Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
BILL JAMERSON sings about mining life during the All Aboard History summer program's final day at Miners Memorial Park Wednesday Morning.
By BRYAN HELLIOS
Ironwood - Fourth and fifth grade students from Hurley to Wakefield spent their last day of the All Aboard for History summer program at Miners Memorial Park.
The group met at the park's trailhead to hear about the nation wide impact of Pabst Mine from local historian Ivan Hellen.
"Today you're going to find out some real historic stuff that probably was the most important thing in Ironwood's history," he said as he showed newspaper clippings describing conditions the miners endured while stuck underground.
Hellen led the way through the park, stopping at areas which contained remnants of the mine's head-frame and various mining artifacts.
Hellen spoke about the three men who died as the group gathered at the entrance to the mine.
"It's very historical," he said. "We're going to be doing some work and we're going to be sealing this all off."
Hellen gave each student a stone to drop down the shaft as a memorial to lives lost in the mine.
The small stones bounced down the shaft, echoing until they could no longer be heard.
The roughly mile long tour allowed the group to explore piles of rocks from deep below the earth's crust as volunteer Larry Peterson told the group how the iron ore dust created by mining was everywhere.
"Trying to keep sheets white on the clothesline was nearly impossible," he said. "You got pink sheets whether you wanted them or not."
The ore not only covered the town, Peterson said the miner's insides were full of iron.
"If you work with this stuff for years it gets into your body," he said. "It just doesn't come out when you go to the bathroom, it comes out of your skin and your pores."
Bill Jamerson, co-coordinator for the program, entertained the students by singing songs about the significance of the pasty as the group took a break and ate a snack.
"It's the perfect miners food because it stays warm for hours," he said.
Children of miners often brought their fathers the meat, potato, bread and rutabaga all cooked up into a hand held meal, he said.
The students played a game which tested their knowledge about what they learned during the summer program. Winners received a day pass for entry into the Gogebic Count Fair.
Hellen said the summer program is important because it allows the students to learn about the history of the area in an immersive setting.
"I think you learn a lot more by doing something directly instead of reading it out of a book," he said.
Kristin Kolesar, co-coordinator for the program, said 30 children had participated in the six session summer educational program designed so children can experience what is available in the local area,
"We felt it was very successful," she said. "Most of the children said they have never been to the sites before."
Both Jamerson and Kolesar agree theAll Aboard for History program benefited from the collaboration of the Iron County and Ironwood Area Historical Societies.
"Half the program happened in Iron County, half in Gogebic," Jamerson said, adding that volunteers from both Wisconsin and Michigan helped make the event successful.
Kolesar also credited the volunteers for being the experts at the sites and thanked them for sharing their knowledge with the students.
"I would say the biggest success (of the program) is getting students out in their own communities and seeing everything their own community has to offer," she said.
