EDITOR’S NOTE: This story first appeared in November 2021.

CALUMET — With the Christmas shopping season now underway across the nation, businesses in Calumet experienced higher traffic on Black Friday than they saw last year.

Tim Bausano of Copper World, on Fifth Street, said that while he has not yet looked into this year’s Black Friday sales compared to 2020’s, he did say he was satisfied with Nov. 26 sales.

“It was busy all day long,” he commented, “so, it was excellent.”

Whether the COVID shutdown of last year had anything to do with it, Bausano said 2021 has been a busy year.

“People are back out and about,” he said, “and seem to want to be back out and about and moving again.”

In addition to customers shopping local, they also have the excitement of carrying on a tradition from a time before the Calumet and the Hecla mining companies merged. Built as the John Green Block in 1869, what is now Copper World was among the very few wooden structures to escape the devastating fire of 1870 that destroyed most of the village. It is today, according to the store’s website, the oldest wood-frame structure in Calumet. Owners Tony and Joyce Bausano started the business in 1974. Three years later, they purchased the current building and have since been restoring their landmark. Through the years, the Bausano children grew up learning the family business. Their daughter Chris and son Tim have continued working for the store.

Cross Country Sports, located on Oak Street, is another family-owned and operated retail store in Calumet, specializing in goods related to silent sports. Brian Bicher, manager and future owner of the store, said business at Cross Country Sports was also quite busy on Black Friday and was busy again on Saturday.

Bicher said Friday was definitely busier than in past years, and he does not predict a drop soon.

“I think, kind of following some trends,” he said, “that the next couple weeks kind of turn towards our pre-season averages, with a ramp-up of intensity towards the Christmas holiday.”