Publications from the KCHS

Books and DVDs for Sale
The Keweenaw County Historical Society has published several books and educational DVDs. You may purchase these items at the KCHS Gift Shop at the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse complex OR complete and mail us the form linked to this website found with the mailing address at the end of the publications listed for sale.  Please note that the prices include the cost of shipping and Michigan state sales tax.

 Keweenaw Kitchen Klips -Local Recipe Book- $18.00
Here’s a cookbook full of tasty Copper Country recipes from our members that you won’t want to miss! The late Gloria Jackson assembled more than two hundred food favorites while a KCHS trustee, and she donated all proceeds to the Society.

The Old House- $13.00
The book is about one old house, one family, and the memories of the house and area over 25 plus years as they enjoyed their summer days in the old house.  The house was built in the 1850’s in a ghost town of Central Mine that is now being restored by the Keweenaw County Historical Society.  The story starts in the late 1960’s telling how they obtained the house and the condition of the house at that time.  They had encounters with bears, no electricity, no running water and an outhouse.  Such fun times.

Keweenaw Stories Retold by Bessie Phillips- $18.00
Bessie Phillips was a lifetime Eagle River resident, hotel proprietor and local historian. Elizabeth “Bessie” Phillips was born at Central Mine and moved as a young girl with her family to Eagle River to operate The Eagle Hotel. She was a correspondent for The Daily Mining Gazette from 1932-1967. Highlighting her significant contributions to the preservation of Keweenaw history, this book contains reprints of articles written by Phillips and published in The Daily Mining Gazette about the Keweenaw. Edited by historical society member Marcia Heringa Mason.

The Little Pilot House- $13.00
During the summer of 2018, the KCHS dedicated one of its largest displays, the restored pilot house of the S.S. Tioga. The Tioga wrecked off Eagle River on November 26, 1919, but the small pilot house survived and was saved when it floated ashore.  For many years it served as a playground, hideout, and eventually a local art gallery. Edited by Marcia Mason and written by Vivian and Todd Taskila with drawings  and paintings provided by Vivian Taskila, this book talks about the role the small pilot house played in the life of Eagle River and the work the KCHS has done in restoring it and placing it on display for all to see.

A Brief Legal History Of Keweenaw County And Its Townships- $10.00
This new book written by KCHS President Larry Molloy is based on research for his recent Adventures in History presentation about the history of Keweenaw County townships. Using maps and citations, it follows the many changes in ownership of the Keweenaw from before statehood through the creation of Keweenaw County and afterward. It details how townships were formed, removed, and sometimes reformed as the county grew and changed.

Copper Country Postcards- $32.00
Another book that we have published is Copper Country Post Cards – A View of the Past From The Keweenaw Peninsula. The author is Nancy Sanderson, a Life member of the Society since the early 1980s. The scenes captured in the nearly 300 postcards, many in color, from Nancy’s personal collection, give a glimpse of what life was like in the Copper Country in the first half of the twentieth century. The book is hardbound and has a beautiful dust jacket. This is a must have for anyone interested in the history of the Copper Country and a great gift for people with ties to this area. The price is $32.

Miskwabik-Red Metal- $6.00
This booklet is a reprint of an article by John R. Halsey, the State Archaeologist of Michigan, originally published in Michigan History Magazine in 1983, and reprinted by kind permission of the author. It describes the extraction and working of native copper in this region, going back perhaps 5,000 years, and the transport and trading of this copper over a wide area of what is now the eastern U.S. This is carefully researched, highly readable, lavishly illustrated, and includes extensive footnotes.

10 Lights: The Lighthouses of the Keweenaw Peninsula- $4.00
For those interested in lighthouses, we published 10 Lights: The Lighthouses of the Keweenaw Peninsula. A small informative booklet with a brief history of each of the ten lighthouses of the peninsula, plus a brief historical essay on the development of lighthouses and their lenses over the centuries. It includes charming sketches of four of the local lighthouses, and a map showing the location of all ten.

Central Mine: Years of Hard Work, Lives of Pain and Hope- $13.00
This book focuses on the people who lived at Central Mine and how they made Central a successful copper mine. Central operated in the second half of the nineteenth century and was one of the most important copper mining sites in Keweenaw County. Although many of its buildings are now gone, some remain, and the KCHS acquired 38 acres there with the aim of preserving the social history of the copper mining era. This book has essays on the geology and mining of Central and the Central M.E. Church, stories of several families that bring that era to life, pictures of remaining buildings, 1870 census details, and more. Very few former mine sites have been kept alive as Central has been, and this fascinating book is eloquent testimony to that.

A Tour Of Central (DVD)- $19.00
Take a virtual walk from the Central Mine Visitor’s Center to the restored workers' homes, to the town’s iconic poor rock pile and the Memorial Garden. A Tour of Central is a seven-minute tender look at a long-ago time, with an engaging historical commentary written by Central summer resident and KCHS Trustee Eloise “Duffy” Liddicoat.

Eagle River Museum Story (DVD)- $19.00
Watch as the Cliff Mine and the towns of Clifton and Eagle River, each founded in the 1840s, become the forerunners of the hugely successful copper mining industry in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Follow the pioneer residents of Eagle River as they excitedly welcome the first ship that comes into the Lake Superior port after a long winter. Learn how Eagle River later reinvented itself as a summer haven after the mines and lake port closed. The ten-minute DVD includes commentary written by Philip and Marcia Mason, accompanied by historic photographs.

A Sesquicentennial History of Keweenaw County- $10.00
This is the 150-year history of Keweenaw County, Michigan from its founding in 1861 through its sesquicentennial year of 2011.  Based on a serialized history published during 2011 in The Superior Signal, it includes many historic photos and a full-color center-spread of the sesquicentennial celebration.  Here is the enduring story of the cradle of America's first metals boom when copper was king, how life and fortunes rose and fell with the mines, and how the people of Keweenaw have reinvented this most special place in its post-industrial era.  24 pages.

To Order
Print and fill out ORDER FORM
Mail with check to:
Keweenaw County Historical Society
670 Lighthouse Rd.
Mohawk, MI 49950.
Sorry, no credit cards by mail.

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