Where Have All the Towers Gone? (A Conservation with a Former EUP Towerman)

Where have all the towers gone? Long time passing! Today’s travelers have a better chance of locating lighthouses than fire towers. Nearly all the former Michigan DNR forest towers have been dismantled; however, many fine examples still stand within the boundaries of the national forest system.

            If you are fortunate enough to spot one of these former watch towers, be sure to capture its image on film, for the few remaining represent the last of a former era… one in which fire towers served as a connecting link toward the fighting of wildfires.

            Forest fire prevention became a major concern by the turn of the century. Michigan’s first steel fire tower was erected at Houghton Lake in 1913. A dedicated towerman was commissioned to sit atop the tower to scan the landscape for wisps of smoke. If fire was spotted, crews were notified. It was a solitary position.

            Remember those steel sentinels of the forest? Not too many years past, fire towers were common landmarks throughout northern Michigan; today, few remain. One can still view a classic tower at the western limits of the Upper Peninsula, where the U.S. forest Service’s Tee Pee Tower stands at Kenton, Near Strongs, in the eastern Upper Peninsula, folks will notice the Raco and McNearney Lake Towers. Yet, another tower remains standing at Goetzville.

            At first, fire lookouts were little more than spiked trees with platforms mounted on top. One such tall pine stood near Raco until highway M-28 was widened in 1928. The former lookout tree was later replaced with a steel tower.

            The use of such vantage points led to the erection of small windmill-type towers with open platforms located along high points of fire patrol routes. The first actual wooden look-out tower int eh state sstood on a hill near Lewiston in 1912. The first steel tower was assembled near Grayling in 1915. Each year more towers were added until by 1924 over 100 towers were in use in the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

            By 1925 towers with enclosed cabins appeared replacing old open platform types; stairways were added instead of ladders, making towers user-friendlier. The tower system was virtually complete by 1928 and contained 107 cabin-type primary towers, 16 open platform lookouts positioned in state forests or game refuges. By 1949, Michigan had 140 primary towers and five secondary towers in operation.

            The standard modern tower was a specially designed 100-150 foot steel tower with a glass enclosed eight-foot-square platform, from which the average effective vision range was 10 miles on a clear day.

            Each lookout station was equipped with detailed surface maps; an alidade for accurate determination of direction from the tower to a discovered fire, and a telephone or radio, or both, by which fires could be reported to the nearest fire headquarters or conservation officer. A rule of thumb was to equate fire breakouts in relation to local landmarks. Distant fires were cross shots from adjoining towers. When visibility was poor, secondary towers were manned and during emergencies, aerial patrols we provided by either a state plane or by hired aircraft.

            During the early years, qualification of a towerman was good eyesight and knowledge of the immediate area. Lacking even a map, these first lookouts had to judge a fire by positioning with local landmarks and section corners. As tower numbers increased, fires were located by triangulation and accurate base maps were standard regulation.

            Modern-day towermen also had to have good eyesight, be familiar with their territory, operate a radio, make meteorological observations. Distinguish between unauthorized and legitimate burns, judge a fire’s behavior, and serve as a good will ambassador to the general public. Communication became the tool of the modern towerman.

            In 1933, the Department installed a number of two-way, medium-low frequency radio sets with a lab set up at Roscommon. Between 1938-40, over 120 battery operated radio sets were in place in fire towers, providing direct contact between towers and district headquarters.

            Experiments with plan to ground radio communications began at Lansing in 1934 weith the Michigan State Board of Aeronautics furnishing plane and pilot.

            Between 1933 and 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed 95 lookout fire towers, eight lookout cabins, and 1,371 miles of fire breaks for fire control purposes. Their services also provided 1,958 miles of telephone line installation that brought phone usage into remotely located fire towers.

            Historically, before the advent of fire towers and a communications system, it was easy to understand why fire wardens were able to accomplish so little in the way of forest fire suppression. Locating fires strictly by patrol proved akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. Certainly, Michigan’s advanced fire tower system achieved the work for which it was intended.

