The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-08-04
Letter From Lake Superior,
nooaHroN, MICH, LAKE Supv,,on
July 10. 1861

~NRVA4VIS
hIoN' MICH. LAKE SupRaIop
To u, ,,.. July IL, 1865.
. me Editor Of the Pioneer:
LUG writer embarked on the schooner p;.u.
pou'' az superior, July 18th, for PORTAGE I,sts
WIN cargo of lumber containing ahout ~
Injured and fifty thousand feet had a pleas.
aus voyage with light wind, and reached Port.
80 Hver on the 18th; sailed up the river and
ueo point about 40 miles from PORTAGE
tSa ae' "nere the buoys were removed from
Ne1t proper places, and the vessel grounded.
M;n;' uay steamer brought her to the Huron
.ns DOCK, opposite the town of H,ncoct
no. tse ,,ver has been greatly improved dur.
a,eo.a ns past few years-a breakwater pier
I.r~ost r. auu Inc CHANNEL dredged, so that the
sess popeners run up to Houghton and
an.A situated opposite each other on Port.
age Lake. Inc side-wheel steamer Planet of
chicago, with excursionists and a hand 81 ~
SIC, arrived July 10th and cleared for unno,
Lake Superior ports. The sp,endid movable.
lronsides, of Cleveland, with an oxon. r -a~
ty' arrived July 10th and cleared for the unner
ports and Fort William on north shore Jnlv
l7th. The propeller Meteor, of Cleve,.nd
cleared with cargo Of Ingot copper, etc. Julv
18th. The steamers Planet and Nor.h...,
Light returned from upper ports and cleared
with copper, etc., for Cleveland and Detroit
The propeller Backus, of Chicago, cleared for
Ontonagon, and the steamer Traveller, of De.
troit, is due this afternoon for Superior.
The towns of Houghton and Hancock are
the most important points as regards business
on Lake Superior. The largest hotel is OF
Houghton and is well filed with pleasure seek.
ers. Among the guests are Mr.. Winslow, of
st. Paul, who. is the contractor for the new
canal at the head of Portage Lake. This canal
will be nearly two miles long, and will save
the steamboats, over one hundred and fifty
miles travel each round trip, when COM
pleted. Their land grant is two hundred
thousand acres. The canal tolls will be very
large item in the Company's favor, to say
nothing of the copper lands.
The Isle Royale, Huron and other mines are
working on the Houghton side, and the cele.
brated Quincy, Pewabec, Franklin, Albany and
Boston, and other copper mines, are working
on the Hancock side. These mines are on
bluff or mountain rising from Portage Lake to
the height of about five hundred feet above the
water. The stamp works are on the dock on
Portage Lake. We jumped into an empty car
on the Pewabec Ironway Cor railroad from the
mine to their stamp works. and the loaded car
with mineral being sent down the steap plane,
the writer found himself in less than two min.
utes on the top of the bluff. via cars drawn by
q single horse on railroad to the mine. A large
population reside around the aforesaid mines,
streets laid out. etc., roads academized. Some
attention is paid to gardening and corn, peas,
ETC., will shortly be ripe. There are several
steam sawmills at Hancock, copper smelling
works, and the splendid stamping mills of the
Quincy, Pewabec and Franklin mines. The
average cost of the stamping mills are one
hundred thousand dollars each. A small steam.
er constantly runs between Houghton and
Hancock-fare five cents-distance over one
quarter of mile The bluff rises back of
Houghton to nearly five hundred feet in
heighth. The streets are opened up and along
its sides-(rather tedious going up to ones
house,.
The National Bank building will be com.
pleted in few days-the company is organic.
ed and doing business. There are numerous
wholesale and retail stores; also, saloons, etc.
At both towns are Catholic, Episcopal Bap.
fist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches.
There are two small steamers connecting Por-
tage Lake with Marquette, and travellers reach
ton via railroad from Murquette-fare $13,
distance over 1890 miles. There are travel
lers on every steamer en- route for st. Paul
via Burbanks Superior stage. j. L. r.