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Back
Then,
Lon
Emerick
Going Back to Central
We are all going back to Central.
We will follow in the footsteps of twenty-year-old Samuel Satterly,
Lon Emerick's great-great-grandfather, as he landed at Eagle Harbor
and walked to Central Mine in the summer of 1860.
The Cornish are wondrous bakers, sing like angels and are the greatest
miners in
the world. It was commonly observed that wherever there is a hole in
the earth,
you will find a Cornishman at the bottom of it. So it was inevitable
that hundreds of Cousin Jacks like Samuel were recruited to work the
new copper mines in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
The pilgrimage will be our way of honoring and celebrating the pioneer
spirit of the Cornish miners who came to the Keweenaw Peninsula to dig
deep into the earth for the red metal, copper. The reminders of our
heritage abide close at hand here in the Upper Peninsula. Each path,
river and rocky ridge, overgrown old mining site and logging camp remind
us that this is our native valley and that we are here today because
our forebearers were there yesterday.
We assembled on the beach at Eagle Harbor on a warm sunny day last
August. Each participant was given a Cornish name: Lon Emerick, of course,
was Samuel Satterly; Dean Premo became cousin Jack Satterly; Bette Premo
was Eliza Chewidden; Evan Premo was a young Cornish miner, Robert Penhale;
Evan's friend Emily became Emily Jane Trezona; and Laurel Premo was
Sarah Rosemergy. One final hiker, Maizey, a yellow Lab, was herself:
inquisitive, indefatigable and an artist of olfaction.
What a compelling and curious sight we made as, waving a large Cornish
black and white national flag, our troop proceeded south and west toward
the ghost town of Central. Only a few cars passed by on this Sunday
morning but in each case the driver slowed and stared in wonder. One
motorist was so astounded that he turned around and drove past our procession
several times.
Swiftly we passed Eliza Creek, Owl Creek and the old road leading to
another abandoned mining town, Copper Falls. At midpoint in the six-mile
trek, we stopped and savored a Cornish treat, fresh saffron buns, and
wondered if Samuel and his companions might have paused at this very
spot to restore themselves. None of us latter-day re-enactors had much
to say as we munched on the ro
lls, but we all felt the pull of the Cornish memories deep in the taste
of the saffron.
Leaving the macadam highway, we turned on an old tote road that twisted
through the dense forest. The woods are dark and deep and must have
been quite a surprise to the young people from the moors and rocky headlands
of Cornwall. The narrow road rose steeply and, upon reaching the summit,
we looked back at Lake Superior, the Blue Profound, framed by the deep
green of lofty trees.
We were going to meet our shuttle driver, Lynn Emerick, at Central Lake.
Maizey's magnificent nose led us through a narrow path in the pines
to where Lynn waited on a rock outcropping overlooking the small lake.
The sun sparkled on the water and the small falls at the outlet added
a note to the wind in the remaining white pines.
Central was drowsing in midday warmth when we marched into the old town.
We paused by miners' simple houses, many now restored for summer homes.
A few of the original company houses are now year-round residences.
We made sure to respect their privacy as we inspected crumbling mining
structures, marveled at the restoration of the company agent's home
and then rested on the steps of the well-kept Methodist church. Reunions
are held at this church each July and we could sense the presence of
the nineteenth-century Cornish miners and their descendants.
As we left Central we all felt a new and better connection to our ancestors
who chipped out a place and a heritage for us so long ago.
—Laurel Premo and Lon Emerick
Excerpted from a forthcoming book, Going Back to Central, by Lon Emerick,
North Country Publishing, 355 Heidtman Road, Skandia, MI 49885, northco@up.net
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