            Prior to retirement, Jim Pudelko was assigned to the DeTour DNR field office, but when he hired on in 1965,he served as a Class-B Towerman. Pudelko relates his experience as a fire tower spotter: From the time I was a young boy living a quarter-mile from the Goetzville Tower, I longed to be a towerman; just sitting up in the 110-foot tall tower was strongly appealing.

            I worked about a year as a towerman before being called into military service and upon my return, fire towers were being phased out, replaced by aerial patrols. I was transferred to the  Michigan DNR Forestry Division, under title of ‘Fire Officer.’

            As a towerman, we wore no specific uniform. We worked the tower only on high fire danger days and even then, we did not man the tow until mid-day when morning dew had left the forest floor. However, if a fire was in progress, we stayed at our post from dawn ‘til dusk.

            Serving as one of the later day spotter, equipment consisted of a pair of binoculars, an alidade, radio and telephone. We also kept in and an adjoining shed, 50 shovels and 50 axes along with a number of five-gallon pump cans. All were marked with a CCC label. Each fall, towermen were responsible for removing large cumbersome radio sets from towers to prevent theft. This involved strapping a 20-25 pound radio unit to one’s back and carrying it down the tower ladder. Some towers had stairs; Goetzville Tower had a ladder. It was a difficult job.

            We were issued a ‘tower key,’ which was  master key of sorts that fit any Michigan fire tower. If we were needed in any district, the key was readily available. I managed to keep one as a souvenir. Actually, our District alone held five towers including two located at Drummond Island. We performed maintenance chores such as painting stairways and making repairs to the cabin, and the keys provided easy entry.

            I came across an old newspaper clipping from ‘The Republican-News and St. Ignace Enterprise’ dated may 21, 1926: “A 100-foot steel fire tower of latest design, towerman’s cabin, five miles of telephone line, a mile of truck trail and a shelter cabin will be constructed on Drummond Island this summer by enrollees of CCC Camp Moran for the Field Administration Division of the Department of Conservation, if plans for an establishment of a side-camp materialize.”

            We had an amusing incident regarding one of the purchased towers that was to used as an observation tower by a couple from the western Upper Peninsula. They bought a 110-foot tower and somehow a mistake was made and DNR personnel tore down the purchased tower. The couple demanded a replacement. When the tower was purchased, it was up to the buyer to have it dismantled and rebuilt; but in this instance the Department had to locate a tower exactly like the one they paid for. A crew was sent out from Manistique and Naubinway comprised of Joe Anthony, Pat Clark, John Moon and myself to disassemble the Gould City Tower.

            It proved to a harrowing experience. The roof was raised first. Everything had to be lowered by rope and pulley system. The four tower walls were dismantled which left us standing on the cabin floor 100 feet up in the air with absolutely nothing to hold on to whatsoever! Talk about being scared!

            Flooring was removed next, and then every step of stairway had to be taken apart and sent downward. Not even a wrench was dropped in error. But at one point, a cable slipped and I made a grab for it, but at the last second I pulled back. Had I not, I would have been pulled right down to the ground. As it was, the attached rod fell with such speed it buried itself in the ground just missing the man standing below handling the ropes. Crosspieces were the last to come down, and then the supports… it proved to be an immense undertaking.

            When spotter planes replaced towers, they became obsolete. An aerial survey took in so much more territory and a pilot could easily radio a ground crew advising them the easiest route into the blaze. If the fire was an arson fire, there usually was a two-track trail leading right up to its source.

            Today, few towers remain across the state. The MDNR put htem up for public sale during the 1980s. The adjacent property owner purchased Goetzville Tower. If I am speaking correctly, I believe towers sold around $250 a piece. Many were purchased merely for scrap metal sales, not preservation.

            Jim Pudelko added; Today when you have an opportunity to view one of these old fire towers, stop and remember how important they once were to the State of Michigan. They were our first line of defense against constant threat of forest fires. I am proud that I had the opportunity to be a part of history in the making.

