My Grandpa

Back in 1920 or so, I'm not real sure, still need to investigate that. John had to travel around from town to town and work the Copper Mines, what he knew best. It wasn't uncommon, to find him riding the rails, the easiest way for getting from place to place. The Mohawk Mining company might have been one place he worked for. I'm still not up on this and need to figure what exactly what that company did,, it may have been the place where Milling happened, But John did go into the mines where the real action was.
On his time off work he Loved the Play house and had his share of "Community Plays"
Just a few miles east of Kersearge on the east shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the village of Gay.
From what I have read, The Mohawk Mining Company built its stamp mill here in 1898. Gay is located at the water's edge because water was needed for the flotation method of separating copper from ore and the large lake offered ideal dumping ground for the tons of residual stamp sand. By 1932 the stamp sand went out a mile past the original shore. Gay was named for Joseph E. Gay, one of the founders of the Mohawk and Wolverine Mining Companies. The 265'Gay smokestack still stands (as of 10 years ago) and serves as a landmark for boaters.

There are still some summer residents here and a few hardy souls who stay all winter. There are no stores or gas stations, so plan accordingly. this is wrong cuz I have been to the Gay Tavern and it has a gas station and store


Many of the mining towns of the once thriving Copper Country are all but deserted. All that remains are a few old mine shafts, piles of tailings, some deserted houses over 100 years old, and broken foundations and rubble.

Villages were built at the site of the mines and were known as Locations. Sometimes, as at the Cliff Mine Location, all you will see is a grassy clearing, apple trees, and maybe an old cemetery. Some of the locations are still small towns but you can pick out the old mining buildings by their foundations and the narrow siding on the houses. Other locations have a few people living in the area. A few of the old mining houses are used by summer residents.

One thing I remember most about my Grand Father John was as a young boy he picked up a blasting cap and blew off two of his fingers. He and my grandmother and Uncle Len all moved to Detroit soon after Len my moms younger brother Graduated High School, John and Len both took jobs at a nearby factory that I am not sure of but near their home on Wabash Rd, He never drove a car or ever owned one, he walked everywhere that he went, a tall lanky fit man he was indeed. I was around 12 years old when he died. RIP Grand Pa xoxo