Sunday, April 18, 2010

WK. 14, PHOTO ESSAY, 'ST. ANNE'S, CALUMET, MI.'

CALUMET IN 1900 WAS A BOOMING TOWN IN THE CENTER OF MICHIGAN'S COPPER MINING INDUSTRY. THE LARGEST COMPANY IN THE REGION, THE CALUMET & HECLA OPERATED ITS WORKS BETWEEN THE VILLAGES THAT BECAME CALUMET AND LAURIUM. THE MINES DREW A DIVERSE POPULATION, INCLUDING CORNISH AND SCOTS, FINNS AND SWEDES, AND FRENCH CANADIANS. EXPERIENCING PROPERITY IN 1900, THE VILLAGE BUILT A GRAND THEATER AND FRENCH CANADIANS BUILT ST. ANNE'S CHURCH.
BUILT IN 1900 UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE REV. J. R. BOISSONAULT, THE FRENCH-CANADIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS DEDICATED TO ST. ANNE. DESIGNES BY THE ARCHITECTURAL FIRM OF CHARLTON, GILBERT, AND DEMAR, THE STRUCTURE WAS BUILT OF RED SANDSTONE FROM THE JACOBSVILLE QUARRY IN THE GOTHIC STYLE WITH FRENCH GOTHIC ORNAMENT GENEROUSLY APPLIED.
TO SERVE THE TASTES OF THE FRENCH-CANADIAN PARISHIONERS, MANY OF CHURCH'S DETAILS ARE DERIVED FROM THE FLAMBOYANT OR RAYONNANT STYLE OF THE LATE GOTHIC PERIOD IN FRANCE. SACRED HEART CHURCH OF L'ANSE, MI. WAS ALSO DESIGNED BY THE CHARLTON FIRM.
THE SANDSTONE WAS CUT IN SQUARE AND RECTANGLE SHAPES, HAMMER DRESSED AND RAMDOMLY LAID. THE STONES OF THE PIERS, WATER TABLE AND WINDOW SURROUNDS ARE SMOOTHLY FINISHED AT THE EDGE AND HAMMER DRESSED TOWARD THE CENTER. THE STEPPED LANCET ARCHES OF THE PORTALS SHOW INDICATIONS OF HORIZONTAL TOOLING ON THE VERTICAL FACES OF THE ARCH.
DECONSECRATED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN 1966, THE CHURCH BRIERLY HOUSED A FLEE MARKET IN THE1980'S. BUT REMAINED VACANT OR UNDERUTILIZED FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES, AND OVER THAT TIME, THE STRUCTURE RECIEVED NO MAINTENANCE. ONLY IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAS THE KEWEENAW HERITAGE CENTER REVERSED THIS PATTERN OF NEGLECT THAT THREATENED ONE OF CALUMET'S MOST SIGNIFICANT AND DOMINANT STRUCTURES.











Monday, April 12, 2010

WK. 13; PHOTO ESSAY 'PEDESTAL ROCK'

A LITTLE PIECE OF LIMESTONE ON A SANDY BEACH ON LAKE SUPERIOR. THIS LITTLE STONE STARTED OUT SIMPLY LAYING ON THE SAND. IT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A FIFTY CENT PIECE. THE MONTH WAS FEBRUARY. THE STORY IS...THE STONE LAYING ON FROZEN SAND ON A WIND SWEPT BEACH...ON SUNNY DAYS, THE SUN EXPOSED SAND THAWED AND THE WIND SWEPT IT AWAY...AS LAYER AFTER LAYER OF THAWED SAND BLEW AWAY, ONLY THE SAND LEFT IN THE SHADOW OF THE STONE REMAINED SOLID. WITH THE SUN LOW IN THE SOUTHERN SKY, THE PEDESTAL GREW THINNER AND THINNER AS IT SEEMED TO GROW HIGHER AND HIGHER, BUT STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE STONE'S WEIGHT. ULTIMATELY, WIND AND SUN WON OUT...THIS STONE BECAME JUST ANOTHER LAYING ON THE BEACH. WHO KNOWS, MAYBE THIS PHENOMENON REPEATED ITSELF. 'EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY DON'T IT.'





Tuesday, April 6, 2010

WK. 12; PHOTO ESSAY, QUINCY DREDGE #2

IN THE HAYDAY OF COPPER MINING IN THE KEWEENAW, COPPER WAS MINED FROM ROCKS WITH THE USE OF STAMPING MILLS. THE STAMP MILLS WOULD CRUSH THE BRITTLE ROCK LEAVING THE COPPER BEHIND. THE STAMP SAND TAILINGS WERE JUST DUMPED IN THE LAKE. AS STAMPING TECHNOLOGIES IMPROVED, THESE TAILINGS COULD BE FURTHER STAMPED TO YIELD MORE COPPER. THUS THE NEED FOR THE DREDGE.
IN 1913, THE CALUMET AND HECLA MINING CO. BUILT THE C&H DREDGE #1. THIS WAS LATER SOLD TO THE QUINCY MINING CO. IN 1951, AND BECAME KNOWN AS THE QUINCY DREDGE #2. QUINCY DREDGE #1 SANK IN A STORM. DREDGE #2 WAS USED UNTIL 1967.