           

 Source: The Sault News, July 2016. Our Story: A Look Back at the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Where Have All the Towers Gone? Article written by: Betty Sodders.

The Art of Forgiveness

Forgiveness and holding onto grudges are at the heart of many human dramas. People are often humiliated, rejected, wounded by selfishness and inconsideration, treated in-humanely, and stabbed in the back. Forgiveness can forge a bridge linking hatred and alienation to liberation from two kinds of hell: bitterness and victim-hood on one side; and guilt, shame, and self-condemnation on the other.

Making peace with those who harmed us does not have to be done in person. It may happen in the privacy of our own mind. This is going to be difficult to hear. Forgiveness is about letting go of our own unhealthy feelings of self-importance so we can move on with living a more balanced life. In essence, forgiveness is not about weakness. Weak individuals are the people who cannot for-give. Forgiveness is the healing work of the strong. 

Forgiveness of those who have personally caused harm to us, our families or significant others can serve as a release. In the Course of Miracles “all dis-ease comes from a state of unforgiveness,” and it is further explained that “whenever we are ill, we need to look around to see who it is we need to forgive.” Louise L. Hay also adds the very person an individual finds hardest to forgive is the one needed to be let go of the most. Forgiveness has nothing to do with condoning unjust and unkind behaviors, it means letting things go.

Forgiveness must not involve trade-offs, we must not expect retribution. A good example of this is sending a letter to someone and demanding they follow all requirements set forth in the letter before forgiveness will be granted.  Learning how to trust again after being harmed is one of the most challenging facets of being a human being. Developing trust is essential for forgiveness and healing. It is important to be able to move on. If we let others know that we have trust in them and this acknowledgment is earnest, they are less likely to betray us. In order to forgive and make peace with those who hurt us, we must learn to trust again.

          True forgiveness of self and others involves con-fronting the truth about a harmful situation and then feeling the emotions associated with the situation head on, not holding back at all. By experiencing feelings as deeply as possible, even feelings of anger towards the individual who may have caused us harm, we allow these feelings to be released. Remember, everyone makes mistakes (Hay, 1999).

         Generally, it is more harmful for the person who is holding onto the resentments than the person who is perceived as causing the resentment. Everyone has been hurt at one point or another. Life is unfair. When harm is caused by others, there will not always be an understanding as to why. Release those hurt feelings. Holding onto resentments is linked to several physical problems such as increased blood pressure, weakened immune system, depresssion and impaired memory. Harboring resentments is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

Examination of feelings concerning forgiveness towards our parents is a necessary component for the healing process. Mourning a lost childhood is vital for overcoming childhood trauma. Most people have set beliefs of how parents should treat their children. When parents fall short of these beliefs, the adult child often feels cheated. Everyone who wants to be mentally healthy needs to come to terms with their parents whether they consider them to have been either good or bad parents. Children do not possess the intellectual and emotional tools to admit their parents’ harmful behaviors are not the result of something the child has done. When parents are at war with each other, a child’s loyalties are strained. This is most likely the case in a majority of households due to the high divorce rate in this country. Again, it is important to accept what has occurred during our childhood and forgive those who have harmed us.   

Hay is experienced in providing services to those who are suffering from poor health, lack of money, unsatisfactory relationships, or even repressed creativity and associates these problems with not loving the self. Holding ourselves hostage to resentments is associated with not loving the self.  Hay suggests we need to love, accept, and approve of ourselves just as we are. We need to consider ourselves a work in progress. Self-approval and self-acceptance are a couple of the main ingredients which can lead to positive changes in every area of our lives. This process can begin with never criticizing ourselves. Self criticism can lock us into the pattern we are trying to change, which is oftentimes referred to as a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

We need to forgive ourselves for our perceived shortcomings and mistakes. Sometimes when we are feel-ing anger towards someone, we are actually angry with ourselves. We may be angry for putting up with someone’s harmful treatment of us for as long as we did. We need to make sure we forgive ourselves. Be kind to ourselves and garnish acceptance of feelings as we progress along the path of healing. It is okay to be compassionate with ourselves. Our pain is only a part of who we are. We have other parts of our psyches that need to be put in the forefront such as our ability to be tender, our sense of humor, our intelligence, and a whole host of things that make us, us. We can tell ourselves, "I am imperfect just like everybody else." 

