Copper Harbor Settlement

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Title: Copper Harbor Settlement
Photographer: H. T. Reeder
Subject Headings: Buildings - Dwellings - Housing, Single Family, Human Settlements - Cities and Towns,
Condition: Fair
Description: Old Settlers - Copper Harbor - Mill [Early growth of Copper Harbor]
Source of Description: Reeder Negative Database [cataloger]
Institution: Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections
Donor: Harry Reeder
Date of Photo: undated
Medium: still image
Color: black and white
Size: 9.3 cm x 12 cm
Polarity: Negative
Image No: MS042-029-999-C-172G
Collection Name: Reeder Photograph Collection
Terms of Use: Rights to reproduce and distribute this image may be restricted. Contact the Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections for further information.
User Comments:
• My impression is that this is not a photograph of Copper Harbor. This impression is based on the following factors:1) The gap in the ridgelines in the background of the photograh are wrong. When one thinks of Copper Harbor, the east end of the West Bluff (i.e., Brockway's Nose") defines the the western perimeter of the town---then there is a several mile long gap before the ridgeline (i.e., East Bluff) (re)starts. This long "gap" is not present in the photograph.2) When one views a panorama of Copper Harbor from Lake Superior, several ridgelines are evident. The first one, discussed above, is the West Bluff-East Bluff ridgeline, with the town and Lake Fanny Hooe located between them. The second ridgeline is, literally, the next ridgeline "back"----it is the ridgeline "back of" the south shore of Lake Fanny Hooe; an extension of this same ridgeline is the ground on which the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge was constructed. Suffice it to say, none of these physical features are present in this photograph.3) On the right side of the photograph a poor rock pile appears to be present, cascading down the side of the ridgeline. There is no such poor rock pile present along the north face of West Bluff.4) The foreground of the photograph evidences a stream, a bridge crossing the stream and the remnants of what appears to be some type of a pond. There is no similar physical water feature present in the Village of Copper Harbor. Rather, the nearest streams to the Copper Harbor are---Fanny Hooe Creek, which is located a mile to the east of the Village---and the intermittent "High Bridge" stream, which is located about a mile to the west of town. I cannot help but wonder if this isn't a photograph of the Minesota mine &/or Rockland area---Copper Harbor it is not. - Paul LaVanway"
3/16/2009 9:58:53 AM by Anonymous
• This is a photo of Central, not Copper Harbor. You can tell by the school up on the hill.
6/6/2010 4:02:57 PM by Anonymous
• Paul LaVanway had discussion with some members of the Keweenaw County Historical Society about this photograph, which they were indicating is of the Central Mine in Keweenaw County. On closer examination of the high-resolution scan, one can clearly discern what appears to be the Central Mine School on the hillside just left of center.The Archives doesn't generally change titles; it is part of historic inquiry to weigh varying pieces of information in search of informed opinion. But it is hoped that inclusion of this note will help people identify this photo as being of the town of Central, Central Mine, and the Central Mining Company.
8/13/2010 11:57:31 AM by Erik Nordberg, MTU Archivist