BOGTROTTER - 12/6/2012 19:57
Traveling Man, while this is not directly related to your quest in Feb., it might be of interest anyway. Michigans Finnish residents are hosting Finnfest 2013 in the Houghton-Hancock area, June 19 to 23rd., 2013. Web site is
Http://finnfestusa.org/
Hancock is the home of Findlandia University
(formerly Soumi College
), abandoned deep shaft cooper mines such as the Quincy Mines #2 shaft that extended 9260 ft. along an incline that follows the copper vein, actual depth is 6200 ft. vertical from the surface. The engine house and hoist shaft house are on the National Register of historic places. The hoist engine was the largest steam hoisting engine ever built and sets on the largest reinforced concrete engine foundation reputely ever poured at 32000 cubic yards. I believe that I read that there is about 7500 miles of mine shaft below the villages and cities around Hancock. the value of copper removed from this area of the Keweenaw Penisula was greater than all the gold mined in California.
Hancock is a small city of 4200 people with 32% claiming Finnish ancestry, many of the street signs are in English and Finnish. A midwinter festival, "Heikinaiva" will be celebrated Jan. 26th, 2013 in Hancock.