Every payday here at the old Gazette my blood pressure rises just a little bit, though not for the reasons one might suspect.
Renumeration aside, my direct deposit slip has an erroneous address, that of Sheldon Avenue in Houghton.
There's no such place, of course, any more than there are local landmarks known as Dea Stadium or Michigan Technical University.
It's Shelden Avenue, with an 'E,' and while I've managed to get my point across to some locals who begrudgingly listen, the Publishing Powers that Be in Wheeling, W.Va. seem to care little about history here in Houghton.
Soapbox aside, there's a man behind the name behind the street. Some 150 years ago, Ransom Shelden platted the village of Houghton, and was, as author Larry Lankton notes in "Beyond the Boundaries: Life and Landscape in the Lake Superior Copper Mines 1840-1875," an important pioneer who formed a merchant class on the mining frontier and brought some of the earliest stores to Houghton.
Other sources list Shelden as the first postmaster, one of the village of Houghton's first trustees, and the owner of sawmills and an extensive estate in the area.
Yet the Sheldon/Shelden confusion exists a sesquicentennial later, with some downtown businesses still perpetuating, perhaps unknowingly, the Sheldon Ave. myth.
All of this is quite sad, because there should be some pride associated in having the main corridor of the city of Houghton honoring a real person who had a very real hand in its founding. For every town, city or village across America that has an Elm, First or Main Street as its main drag, Houghton can count itself as more discerning, more special, a town that honors its forefathers. "Heritage tourism" may have become a cliched buzzword in small towns across America, but here in the Copper Country it is real, in most cases unforced, and we should all take pride in that, right down to the last street sign.
Ranting aside, some kudos are due to the Quincy Mine Hoist Association which has just wrapped up its Anniversary Events Series. Seven well-attended events held this summer and fall taught locals and visitors alike more about the Quincy Mining Company, its employees, structures and ideology. I know I learned a lot this summer from the series, from Quincy company housing to railroads to movies featuring mining scenes. A job well done.
Some upcoming dates of note: Santa will arrive via train Dec. 7 at the Houghton County Historical Society's Museum Complex in Lake Linden. Also, from 1 to 4 p.m. that day, a book signing will be held for "Mine Collar Mystery", a story written by CLK Elementary School students. The book details the exploits of Paavo, a 12-year-old Finnish boy from the 1900s who time travels to a playground ca. 2006.
The Chassell Improvement Association is also hosting its popular Old Fashioned Christmas this year from Dec. 10 to 13. Events begin with the decorating of the community tree at the Chassell School on Dec. 10, and end with a full schedule on Dec. 13 including a holiday handcrafts bazaar at the Chassell School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Chassell Heritage Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Home for the Holidays House Tour and Gourmet Tasting is Dec. 13 from noon to 5 p.m.
Contact Nancy Leonard at the Einerlei Gift Shop, 523-4612 or nancy@einerlei.com to learn more.
Until next month, be thankful for heat, shelter, turkey, family and the ability to live in historic surroundings.