To assist with building more love and appreciation for ourselves complete the following exercises: 

1.      To enhance our self-trust we need to think and write in a journal of a time when we trusted ourselves but thought we had made a grave mistake. Did we learn anything from that experience? Would we have been able to learn the lesson without the experience?

2.      We need to determine who was hardest on us, ourselves or our friends, family, or coworkers?

3.      Determine how did a difficult experience helped us become who we are today?  Do we consider ourselves wiser, more mature, more accepting of others? Did that experience help us reach new heights in the ability to refrain from judging others?

4.      Make the resolution that no experience is ever wasted if we learn something from it. Masters of success tell us that anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried to do anything, especially anything worthwhile.

We need to remind ourselves of the worthlessness of worry. Constructively working through traumatic experiences is a way in which we can prevent further damage. Often we find ourselves ruminating about the horrible things in our lives and these obsessions can take over. It is important to practice thought stopping when necessary in order to prevent us from obsessing about traumatic ex-periences in an unhealthy manner. 

The five steps to thought stopping are: 

·         Notice when we are having a destructive thought that causes anxiety.

·         Choose a way to immediately and forcefully tell ourselves to STOP this thought. Some ideas include saying “Stop!” out loud or in our mind; picturing a bright red stop sign; and picturing ourselves pushing our arms out in front of us with our hands in a “halt” position. We can keep a rubber band around our wrists and snap it gently; or give our heads a quick shake as if we are physically shaking off the thought. 

·         Consciously exchange the anxious thought for a peaceful thought. We can plan our peaceful thoughts ahead of time so they are ready immediately and write these down to keep track of them. Say our peaceful thoughts out loud or in our minds.

·         We need to keep our mind focused on our peaceful thoughts until the anxious one is completely gone. 

            Changing our thoughts can make a significant impact on our healing process. Many people throughout history have suffered from trauma. Some individuals have made the bold statement that adversity, obstacles, chaos, and trauma may actually be necessary for people to be suc-cessful and fulfilled.

            J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, described when she was in the depths of despair. She was experiencing a broken marriage, her parents’ display of disapproval concerning her life decisions, and poverty. Hence, she lacked the support she needed and her options were minimal concerning her predicament. Her failures stripped her of everything nonessential in her life and it taught her things about herself. Rowling turned to one of her dreams which was to become a writer and she sat one day at a café and started writing on napkins about her thoughts of a manuscript idea and the rest is history. Mary Tyler Moore made the public statement about chaos breeding creativity. Suzanne Somers has written about the trauma she has faced in her life. Post traumatic growth can occur in many forms besides recovery. We may find ourselves pursuing our dreams with vigor after we recover from unresolved trauma.   

Forgiveness can open up many opportunities for us. We can develop better relationships, pursue our dreams and aspirations and take better care of ourselves. Holding onto resentments can damage us physically and emotionally. By changing our thoughts, we can make a more positive impact on our lives. Setting ourselves up in victim-hood only causes us harm. It’s time to turn ourselves around instead of beating ourselves up. We are imperfect like everyone else and we need to accept ourselves imperfections and all.

Coping with Barrier Reactivity

Some dogs are as sweet as pie when they’re out on walks with their people, but put them behind a fence in their yard or a window in their home and they bark ferociously, lunging and snarling at anyone who walks by. What’s going through the dog’s mind?

            While this frightening display seems like aggression, much of the time this behavior is rooted in fear, overexcitement, stress, anxiety or frustration. And, beware, because it can escalate on that most popular of fright nights – Halloween – which is right around the corner.

