We have a jewel on the Keweenaw and I honestly think a large number of out population in our four county area have never thought about it much or event seen it except in pictures. And maybe many of our tourists have never seen it our know it exists.

Look at all the people that go to the Middle East to see the ancient ruins. Put a 6 foot high fence 200 feet x 200 feet around it like the stamp sands that are fenced off in Tamarack City and along U.S. 41 and the Gratiot Lake Road if it’s a danger to the community.

The Tourist Council or Historical Society could advertise in the Detroit papers, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Green Bay about our man-made jewel. And I’m quite sure hundreds of people would come to see this piece of craftsmanship and history built in the 1900’s. They would be astonished at how something like this was built and why so high and then stop at many businesses in the Keweenaw.

It seems to me, too often, we choose to destroy instead of preserve our history.

We get grants for everything under the sun and the money collected on “Go Fund Me” sites for many events and projects. Whatever happened to, “if there is will, there is a way”? I think if this was promoted as a pointed of interested on the Keweenaw, it would be a great addition to what has already been preserved of our mining past,

Three years ago I was asked to held design a project at the Quincy Mine. While there, a tourist and his grandson came by and said, “It’s so nice to see something saved from the old mining days. “ He said he came to show his grandson that enormous poor rock pile, just North of Calumet, (Centennial). He said he was shocked to see it was gone and said he thought it was so large it would last forever. I said they should have put a plaque explaining everything about that Centennial Mine, including beginning and operations. But the destroy everything and the rock pile and the history of that mine are gone forever.

So what is this jewel I am referring to? For me, I have used it as a reference point for fishing. And what I am referring to is that large landmark and guide on the east side of the Keweenaw? Don’t sell it just to destroy it.