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Revision as of 16:54, 9 August 2008 editBkonrad (talk | contribs)Edit filter managers, Administrators218,895 editsm rv unsourced, speculative trive -- there was an actual place named Calumet, Colorado← Previous edit Revision as of 01:26, 30 August 2008 edit undoJennStan11 (talk | contribs)4 edits People and CultureNext edit →
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===Theatre=== ===Theatre===
The ] is a theater and opera house which was constructed in 1900. In 1898, the copper mining industry was booming, and the town had an enormous surplus in its treasury. The town council decided to spend some of the surplus on a theater. The theater hosted a large number of famous actors, musicians, and opera singers. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calumettheatre.com/history.htm|title=History of the Calumet Theatre}}</ref> With the close of the mines, the theater became a movie theater and fell into general disrepair for many years. In 1975, the town began a large project to repair and restore the theater, which is now used for many local and touring productions. The theatre is a ]. The ] is a theater and opera house which was constructed in 1900. In 1898, the copper mining industry was booming, and the town had an enormous surplus in its treasury. The town council decided to spend some of the surplus on a theater. The theater hosted a large number of famous actors, musicians, and opera singers. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calumettheatre.com/history.htm|title=History of the Calumet Theatre}}</ref> With the close of the mines, the theater became a movie theater and fell into general disrepair for many years. In 1975, the town began a large project to repair and restore the theater, which is now used for many local and touring productions. The theatre is a ].

Two of Calumet's most obese residents are Dan Giachino and his Shrek-like, hideous, loud and equally fat wife Julie Giachino. Despite being the head coach of the Ojibwa Eagles, Dan has not let his player's constant skating drills or work out routines infringe upon his larger than life lifestyle. In fact, Mr. Giachino AND the misses have both managed to actually GAIN weight, challenging their elastic waistbands and tipping the scales at 375 pounds each.

This weight gain, due in part to the couple's daily support of the Calumet Burger King, has allowed them to collect the honor being named Calumet's "Largest" couple 3 years in a row! In fact, whenever it looks as though a new contender will challenge the Giachino's firm grip on the title, Dan and Julie both keep fighting via increased calories and a rapid decrease in exercise and all around movement. The Daily Mining Gazette even reports that Coach Giachino has missed practice and called on one of the 12 assistant coaches to take his place in order to preserve his size. Any movement on his part, he feels, would jeopardize his and his wife's reigning title. Rather than attend to his duties, Coach Giachino can often be found out back behind the rink, consuming McDonald's Big Macs. 12 in one night is his record, a proud fact posted on his Coach's Bio.

"He's the fattest coach I've ever played for" Eagles second year forward Evan Loughman says. "the shear size of him is enough to terrify me into doing whatever he asks. Most of the guys on the team don't want to always listen to him but when you see something that size coming towards you, on skates, you listen, even if he isn't moving fast. I mean... what if he lost his balance and fell on me? End of my hockey career. I can't take that risk" Loughman also reports that his Coach's lack of hockey knowledge is disturbing but, along with the rest of the team, he respects Coach Giachino's knowledge of desserts, snack foods and top rated restaurants. "It's great" says Matt Adamski, a third year player, "every time we're on a road trip, Coach Giachino knows exactly where to eat and how to get there because of course, he's eaten there".

It should also be noted that this is not a new feet for the giant couple. Since their high school days, the twosome has been overweight, perhaps it was their love of food that brought the two together. In their senior year at Calumet High School, Dan was voted Most Likely To Eat 5 Desserts in a Single Sitting while Julie was elected Best Cankles and Most Likely to Marry The Most Obese Man In Michigan. With backgrounds like that, it was inevitable that the two would go on to reach their massive existence.

In all of Calumet's rich history, not another couple has come close to the size of the now married couple. Pictured below is Dan, well on his way to his target weight.