            The technical term for this behavior is barrier reactivity. The gate, fence, door or window acts as a barrier separating the dog from the thing to which he’s reacting. The offending thing (called the trigger or stimulus) that the dog is upset about could be a human (either someone familiar or a stranger), another dog, a passing vehicle, a particular sound or even something flapping in the breeze.   

            An ounce of prevention:  If you’ve noticed this type of behavior with your own dog, there are some steps you can take to manage it. First, to figure out exactly what your dog’s trigger is – what she is reacting to – observe what happens just before she becomes reactive. Next, you will want to arrange you dog’s environment so she won’t have the chance to react. If your dog is barking through a fence or at a window, for example, try covering up her view by putting up visual barriers along the fence line or closing the curtains. If she becomes very reactive when someone comes to the door, try putting her in another room before guests arrive.

            Remember your dog is learning through every experience and interaction she has. Therefore, every time she gets a chance to react to the trigger, she’ practicing – and getting better at – her reactivity. Your goal when working on management is to set her up for success, which translates to her not reacting to the trigger.

            If Halloween is a particularly stressful evening for your dog, keep her inside and pull the blinds so she doesn’t see the scary people walking by in costumes. If she’s reactive to people ringing the doorbell, and you’re expecting trick—or-treaters, put her in a room with the door closed, turn on some soothing music and give her a super delicious long-lasting treat (such as a frozen Kong stuffed with peanut butter).

            Time for counter-conditioning: Sometimes, management itself is enough to solve the problem. However, if you’ve blocked your dog’s view and she still stands at the fence barking and lunging at whoever passes, you might want to try some training. One of the easiest techniques to when working with a barrier-reactive dog is called counter-conditioning. The goal is to change how your dog feels about the trigger, whatever it may be. You want to change your dog’s perception of the trigger form something anxiety-provoking to something good and pleasing. Here are the steps to follow:

1.      Get a handful of your dog’s favorite treats and break them up into pea-sized pieces.

2.      Put the dog behind the barrier (door, fence, etc.) and introduce the trigger. When the trigger approaches, start feeding your dog a steady stream of delicious treats.

3.      If she ignores the treats and starts her reactive behavior, that means the trigger has gotten too close and you need to keep it farther away.

4.      If the trigger is a person, you can enlist a friend to walk past your dog’s barrier and toss treats to the dog.

5.      As soon as the trigger starts moving away, stop doling out treats.   

            Each animal learns at a different pace, but eventually your dog will learn that whenever the scary thing comes near, she gets her favorite snack – turning fear or anxiety into anticipation of treats. Changing the emotion behind the behavior can help change the behavior.

            Whether you choose to simply manage your dog or whether you also do some training, don’t ever punish your dog for reacting, especially if she is reacting out of fear. Instead of learning that barking and lunging is what you don’t want, she will learn that seeing the trigger will be followed by something else that’s unpleasant.

            Humans sometimes choose to be scared and even enjoy it – by watching horror movies, for example – but dogs don’t have that option. So, when confronted with barrier reactivity, always consider the fear factor, and try to be patient and understanding while managing and training your dog. Then, when those little ghosts and goblins are at your door, you can all be assured a happy Halloween.

Source: Best Friends (Magazine). September/October 2016. Coping with barrier reactivity.

The Five Freedoms

The Five Freedoms

Developed by the government of the U.K., the Five Freedoms outline five aspects of minimum acceptable care for livestock.

Note: I think all pets need to have these same protections.

1.      Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor.

2.      Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment that includes shelter and a comfortable resting area.

3.      Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.

4.      Freedom to express normal behavior by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of he animal’s own kind.

5.      Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment that avoid mental suffering. 

I Would Have Been....

I Would Have Been….

…a thief, but I just couldn’t take it.

…a baker, but I couldn’t raise the dough.

…a professor, but I didn’t have the class

…an optometrist, but I just couldn’t see it – and I didn’t want to make a spectacle of myself.

…a dentist, but I couldn’t stand the daily grind.

…a watchmaker, but I didn’t have the hands for it.

