Calumet's North End
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| North End Framing's Paul Grathoff does brilliant work in his beautiful shop. |
Casual visitors might miss the elaborate storefront architecture and interesting shops near Pine at the north end of Fifth and Sixth streets, traditionally home to many saloons. Don't miss the beautiful cornice at 432 Fifth, now painted in purple, teal, and gold Look up to see evocative architectural details circa 1900.
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| Stephanie Ryalls and and her partner Tom McKeever sell rare books, among other pursuits. |
Here are some of the noteworthy businesses.
NORTH END FRAMING. Paul Grathoff does sophisticated custom framing (he's the choice of many artists) and carries a few retail gift items, too. He's getting out of limited-edition prints in favor of selling framed copies of old maps and photographs about the area. He has given his building a historically appropriate facelift. Paul is a Calumet native and the third generation of his family to have a business on Fifth Street, so he has an intimate view of the changing local scene. His grandfather, whom he didn't know, was a barber, his mother a beautician. 414 Fifth between Elm and Pine. (906) 337-0054. Open Mon-Fri 9:30-5, Saturday by appointment. Wheelchair access: one step.
ARTIS BOOKS. Stephanie Ryalls and Tom McKeever have an eye for rehabbing old buildigs and providing the little display touches like framed graphics that turn a bookstore into a most inviting environment for lingering and browsing. Here, as in their former Alpena bookstore, they have added a coffee bar. They are now roasting their own beans, mostly organic fair-trade.
Seating in the light-filled back room invites customers to relax and read or play checkers. Their stock is mostly used and rare books, with some new books purchased as publishers' overstocks. What you see is only part of their constantly changing inventory. A good deal of their business is on the internet. Books of accessible poetry by Calumet transplant bard T. Kilgore Splake (not his real name) are always here. 429 Fifth between Elm and Pine. (906) 337-1534. Tues-Sat 10-4:30. Handicap access: three steps.
J. THIEL AND ASSOCIATES. The peripatetic gemologist Jeff Thiel opens his intriguing shop when he's around, and he tries to be around regularly in summer. Increasingly he is focusing on fine jewelry (antique, reproduction, and contemporary), gold, and gemstones. Minerals and the possibilities for buying and preserving historic architecture are what brought Jeff to Copper Country from Ann Arbor. His shop, one of the area's most memorable, also has popular culture collectibles (antique metal toys, books) and old things from Copper Country, plus a changing parade of new artifacts like the dog-headed Buddha in meditation pose from a few years ago, or cameos, Russian portraits painted with a single hair, or opal and jade carvings. They're all displayed with an artful eye in the legendary Pichiotino's Cabin Inn saloon. 436 Sixth Street near Pine. (906) 337-1780. By chance or by appointment, often open in summer. Handicap access: many stairs.
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POINTS OF INTEREST
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Next to the Calumet Theatre, this landmark saloon is a friendly and ungentrified local gathering spot that welcomes visitors from down below. Originally it was an Italian saloon, Curto's. Shute's (pronounced SHOOT-eez) is the Croatian surname of Bernie Shute, still an occasional customer, and his father, who ran it for 76 years between them. (The name in Croatian was actually Sutj.) Shute's still has the magnificent original back bar, booths, and all the trappings of boom-town saloons.
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| Crowbert |
The bar itself has a splendid stained-glass canopy with vines. Elaborate plaster caryatids frame the raised dance floor. The owner's restoration has won high praise. The long scenic mural of Calumet in the mining days is a 21st-century creation. 322 Sixth, next to the Calumet Theatre. (906) 337-1998. Open daily, noon to closing (2 a.m. or whenever no one's there). Wheelchair access: two steps.
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Swedetown Ski Trails. One of the most splendid cross-country ski spots in the Midwest has a beautiful setting with a variety of trails ... more
Vertin Gallery. An exceptionally pleasant gallery on the main floor of an old department store features juried works of 130 regional artists ... more
Copper World. One of the U.P.'s most successful gift/visitor/accessories shop has many items of copper and much more Keweenaw-themed things ... more
Coppertown Mining Museum and Gift Shop. Mining aficionados, woodworkers, and those interested in machines, foundries, and labor and Copper Country history won't want to miss this seasonal museum. ... more
Albion Station Glassworks. In an old streetcar station, a glassblower melts recycled bottles to make and sell vases, plates, bowls & carafes ... more
Calumet Theatre and Village Hall. One of the Kewenaw's glories, the elaborate 1899 opera house looks much as it did when touring stars played here in mining days. Authentically restored paintings and ornament. A memorable venue for concerts, films, plays. Tours available. ... more
Ed Gray Gallery. One of the U.P.'s top galleries shows the works of 70 artists ... more
Norwegian Lutheran Church. Norwegian Lutheran Church resembling Old Country architecture, once a wreck, being painstakingly restored. ... more
Calumet's North End. Cheap, often ornate historic storefronts have attracted several original shops: a bookshop/coffee bar, art gallery, dazzling antiques/gems/jewelry store, and the area's best frame shop. ... more
Site of the 1913 Italian Hall Disaster. 73 people, mostly children, died in the stampede that followed when someome yelled "Fire!" in the Italian social hall. It was the 1913 copper strike's defining event, memorialized in song by Woody Guthrie and others, and in story, photos, vivid websites, and a film. ... more
St. Paul the Apostle Church. A magnificentl Catholic church built by Slovenians between 1903 and 1908. Seasonal afternoon tours show off the splendid stained glass, paintings, and altar. ... more
C&H Library/future Keweenaw History Center. Built by the wealthy Calumet & Hecla copper company as a community library, this unusual stone-faced building contains office and work areas of the Keweenaw National Historic Park. Some day it will house the Keweenaw History Center. ... more
Keweenaw Convention and Visitors Bureau. Free tourism and history handouts and knowledgeable advice. Booklet and website include all Keweenaw parks and natural areas. A highly recommended stop for anyone spending time in the area. ... more
Hunt's Map Guide to the Upper Peninsula
13 detailed U.P. maps
Full color, on sturdy, water-resistant paper
Folds out to 12x38
Only $6.95
To learn more & buy online, click here