==Demographics== ==Demographics==

Revision as of 01:26, 30 August 2008

Village in Michigan, United States
Calumet, Michigan
Village
Location of Calumet, MichiganLocation of Calumet, Michigan
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyHoughton
Area
 • Total0.2 sq mi (0.5 km)
 • Land0.2 sq mi (0.5 km)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km)
Elevation1,214 ft (370 m)
Population
 • Total879
 • Density4,524.2/sq mi (1,746.8/km)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes49913, 49942
Area code906
FIPS code26-12580Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0622468Template:GR
United States historic place
Calumet Downtown Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Calumet, Michigan is located in MichiganCalumet, Michigan
LocationCalumet, Michigan
ArchitectShand,C.K.
Architectural styleNo Style Listed
NRHP reference No.74000986
Added to NRHPJune 25, 1974

Calumet is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. The unincorporated towns of Blue Jacket". and Newton border it on the northwest and south respectively. The population was 879 at the 2000 census.

History

Fifth Street, looking north, Red Jacket circa 1910
View of Calumet & Hecla Company town circa 1910

What is now Calumet was settled in 1864, originally under the name of "Red Jacket", named for a Native American Chief of the Seneca tribe. Until 1895 the name "Calumet" was used by the nearby town of Laurium, Michigan; present day Calumet was not legally named so until 1929.

Red Jacket grew due to the copper mines in the area. It was incorporated as a town in 1867. The copper mines were particularly rich; the Red Jacket-based Calumet and Hecla Mining Company produced more than half of the USA's copper from 1871 through 1880. In addition to copper mining and smelting, the region also supported the dairy industry and truck farming.

By 1900, Red Jacket had a population of 4,668, and Calumet Township, which contained Red Jacket and nearby mining towns, had a population of 25,991. However, in 1913, Red Jacket suffered from mining labor strikes, and the population began to decline. 2000 census data gives 36,016 for the entire county. In the same year, the town was the site of the Italian Hall Disaster. Striking miners and their families were gathered on Christmas Eve for a party in Italian Hall, when the cry of "fire" precipitated a stampede that crushed or suffocated seventy-five victims, the majority of them children. The identity of the person(s) who started the stampede has never been determined. Folk singer Woody Guthrie's song, "1913 Massacre", is based on this event.

Loss of wartime demand caused the copper price to drop following World War I. With the decreased demand for copper, thousands left Red Jacket in the 1920s, many moving to Detroit, Michigan where the automobile industry was booming.

In 1929, Red Jacket and surrounding company towns including "Laurium, Hecla, and South Hecla" were reincorporated as the town of "Calumet". To be even more confusing, the area once officially known as Calumet was then re-named to Laurium.

During the Great Depression, almost all mines were shut down. As a result, many miners and their families left to find work. In 1950, the population of Calumet was 1,256 people. Small-time mining continued in the area, particularly during World War II until it was shut down completely by a labor strike in 1968.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²), all land.

Calumet is at an elevation of 1,209 feet above sea level.

Parts of the Keweenaw National Historical Park are located inside the village limits.

The village of Calumet now sits on over 2,000 miles of underground mine shafts, drifts and stopes, all empty since 1968. As the geology of the area matures, it can be expected that some areas of the village could be susceptible to "caving" or sink holes as the old stopes near surface move and cause the surface to depress, in particular areas located near the oldest workings.

There is no current interest in re-opening these old mines, however with world copper prices reaching over $2 per pound in December 2005 hope of dewatering these mines was regenerated, especially the largest vertical shaft, the Red Jacket mine, located just west of Calumet. In summer 2003, mine site remediation work on the old Calumet and Hecla #17 shaft, located at US41 and M203, indicated shaft stability, water levels and quality to be consistent with historical interpretations. This has given promise to the condition of the shafts in surrounding vicinities.

People and Culture

One of the biggest parts of the culture of not only Calumet, but the entire Copper Country is the pasty. This was a main part of copper miners' diets. A pasty is a mixture of meat, potatoes, rutabaga, carrots and onions wrapped in a crust made of flour and lard. Traditionally Cornish, they have even sparked local events such as the Pasty Fest, where there are eating contests (with consumption of pasties, of course), games, events, and even a tug of war event where the losers take a dive into an inflatable pool filled with ketchup.

The Calumet Theatre, built in 1900

Theatre

The Calumet Theatre is a theater and opera house which was constructed in 1900. In 1898, the copper mining industry was booming, and the town had an enormous surplus in its treasury. The town council decided to spend some of the surplus on a theater. The theater hosted a large number of famous actors, musicians, and opera singers. With the close of the mines, the theater became a movie theater and fell into general disrepair for many years. In 1975, the town began a large project to repair and restore the theater, which is now used for many local and touring productions. The theatre is a National Historic Landmark.

