By M. Christine Byron, Grand Rapids Main Library

Local author Nancy Sanderson has created a wonderful treasure with her book, Copper Country Postcards: A View of the Past from the Keweenaw Peninsula. The book features almost 300 postcards from Sanderson’s extensive personal collection. The book gives a glimpse of Copper Country in the first half of the twentieth century. A foreword by Peter Van Pelt gives a brief introduction to the region.

By the turn of the 20th century mines and mining towns were well established in Copper Country and many immigrants had settled in the area. The popularity of postcards boomed and captured many views of places, people and events. Many postcards were mailed to family and friends and others were kept in albums as mementos. Real photo postcards documented significant events of the era. Sanderson has included a brief history of the postcard and a helpful list of postcard publishers that printed views of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

The first three chapters document the mining industry of Copper Country. Views include mines, shafts, smelters and mills, and machinery and operating equipment. The group portraits of miners show what a hardy breed they must have been to perform such hard labor. Scenes of the underground mine shafts are especially haunting in light of this year’s West Virginia mining disasters.

The chapter on the strike of 1913 features some of the rarest postcards in the book. Sanderson has collected views of the Michigan National Guard troops and their camps. The messages on the back of some of these cards give a social history of the time. There are views of protests and parades and a wonderful portrait of Annie Clemenc, the heroine of the strike. On a sadder note there are also scenes of funeral processions for the victims of the 1913 Italian Hall tragedy.

In the chapter on shipping Sanderson gives us wonderful postcard views of ships, freighters, and other boats. Dock scenes show workers loading copper ingots. Lighthouse views of the Canal Light House and the Portage River Light are included as well as a rare view of the U.S. Life Saving Station on the Portage Canal.

The second two-thirds of the book is devoted to towns and villages in the area. Chapters include Calumet and Laurium, Hancock and Houghton, Lake Linden and Hubbell and other towns. The breadth of Sanderson’s collection is shown in views of churches, schools, libraries, fire halls, banks, railroad stations hotels and more.

There are wonderful street scenes that capture the flavor of the town and parades that capture the spirit of the people. The postcard showing the Gay Baseball team of 1907 is a real gem. Scenic views of the Brockway Mountain Drive and Fort Wilkins State Park show the appeal the peninsula had to tourists.

The final chapter of the book features miscellaneous cards with such diverse views as snow scenes, the Freda Park Copper Range Railroad and the famous Cornish pasty. Advertising postcards feature some of the local organizations and businesses. A worthwhile bibliography and recommended reading list close out the book.

Sanderson grew up in Copper Country and has been a life member of the Keewenaw County Historical Society since the early 1980s. She has been active in the preservation of the area and in 2002 was awarded the Lauri W. Leskinen Memorial Award by the historical society for her role in developing a Commercial Fishing Museum located at the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse Museum.

Copper Country Postcards is a wonderful collection to be appreciated by postcard collectors or anyone interested in Upper Peninsula history. The full-size, full-color views are accurate reproductions of Sanderson’s original postcards. The captions that the author has written for the cards give relevant background information to the views. Sanderson’s generosity and commitment to the area is evident in the fact that the proceeds from the sale of the book will help fund preservation projects of the Keweenaw County Historical Society