…a plumber, but my plans went down the drain

…a truck driver, but I was too young to shift for myself.

…a strip tease artist, but I just couldn’t bare it.

…a telephone operator, but it wasn’t my line.

…a mail carrier, but it wasn’t my bag.

…a photographer, but nothing developed.

Reference

Goodman, J. (Editor), (1988). Laughing Matters. What to Do When You Start at 9 Sharp and End at 5 Dull. Volume 2 – number 2. New York: The Humor Project.

Civilian Conservation Corps

During the 1930s this country was suffering from hardship, despair and hopelessness due to the high level of poverty. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.) was no exception. Approximately 45% of the population of this beautiful part of the country was living in poverty. President Roosevelt decided to do something for those in need in this country by creating the New Deal and what this article is going to focus on is the Civil Conservation Corps (CCC). This organization provided job opportunities for young men who did not have jobs and also provided for their families. Set requirements had to be followed such as the family’s income, the family must be at poverty level. The young men would travel from various areas of Michigan to serve in the CCC. Young men from the cities had to learn to adapt to everything the U.P. had to offer from its harsh weather during the winter months to the many forms of wildlife: bears, deer, mouse, coyotes, bob cats and so much more. The camps would be built in the heart of the wilderness. New communities would be developed around these camps. The camps fed the commerce of each community by the purchasing of goods such as vehicles and provided management and other service jobs to older men in the communities. Lumber companies had to hire more staff to keep up with demand for wood for the building of the camps. The CCC provided much for the families that faced the trials and tribulations put forth by the stock market crash.

            The CCC, when it was developed, was to be used in what was considered simple work, not to interfere with customary employment. The CCC was to be confined to forestry, the prevention of soil erosion, flood control, putting out fires and other similar projects. There was suppose to be a moral and spiritual value for each project. Within three months, Roosevelt didn’t want to waste any time, he wanted to have over 1,000 camps developed nationwide with 200 young men in each camp. To help the economy, the CCC was the first relief program to be established. Further plans were made for the young men to assist with building roads, planting trees, erecting telephone lines, improving rivers and lakes, and any other project that would improve the American landscape. In the U.P. they planted trees, fed starving deer, planted moose and all the other jobs mentioned above. Many campers in the U.P. were required to help put out fires.  Believe it or not, some of the fires were intentionally started to provide an income for the fire departments. At any given time a typical camp would be assigned 40 projects with various crews working under a foreman.

            The assignments were not without their dangers. The young men lost fingers, hands, and other body parts while working in the woods. There were vehicle accidents. Walkaways were found dead. Steps were taken to help eliminate accidents. The officials decided to band cars from camp. Sometimes there were acts of mischief and when infractions occurred, the campers would dispense their own justice under a court and jury system. Those found guilty would have to do extra work in the kitchens and bathrooms. However, if the case was extreme the camper may be discharged. Sometimes some of the camps would have more trouble makers than others and these camps would get a reputation.

            The U.S. Army ran the camps and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) ran the projects. 22 people were in Army uniform: a major, six lieutenants, a surgeon or doctor, three sergeants four cooks, a foreman carpenter, truck driver office clerk, steward, and two trainers. Forest Service also numbered 22: six foremen, a blacksmith, five group leaders, nine assistant leaders, and the camp superintendent. There was a total of 44 staff.

            The Army built the camps, fed and housed the young men provided clothing, sport activities, libraries, schooling, health care, and welfare. The camps were run in army fashion with reveille at 6:00 a.m., then exercises, breakfast (big, plain and hearty), cleaning the grounds and buildings, roll call and supervisory inspection. The eight hour shift began at 8:00 a.m. and ended at 4:00 p.m. Time was allotted for relaxation before the scheduled 5:30 p.m. dinner. Lights were flashed at 9:45 p.m., the lights were turned off at 10:00 p.m. and Taps were played at 10:15 p.m. Camp routines were not kept a secret. The camps were opened for visits from families, journalists, politicians, civic groups, or the public.