Two of Calumet's most obese residents are Dan Giachino and his Shrek-like, hideous, loud and equally fat wife Julie Giachino. Despite being the head coach of the Ojibwa Eagles, Dan has not let his player's constant skating drills or work out routines infringe upon his larger than life lifestyle. In fact, Mr. Giachino AND the misses have both managed to actually GAIN weight, challenging their elastic waistbands and tipping the scales at 375 pounds each.

This weight gain, due in part to the couple's daily support of the Calumet Burger King, has allowed them to collect the honor being named Calumet's "Largest" couple 3 years in a row! In fact, whenever it looks as though a new contender will challenge the Giachino's firm grip on the title, Dan and Julie both keep fighting via increased calories and a rapid decrease in exercise and all around movement. The Daily Mining Gazette even reports that Coach Giachino has missed practice and called on one of the 12 assistant coaches to take his place in order to preserve his size. Any movement on his part, he feels, would jeopardize his and his wife's reigning title. Rather than attend to his duties, Coach Giachino can often be found out back behind the rink, consuming McDonald's Big Macs. 12 in one night is his record, a proud fact posted on his Coach's Bio.

"He's the fattest coach I've ever played for" Eagles second year forward Evan Loughman says. "the shear size of him is enough to terrify me into doing whatever he asks. Most of the guys on the team don't want to always listen to him but when you see something that size coming towards you, on skates, you listen, even if he isn't moving fast. I mean... what if he lost his balance and fell on me? End of my hockey career. I can't take that risk" Loughman also reports that his Coach's lack of hockey knowledge is disturbing but, along with the rest of the team, he respects Coach Giachino's knowledge of desserts, snack foods and top rated restaurants. "It's great" says Matt Adamski, a third year player, "every time we're on a road trip, Coach Giachino knows exactly where to eat and how to get there because of course, he's eaten there".

It should also be noted that this is not a new feet for the giant couple. Since their high school days, the twosome has been overweight, perhaps it was their love of food that brought the two together. In their senior year at Calumet High School, Dan was voted Most Likely To Eat 5 Desserts in a Single Sitting while Julie was elected Best Cankles and Most Likely to Marry The Most Obese Man In Michigan. With backgrounds like that, it was inevitable that the two would go on to reach their massive existence.

In all of Calumet's rich history, not another couple has come close to the size of the now married couple. Pictured below is Dan, well on his way to his target weight.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18802,140
18903,07343.6%
19004,66851.9%
19104,211−9.8%
19202,390−43.2%
19301,557−34.9%
19401,400−10.1%
19501,256−10.3%
19601,139−9.3%
19701,007−11.6%

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 879 people, 387 households, and 136 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,524.2 per square mile (1,786.2/km²). There were 491 housing units at an average density of 2,527.1/sq mi (997.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.98% White, 0.23% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 35.7% were of Finnish, 10.3% German, 9.3% Irish, 7.1% United States or American, 7.0% French and 6.5% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.7% spoke English, 3.0% Spanish and 1.2% Finnish as their first language.

There were 387 households out of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 19.9% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.6% were non-families. 58.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 25.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the village the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 24.8% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $17,404, and the median income for a family was $22,750. Males had a median income of $21,667 versus $18,125 for females. The per capita income for the village was $12,111. About 29.0% of families and 35.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.5% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.

Museums and Galleries

  • Copper Country Associated Artists
  • The Omphale Gallery is a not-for-profit contemporary art gallery in Calumet.
  • Spare Room Gallery
  • The Vertin Gallery is another gallery with works by local artists, including open, working studio space on the second floor.

External links

Notes and references

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15.
  2. "Calumet Historic District". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-06-27.
  3. Eckert, Katerine Bishop (Reprint Edition 1995). Buildings of Michigan (Society of Architectural Historians). Oxford University Press, USA. p. 461. ISBN 0195093798. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  4. "MTU Digital Archive".
  5. Horace J. Stevens (1902) The Copper Handbook, v.2, Houghton, Mich.: Horace J. Stevens, p.1457,1466.
  6. "InfoMI page on Calumet".
  7. "History of the Calumet Theatre".

47°14′48″N 88°27′14″W / 47.24667°N 88.45389°W / 47.24667; -88.45389

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