Pipe Organs of the Keweenaw Houghton County, Michigan Janet Anuta Dalquist Introduction Calumet church met with disaster The Keweenaw Peninsula, the north- when both the building and the organ ernmost part of Michigan’s Upper were destroyed by fire. The congrega- Peninsula, projects into Lake Superior tion joined with the Presbyterian con- and was the site of the first copper boom gregation that had in their building a in the United States. The land was 1905 Estey organ. Both the Estey, mined by prehistoric miners, starting in which was rebuilt in 1970, and the Gar- 3,000 B.C., and has produced over 1.5 ret House, which has been cleaned and billion pounds of pure copper. Its major reconditioned, are still in use. There is industries are now logging and tourism. a great irreplaceable investment in the The northern end, referred to locally as Keweenaw pipe organs! Copper Island, is separated from the Thurner writes that the German rest of the peninsula by the Keweenaw Lutherans in Laurium built a church Waterway, a natural river that was “early in the twentieth century [which dredged and expanded in the 1860s had] an altar with elaborate wood across the peninsula between the cities carving, three steeple bells, and an of Houghton on the south side and organ . ” ( Strangers and Sojourn- Hancock on the north. ers , 134). Armas Holmio describes The Keweenaw’s importance in min- the Finnish Lutheran Church that ing led to the founding of the Michigan was built in 1889 on Reservation College of Mines (now Michigan Tech- Street in Hancock: “In the balcony of nological University) in Houghton in the new church, which was the most 1885. From 1964–1971, the University imposing one owned by Finnish of Michigan cooperated with NASA and Americans of that time, there was a the U.S. Navy to run the Keweenaw large pipe organ . ” ( History of the Rocket launch site. Finns in Michigan, 2001, 188). That In the Keweenaw, many artifacts, organ, a Kilgen dating from 1915, was buildings, and locations have been doc- moved to the newly constructed Glo- umented and preserved for local histor- ria Dei building after the Lutheran ical museums and the Keweenaw Church mergers in 1964. National Historic Park. What have not The Houghton Methodists suffered been documented are the historic pipe several fires, the last one in 1916 organs in the area. It is the intent of this destroying a pipe organ, according to article to do that. Included are a brief Terry Reynolds’ history of the church description and history of each church (Grace of Houghton , 37). Until their new structure and a description, stoplist, and building was erected, the Methodists photos for each pipe organ featured. worshiped for a time with the First Pres- Information was gleaned from books byterians on Franklin Square, and then about the area, brochures and bulletins separately in the Masonic Temple. from the individual churches, clippings When the Methodists decided to pur- from Upper Peninsula newspapers, and chase an organ for their new church, the people—the local organists and pastors Presbyterians apparently took advantage and local historic preservationist, Ed of the opportunity. Both churches dealt Yarbrough. A bibliography is included with the same company during the same at the end of the catalog. period of time and ended up with simi- In 1995 the Pine Mountain Music lar instruments, the Methodists’ Maxcy- Festival (PMMF) for the first time Garret House, Heritage Center, Lake Linden Barton organ being somewhat larger. included a pipe organ recital and work- When the Presbyterian church was shop in their concert schedule. Two We hope this catalog will trigger inter- learned and remembered from the razed to allow for highway expansion major events happened at that time. est in the organs of the Keweenaw from words and tunes of their hymns. It was down Montezuma Hill, their Maxcy- First, the Keweenaw group formed the the local folk as well as travelers to this only in the last decades of the 20th cen- Barton was purchased by a local party Organists of the Keweenaw, and since unique place. To see the organs, visitors tury that some foreign-language hymnals and installed in the family home. then we have met three or four times a may contact the church offices to make ceased to be used and the hymns begun Sadly, the same did not happen for the year sharing in presenting programs for arrangements for a convenient visit. to be sung in English. During all that large Austin organ in the First Congrega- each other. The second event was an time the leader of that song was, and still tional Church of Hancock, which was organ crawl to visit the historic organs History is, the organ. razed about the same time. The music that David Short had “rediscovered” People have always had