SOUTH RANGE

Region: Keweenaw Peninsula

Copper Range Railroad "The Chippewa" at South Range in 1946. Kevin Musser Collection.

Platted by a mining company in 1902, South Range was named for its location on the South Range just southwest of Houghton. The town became the business center for smaller clusters of miner's homes on the South Range. A popular resale shop which closed in late 2007, Etc., Etc., occupied the prominent corner storefront in the handsome brick Kaleva Building. It was erected circa 1910 by a Finnish fraternal group. and named for the Finnish national epic. Its women's club remains active today.

In 1913 the range's Copper Range Company was one of the three biggest employers, second only to Calumet and Hecla. The information-rich Copper Range web site www.copperrange.org has photos and history from many contributors, some but far from all centered on the Copper Range mines and railroad which ran from the mines of the South Range to Calumet. Bookmark this one if you like Copper Country history!

South Range is the center of year-round polka dancing that involves some of the very best musicians in Copper Country, in the opinion of former area resident Bernie Larsen. He had been familiar with virtually all area musicians through his ExUrban club and Spinout Records.

Each Sunday there's polka dancing with a live band at the Eagles hall in the onetime co-operative store building on Baltic at M-26. It's from 6 to 10 in summer, and in winter from 5 to 9. Call (906) 482-7670 for details. Lately the third Sunday of the month features country music.

Once a year in August or September, polka fans from all over Michigan come to the big Polka Fest at the beautiful old South Range Community Hall downtown on Trimountain Avenue/M-26. The interior, recently restored to its original glory, really comes to life, with three accordion-driven bands in turn on the stage and dancing couples spinning over the maple floor. Dance fans consider it one of the best floors in all the Upper Peninsula; it was designed for dancing, and it gives a bit. Dancing starts in the afternoon and goes on through the evening. There are always some dance fans from Michigan Tech's international community, in addition to the usual polka aficionados of Slovenian, Croatian, Polish, and German descent. Brian Juntikka, host of a syndicated radio polka show and former owner of the onetime Brian's Polka Dot tavern in South Range, comes back from Florida for the event. The community hall can be rented for events; call the village office weekday mornings at (906) 482-8833.

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PLACES AROUND SOUTH RANGE TO

Eat Sleep Camp