            There was a push to get the program up and running. The first six camps in the U.P.,built in only six days, were: Raco, Strongs, Kentucky, Kenton, Steuben, and Paint Lake. Sometimes they had to live in tents while the buildings were being built. There were 4.4 applicants for each available position. The neediest were taken first. Considering the U.P. and its remoteness, the camps were built rather quickly. By July 1^st there were 30 new camps and as 1933 ended there were 45 camps altogether. The population rose to 7,600, which could represent the population a typical U.P. city. 

            The average size of the each camp building was 112 feet by 20 feet. Each building housed approximately 40 young men and each camp had on average 200 young men. The young men when they left their lives of poverty were often gaunt and not in good shape. After a short while of eating hearty meals and the hard work, they soon got into good shape. A typical dinner consisted of roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits and jam, fruit and vegetables and pie. Even though most of the meals were hearty, there were food strikes and sometimes a cook would secretly sell food to people outside the camp.

            A 1934 survey revealed that each of the 25,333 U.P. families received an average of $22.34 per family per month as a relief payment. Picture trying to live on approximately $22. a month. This was the welfare payment for a family who was faced with outright poverty. Food was scarce. Mothers with their young children would be found running alongside trains trying to catch bits and pieces of coal to heat their homes. Gardens were raided. People would stop at nothing to provide for their families. Starvation was not uncommon. I remember people telling me that they were reduced to eating squirrels that their fathers shot during the time of the depression. The young men were paid $30. a month for their services. They were able to keep $5. and $25. was sent to their families. They must have felt like they received a gift from heaven.

            The government recognized that these were young men, who were straddled with poverty, now had freedom and a little money in their pockets. To prevent trouble they created ways in which they could blow off steam. Boxing was one of the favorite activities and boxing matches were held between various camps located throughout the U.P. Boxing was a popular sport during this time period. Basketball was another favorite sport which speared new popularity. Baseball was also played at some of the camps; but space for field and the amount of players was sometimes a barrier for playing this sport. Keep in mind that many of these camps were located in the deep woods. They were also kept busy and out of trouble by joining contests in skiing, hockey, swimming, tug-of-war, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and hiking. Since winters in the U.P. can be rather long, they would also be involved in indoor activities such as cribbage, ping pong, checkers and other games.

            By September 1935, more camps were established in the U.P. The project loads increased. For example, five Alger County camps had 400 young men planting six million seedlings, the largest program that ever existed for the Hiawatha National Forest. The camp in Rexton removed 211 beaver dams over three months to enhance the flowing of streams.

            In 1937, the prospects for the CCC were changing. Things were happening around the world that were getting more attention, the Japanese invasion of China and the aftereffects of the Hitler regime to name a few.  On the positive note, the National Hockey League race which was won by the Detroit Red Wings, and the World Series distracted many people. The Dust Bowl was losing its hold, however approximately 300 people lost their lives to the heavy flooding of the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys. CCC campers were sent to provide assistance. Roosevelt was seeking approval for the CCC to be a permanent program and the staff at the Mining Journal agreed with him. For over 4 years the CCC has provided a well-rounded source of employment to 2,000,000 young men, supplied $360,000,000 of hard earned wages to families in dire need, and protected the nation’s forests and other natural resources. A permanent CCC would possibly reduce unemployment rates, teach useable skills and enhance the nation’s natural resources

Reference

Chabot, L. (2009).  Saving Our Sons: How the Civilian Conservation Corps Rescued a Generation of Upper Michigan Men. Michigan: Globe Printing, Inc.

