suzanne TintiPatrick W. & Hilary TormalaGlenn TredinnickRichard & Barbara TrudgeonW. Allan & Linda L. TuomaalaReino TuominenDr. George & Alice UlchUP Engineers & ArchitectsUPPCO (Houghton)Dr. Brad J. & Brandi UrenDouglas & Kathleen VettoriEmily VettoriWilliam E. VettoriJohn Vettori Memory (by Emily Cowling Vettori)Norma Vezzetti (dec.)Harold & Evelyn Vincent (dec.)William & Jeanne Vincent, JrJohn F. WahlersJune D. Tapani Waisanen (dec.)Elaine WildmanFrancis & Carol WillmesWilliam R. & Karen L. WinterIrene Kangas WoldringMilan C. WolfBonnie WolffSteven & Joy YamborGeoffrey YandlArnold David Ypparila * New Lifetime Members 7

Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc.PO Box 332Painesdale MI 49955

Newsletter-Spring 2018

Painesdale Mine & Shaft, Inc.