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Articles by Beth Gruber
Marquette’s iron lungs
MARQUETTE -- The last polio patient in the United States who used an iron lung, Martha Lillard, died in late June 2026 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. With her passing, a significant era of medical care came to an end. In the early 20th century, poliomyelitis, or polio, struck fear in parents around the world. Poliomyelitis is an infectious viral disease that affects the central nervous system.
The Barnes-Hecker Mine before the disaster
The name of the Barnes-Hecker Mine casts a large shadow across the history of Marquette County. With the centennial quickly approaching, many community members have heard the sad story of the deadliest mine disaster in Marquette County history when fifty-one miners died during a cave-in on November 3, 1926. But how many have heard about the history of the Barnes-Hecker before the disaster? The Barnes Land Company owned the land which later became the Barnes-Hecker Mine.
Houses on the Move
MARQUETTE -- Marquette City Hospital was organized in July 1896 by Drs. Northrop, Foster, Youngquist, Harkin, and H. J. Hornbogen. Its subsequent history was one of nearly constant expansion. The first building was a converted home at 152 E. Prospect St. Quickly a larger home at 219 N. Front St. at the site of the current Peter White Public Library was acquired. Within a year the hospital had outgrown its first two buildings and in June 1897, it moved its first purpose-built building at 123 W.
Marquette photographer B.F. Childs recalled
MARQUETTE -- Brainard Childs was born Oct. 17, 1842, in Windham County, Vermont. Supposedly his name was a misspelling of Bernard, and his middle name was alternately listed as Freeman and Freemont. He ended up going by his initials, "B.F." His early years were spent in Windham County and according to the 1860 Windham County census he was listed as an artist. Shortly after June 1861, B.F. enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in the 2nd Vermont Infantry in the regimental band.
Lighting the Lake: The 160th Anniversary of the Marquette Lighthouse
MARQUETTE -- The current Marquette lighthouse is 160 years old this summer. The building stands on a rock bluff 40 feet above Lake Superior and is one of the most photographed sites in the area. But there is a significant amount of misinformation about the lighthouse that has been spread over the years. Congress provided $5,000 for the first Marquette lighthouse on Sept. 28, 1850, and all but $25 of this sum was spent on its construction. It was built on the point just north of the harbor in 1853.
Whetstone Smith: A Marquette namesake
MARQUETTE -- Silas C. “Whetstone” Smith was born in 1811 in Vermont. He married Ursula Rouse in October 1842, and the couple went on to welcome two sons, William John and Charles Silas. In 1847 Silas left his home in Ohio to come to the Great Lakes region for his health. He later recounted "In the month of July 1848, I landed on the present site of the now prosperous city of Marquette. At that time the only building here was a little log house.
Early iron making on the Marquette Iron Range (Part I)
By BETH GRUBER Marquette Regional History Center Special to the Journal MARQUETTE — The ores mined on the Marquette Iron Range are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be extracted. During the initial phases of mining, they focused on ores rich in iron oxides including magnetite (Fe3O4, 72.4% Fe) and hematite (Fe2O3, 69.9% Fe). After mining, the ore was smelted using heat and a chemical-reducing agent to decompose the ore, driving off other elements and leaving usable iron behind.
Harold L. Kellan: playing Marquette’s soundtrack
By BETH GRUBER Marquette Regional History Center MARQUETTE — Dick Clark once said, “Music is the soundtrack of our lives.” Harold L. Kellan’s music provided the soundtrack for generations of Marquette residents. Harold was born July 25, 1906 in Laurium, the second youngest of William and Edith (Hocking) Kellan’s seven children.
Calling all Sisu Stories
Last week we discussed "Sisu Stories," a series of digitization events planned by the Marquette Regional History Center and supported by a Common Heritage Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Calling all Sisu Stories
MARQUETTE - The Marquette Regional History Center is pleased to have been awarded a Common Heritage grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, one of 38 such grants in the country. The goal of this grant is to make people aware that the photos, records and artifacts they have hidden in attics and basements should be preserved for future generations to enjoy. The grant provides the opportunity for individuals to bring in these items and have them scanned and digitized free of charge.
Early horseless carriages in Marquette
MARQUETTE - The first "horseless carriage" arrived in Marquette in September 1899. The Winton motor carriage had been driven from Cleveland by H.S. Pickands and H.B. Tuttle. Initially intended to take only six days, the trip took 15 days due to bad roads and mechanical problems including multiple flat tires. According to an account, "It came up Front street at a rapid rate of speed and as it passed by, scores of people ran to the sidewalk to get their first glimpse of a horseless carriage.
Tornadoes: Believe it or not
MARQUETTE - Recently a tornado hit western Marquette County on May 24. The tornado was rated as EF1 and had estimated peak winds of 90 mph. It touched down initially to the west-northwest of Republic before lifting as it crossed M-95. The tornado touched down again southwest of Greenwood Reservoir and traveled east to Marquette County Road 581 before dissipating, all told the combined path on the ground was about 11 miles long.
Angel of life or angel of death?
MARQUETTE - Madame Amelia Wilhelmina (Rider) Zenker, called Mina or Minnie, arrived in Marquette around 1880. She and her husband Frederick August had eight children which made Madame Zenker well suited to her profession of midwifery, beginning her practice circa 1864. She was certified and practiced in Philadelphia and Cleveland before moving to Marquette and running her practice out of her home at 340 W. Washington St. The trouble started on 6 July 1885 when Maggie Ryan, pregnant wife of Dep.
Portrait of early photography
MARQUETTE - In a world where you can take a selfie and post it to Facebook or Instagram in mere seconds we don't often stop to think about the history of photographic images and how hard people worked to record the world around them. The earliest written record of a camera dates to the fifth century BCE when a Chinese philosopher, Mozi recorded using light rays passing through a pinhole into a darkened room to create an inverted image.
Communist spies in the Upper Peninsula
MARQUETTE - As discussed in last week's article there were active socialist and communist groups within the Finnish immigrant community in the Upper Peninsula. Most of the participants were interested in survival and social mobility and not threatening democracy, although political ideologies were discussed regularly and there were pockets of radicalism. Out of this environment came three U.P.-born Soviet spies including a married couple.
Socialism and Communism in the Upper Peninsula
MARQUETTE - On Sept. 1-2, 1912, Sunday and Monday of Labor Day weekend, Liberty Hall, a Finnish socialist organization in Marquette opened with great fanfare. Located on Washington Street between Fourth and Fifth streets, it was founded by 120 stockholders who invested nearly $14,000 to purchase and renovate the building. In addition to the lodge room, the building contained a kitchen, dining hall and stage which was considered to be second only to the Marquette Opera House.
Caroling, caroling: The Burt Christmas carols
By this time of the holiday season it feels like we've been listening to Christmas carols for two months or maybe even longer. But how often do we think about the origins of those carols? We might know the mythical tale of Silent Night being written in 1818 for guitar because the organ didn't work. Or know that the music to "What Child is This?" was originally an English folk song Greensleeves.
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