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Italian Hall granite monument to be dedicated Monday

Daily Mining Gazette/Graham Jaehnig The Italian Hall Disaster monument, which lists the names of all 73 victims who lost their lives during a Christmas party when someone falsely yelled fire, will be dedicated on Christmas Eve at Noon.

CALUMET — Exactly 105 years after what has become known as the Italian Hall Disaster, there will be a dedication of a monument recently erected that bears the names of the 73 people killed in the tragedy.

Mike Lahti, chairman of the committee that created and installed the monument, said the dedication will take place on Monday, Christmas Eve.

“The dedication is at Noon on Monday,” Lahti said, “and before that time, the CLK Rotary Club, traditionally on Christmas Eve, places a wreathe and puts illuminaries around. They’re going to do that around 11 a.m. and then we’ll do ours at 12.”

Lahti said he will introduce the committee members, and they will thank the village of Calumet for their cooperation and assistance with the project.

“It’s on their land, the site of the Italian Hall,” he said.

The Keweenaw National Historic Park also assisted with the project, Lahti said.

“There is a lot on each side that’s owned by the National Historic Park,” he said. “They helped as well, with ideas for the layout and things like that.”

The committee will also thank those who gave money for the project, and the performers who performed at the Calumet Theatre for no fee, he said.

The cost of the entire project was approximately $18,000, said Lahti. Some estimates stated the final projected cost to be between $20-25,000.

“But it’s granite, and that’s the size we wanted,” said Lahti, “and we got a got a good price, I think, from the vendors who took care of the concrete work, and they were very helpful. I think they gave us a good deal.”

The granite came from India. The first stone that was shipped over was not accepted by Champion Monument, said Lahti, because it had discoloration that they could not do anything about, so they didn’t accept it, and another one was sent.”

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