Haunted Holidays

Holidays were established based on mysterious beliefs throughout history. In order to schedule various holiday activities, a calendar had to be created. The first calendar was developed 10,000 years ago in Scotland, first to be used as an agricultural tool when many of the people transitioned from being hunters and gatherers to farmers. The discovery of the calendar was made possible by the discovery of the equal parts of days and nights four times a year which was determined by the equinox. They needed to know when to plant and harvest. If our ancestors did everything right according to the calendar and they did not have a successful crop yield, they thought the gods must be angry. Weather, the shorter and longer days and phases of the moon led to many of the holiday beliefs. Legends fostered many holiday practices. We still want to abide by some of the beliefs to stay in good graces with our divine forces. We went from celebrating holidays, religious and not religious, to celebrating birthdays, death anniversaries, historic events such as 911 and the day JFK was shot. A little cave in Ireland was where the first inkling of a Halloween holiday was born. 

            In town called Rosecommon in Ireland there was a cave referred to as the Rafcrocan cave. A rabbit hole served as the first small veil in which spirits could get through the veil. The holiday was referred to as Samhain. The veil was referred to as the Borwigan and it was very thin. Food offerings were provided for the dead. If they were a begger or spirit, still had to feed them. The Celtic cut up turnips as a symbol of this holiday and in the U.S. pumpkins were used because they were more plentiful. The spirits could not go to heaven or hell so the lighting of a jack-o-lantern would help the spirits to cross over. The veil is the thinnest on the evening of October 31^st and the day of November 1^st. All souls night is November 1st. Things were getting destroyed so trick or treat was developed to prevent the destruction. Our ancestors thought it was better to teach children by using things they feared.

            On a cheerier note, a holiday referred to as “Saturnalia” was created in Rome which was held from December 21-2. All people were considered equal no matter what economic class or position they held. The holiday was celebrated by holding feasts, gift giving and orgies. All the people in Rome were permitted to attend.

            “Dia de Los Muertos” was a Mexican day of the dead. All dead citizens would be honored on this day. Today, it is believed there are more spirits than there were in the past and this is because we are finally looking for them more. This holiday Christianized and changed to honor all former souls. The honoring of the dead made it collectively sacred.

            The fertility goddess “Eustre” was associated with the creation of the first Easter. Christianity introduced Jesus’ resurrection. The belief in the fertility goddess was where our ancestors bought into the belief of associating Easter eggs and candy with the Easter holiday.

            Yuletide celebrations were created for various reasons. The Norse people used candles to keep the darkness away and evergreen leaves were placed over doors to keep bad spirits away. In Scandanavia, everyone was supposed to drank from the same cup. The evergreen was known for its strength to survive harsh winter weather so it was believed to portray special gifts. The upper, middle and lower worlds or realms were honored by specific rituals. When a Yule log was burned the one from last year had to be used to ignite the current year’s log. Different trees were burned such as the pine willow and holly and stood for different beliefs. The nativity was created to honor when Jesus was born. The actual date of Jesus’ birth appeared to be not important. Constantine used Christianity to unify Roman empire in 336 A.D. Soltice was on the 23^rd, Christmas Eve was the 24^th, and Christmas on the 25^th, this gave the Romans more days to party.

            Saint Nicolas was a bishop in Myra, Turkey in 278 A.D.. He came from a wealthy family. Nicolas gave all his wealth away. He decided to help out people with special needs. He decided to celebrate Christmas by giving and sharing. He was honored as a patron saint. The Dutch created Cinder Claus and the U.S. called him Santa Claus. In Germany during the earlier years there was a character named Krampus. December 5^th was the day he appeared. He would snatch bad children and eat them. Krumpus had hooves and horns. In Iceland during the Yuletide season, Gryla wanted to eat children, so she would bring the children to the mountain he lived on and put them in her stew. The story “Twas the Night Before Christmas” was written in 1823. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The Coco Cola company a while ago decided to promote a fat santa with a beard. We must not forget the Grinch. Christmas is celebrated in many different ways all over the world.

            The creation of specific holidays and the celebration of harvests and other special events were made possible by the creation of the calendar. We learned about the solstice and equinox from our ancestors. We know when to plant seeds at optimal times. Our Halloween beliefs were fostered from a small opening in a cave in Ireland to the Norsemen and their superstitions. When you prepare to pass out candy at your door on Halloween, think about why this practice started.