After the Civil War era, we came to my favorite section of the museum - the history of mining in Michigan. My interest could be due to my grandmother being straight off the boat from Finland and lived in the upper peninsula growing up but I don't know for sure that they were involved in mining but it's probably a safe guess. Below are pictures (some full size for ease of reading if you click on them) and more commentary from the exhibit from the exhibit:
This is the entrance to the exhibit. I've seen some exhibits that look like they were made as part of a 4th grade art class. There didn't seem to be any paper mache here. 
This doesn't look impressive in a picture but it was the one aspect of the whole exhibit that I was most impressed with. It replicates the feeling of being down in a mine. In reality, this area is very dark and all you can see is the tiny light at the top. I can't imagine what it was like for the miners when they were to far underground to see any light.A tribute to all things Finnish and Yooper-related:
Mmmm...pasty. While it looks like this guy is eating it as is, I wonder if they had the great gravy vs ketchup debate back then as well. I hear that one can tell where in the state a person is from or how "authentic" they are by which one they choose to put on their pasty. I grew up with ketchup. I cringe at the thought of gravy on it.
I thought this tidbit of the ethnic mix was interesting. I've known relatives that graduated from that college but I've never been in a sauna. If you've ever seen the movie Eastern Promises (and you should especially if you have a deep love of Viggo Mortenson like I do), I think I may pass on that, especially any public ones. Kind of the same as my fear of the gym locker room showers: barefeet...tile floors of unknown cleanliness...naked people around me...*shudder* The last little bit of Finnish sauna info:
They walked outside nekid?!? I have trouble going from the bathroom to the hallway closet when I've forgotten a towel. The last bit of mining info that was interesting but morbid, this list of people who died in the mine and the cause:
After this, we passed through the lumber industry and the 1920's and the Depression and then into the 1950's where I spotted my ideal refrigerator and stove:
Love the pink and green combo. I think I may redo my kitchen again now.
2 comments:
In my neck of the woods, pasties refer to the stickers that strippers put over their nipples. I have a feeling either gravy or ketchup would go fine in that situation, perhaps even the classic chocolate. ;)
Thanks for taking me back to that museum--I remember going there and I was the only one interested in the mining exhibits... That's square set timber in the "faux mine." I don't know much about UP mining history, in many areas there were way more "slow deaths" from the mines than accidents, as the technology tended to move faster than safety. The advent of air drills created a lot of dust and in certain types of rock caused lung damage.
Ed, chocolate sounds best. Gravy or ketchup is too messy
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