their songs. Reed pump organs were common in history of that church, which included thirty years earlier. Shortly after, I Prior to the boom of the music publish- both church and home. Thurner, in writ- among others the notable baritone Will began collecting material for a catalog ing industry in the early 1900s, people ing about the early 20th century, quotes Hall, was impressive. The organ had of the Keweenaw organs. matched their voices with whatever Clare Moyer who recalled a pump organ played a huge musical role in the church David Short has been a partner with instruments they had—homemade or in her home ( Strangers and Sojourners, and community, but unfortunately could me in the collection of this material. In store-bought. Angus Murdoch writes in 1994, 187). Most likely, church congre- find no local home, and was sold to a his early enthusiasm he became Boom Copper of the “Grand Cal- gations that could not afford pipe organs party outside of the area. acquainted with all the instruments list- lithumpian” parade in Calumet ( Boom bought reed pump organs instead. Some Another organ has lain in state for ed and registered some of them with the Copper, 1943, 199), where bands from of these instruments, now over 100 years over 30 years. When one local church Organ Historical Society. I am indebted all over the Copper Country gathered old, still survive. At least two are current- closed, no home could be found for the to him for providing access to the build- for the Fourth of July celebration. The ly used during summer services in local pipe organ. Pastor John Simonson dis- ings and the instruments and providing bands were from mining companies, chapels. Others, also in working order, mantled the instrument and made much of the history. I collected the lodges and guilds, various “locations,” can be seen in local museums. plans to install it in an enlarged garage stoplists, wrote the histories from the and represented various ethnic groups. Acquisition of pipe organs probably on his property. The project was not collected sources, did all the photogra- Larry Lankton quotes Bishop Baraga reflected the wealth of the congrega- completed, and the organ now awaits phy, and formatted the information. He being surprised at tion. Some instruments from the late resurrection, hopefully to be placed in read the draft and corrected technical 19th century cost little over $2000. The the St. Anne Heritage Center in errors. It is to him that I dedicate this “the fast spreading of civilization on the Boom Copper folks wanted for their Calumet, where it could be used for catalog. Errors are strictly my own. shores of Lake Superior . [where] there local churches what they had had “out concerts, weddings, and other events These magnificent music machines are was even a piano on which a young Amer- East”—the pipe organ. This was not and to echo the music of the ethnic ican woman played very skillfully . Many a valuable historic resource in the settlers undoubtedly brought musical uncommon for people in remote areas. people of the area. Keweenaw. They reflect the boom days instruments with them. Others special- During the “Gold Rush” in Canada’s The Keweenaw boasts pipe organs dat- of the copper mining era when people of ordered instruments at frontier stores. By Dawson City in the Yukon, a frame ing from 1870 to 1968. All are in working wealth who lived in the area sought the as early as 1849–50, John Senter’s store in Presbyterian Church, built to hold 650 order and in regular use, and several are best music for their churches and Eagle River did a modest trade in musical people, had a pipe organ, which had tracker organs. All of the Keweenaw arranged for the purchase of these instru- instruments, selling an accordion, a melo- been shipped to the church by steam- tracker organs now have electric blowers; ments. To replace any one of these pipe dion, bass violas and bows, a violin and boat up the Yukon River. The Congre- however, two of the trackers can still be organs at this time would cost a minimum bow, guitars and guitar strings. Flageolets, gational Church in Calumet bought a hand pumped. One has a detached and and a German flute, a tuning fork, and a of $200,000 and many times more for the violin and cello instruction book” ( Beyond Garret House organ in 1870 from the reversed keydesk. Several of the larger instruments. Their great value the Boundaries 1997, 168–169). manufacturer in Buffalo, New York. It Keweenaw organs are in their original requires regular maintenance and care was shipped—keydesk, 16 metal and state with no changes having been made. similar to any other major investment The ethnic folk brought with them wood pipes and all—to Lake Linden They were installed with electric blowers such as automobile or home.