I often find it strange how easily we adapt to our
surroundings. We’ve only been in the Ishpeming/Marquette area since Sunday but
now, mid-week everything feels familiar. We can usually find our way around
Ishpeming, Marquette, and Negaunee without the help of the map. With Ishpeming
being short on restaurants, we’ve come to recognize the servers at the Country
Grill where we’ve been taking our breakfasts and dinners, and they us. Our room
at the Best Western is comfortable and is beginning to feel like a home away
from home.
We woke this morning to very heavy fog which was predicted
to burn off by mid-morning. Based on the prediction, we decided to stick to our
predetermined schedule. Our first stop was the Peter White Public Library in
Marquette; our only Marquette locations for the day. I had two primary goals at
this library – (1) finding the specific item on the microfilm for The Iron Agitator newspaper and (2)
finding a book The Early History of a
Mining Town: Ishpeming, Michigan, 1852-1920 by Robert D. Dobson.
I had tried to get this book through interlibrary loan last
month but was told the few libraries will to lend it would charge for $10 to
$30. Since I knew we were making this trip and since WorldCat showed two copies
at the Peter White, I decided to wait. It turned out to be a gold mine of
information and background material. I’m so glad I found it because its
material will be so helpful when I write the Christiansen/Larsen stories. I
also found a very nice “picture” book on Marquette.
Now for the big frustration of the day. I have
transcriptions listed in Incidents of
Mortality In the Marquette Range Iron Mines compiled by Kenneth D.
LaFayette from The Iron Agitator of 15 Sep 1883 that states “The engineer Hans
Christiansen, of whom we spoke in our last issue as being struck by a fly-wheel
at No 2 engine house…”; the key being “in our last issue”. There was no listing
for anything form the 08 Sep 1883 issue. Peter White was said to have the
microfilm from the Agitator in that
time period. The good news is they do have the issue in question; the bad news
is the page on which Hans’ accident would have been reported is missing from
the microfilm. The issue is there; pages 1,2,3,5,6,7,and 8 are there but the
news from Ishpeming always reported on page 4 is not there. (Note, the pages
for this issue, and as far as I can see only this issue, are also out of
numerical order.) Well, at least, we have an explanation as to why LaFayette
didn’t list it in his compilation as I was told he used newspaper microfilm.
On our way back to Ishpeming from Marquette we stopped for
lunch at the Midtown Café and Bakery. Not only did I enjoy are nice salad
there, when I checked in on Foursquare I became the Mayor and as the new Mayor
we got a 20% discount!
Next, we went to the Cliff Shaft Mine museum which was very
interesting. Their exhibits include items from many of the mines in the area.
The Cliff Shaft Mine was shut down in 1967 and the day they shut down they
simply walked away leaving everything in place. The tour with a very knowledgeable
docent was quite an experience. If you ever go there, be sure to leave plenty
of time to take in everything available.
Our last stop for the day was the Ishpeming Carnegie
Library. This is the only Carnegie Library building in the Country still being
used for its original purpose. I had two goals there as well but, alas, came up
empty this time.
Now it’s time for me to work on getting the camera and
Flip-Pal photos into the computer.
~ Becky
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