Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
STANDING IN front of the Wakefield Historical Society Museum is Bernie Ylkanen as his dog, Nisu, takes a break from fetching sticks. As a museum docent, Ylkanen hosted a Tuesday open house at the main street location. The museum also will be open on July 4.
By P.J. GLISSON
Wakefield - Members of the Wakefield Historical Society Museum flung open its doors Tuesday with a quiet open house to start the summer season.
Bernie Ylkanen, a museum docent, hosted the "Forchuly" event with his dog, Nisu, who was happy to meet new friends.
Although traffic was light that day, Ylkanen said society members expect heavier flow soon.
"The big day here is the Fourth (or July)," he said. "It gets overrun here."
Ylkanen said it's likely that other museum personnel will be there most of that day as the parade, which attracts a large crowd, will pass right by the site.
"I just started last summer," said Ylkanen of his new museum role. He is a native of Wakefield even though he now lives at Lake Gogebic.
Ylkanen gladly provided a tour of the two-story museum, which includes at least ten rooms loaded with historical artifacts.
The structure includes neatly displayed memorabilia such as old police equipment, Serbian costumes, and uniforms from previous local bands and a former baton corps.
There are several military uniforms, along with a huge plaque of U.S. Service members who also belonged to the former First Lutheran Church (now All-Saints Lutheran Church).
Yearbooks are for sale, and numerous old children's toys are on display, including "Mr. Potato Head" and tiny dishes and baking pans. There are also many games such as Chinese Checkers, Parchesi and Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
Ylkanen pointed out a 1925 photo of Eddy Park that hangs on a first-floor wall. It shows the park's old pavilion with a large pile next to the beach.
"That's either iron ore or waste rock from Chicago Mine," said Ylkanen, "which shows there wasn't much concern for the environment back then."
In fact, he said he remembers that, when he was a child, waves would "churn up" iron ore within the water, creating an orange-y hue.
Also shown in the photo are ore cars on the railroad tracks, which appear to have run right next to the lake.
By contrast, said Ylkanen, today's park has a totally different look with a strong emphasis on aesthetics and recreational pleasure.
The museum's "medical room" includes photos of various local physicians throughout the decades. The room also features vintage equipment such as a large wheelchair, crutches, a stretcher, a ceramic bedpan, and colored bottles that once held medicine.
One display case shows receipts from the People's Cooperative that ran until the middle of the 20th Century. Ylkanen pointed out a 1938 bill from his Uncle Bill, who had had put one dollar down on his purchase.
"So his balance was $19.30," said Ylkanen.
A huge horse displayed upstairs was used in a float from the Wakefield centennial. In 1887, Wakefield was first incorporated as a village and then incorporated as a city in 1919.
The museum also has logging equipment and related books, vintage office equipment and a photo display of the 2002 Wakefield flood.
"We have one new item: a Keurig coffeemaker" joked Ylkanen. "I made myself a cup of hot chocolate. I might have been the first person to use it."
