COPPER PEAK (AKA CHIPPEWA HILL)
Gogebic County - State Department of Conservation
August 13, 1927: "Looking a little east of north from almost any of the hills around Ironwood, one can see, empurpled by the haze of the distance, the tree clad slopes of Copper Peak hulking huge against the northern skyline. It's a long trek to the peak if one goes on foot, but only a pleasant drive of a few miles if one goes by automobile, and if the car is able to negotiate deep mudholes.
On the summit of the peak, overlooking mile upon mile of virgin timber, stands a steel tower, 80 feet high, and in a little house on top of the tower a lone sentinel stands guard through the daylight hours scanning the great expanse of forest for signs of smoke that would indicate the beginnings of a forest fire." (Daily Globe)
On the summit of the peak, overlooking mile upon mile of virgin timber, stands a steel tower, 80 feet high, and in a little house on top of the tower a lone sentinel stands guard through the daylight hours scanning the great expanse of forest for signs of smoke that would indicate the beginnings of a forest fire." (Daily Globe)
May 24, 1928: "Only one fire is burning in Ironwood township at the present time, being near the Triplett farm on the Lake Superior road, according to Joseph Bergeron, towerman at Copper Peak, who saw the first signs of the blaze at 12:41 this afternoon.
The fire is not a large one at the present time. Harry Collins, fire warden for this district, went out to fight the blaze as soon as it was reported by Bergeron." (Daily Globe)
May 26, 1928: "Only one forest fire is burning in Gogebic county in the district watched over by Joseph Bergeron, towerman at Copper Peak. That one is located in Erwin township on Section 19, Town 46, Range 46, not far from Van Buskirk.
The fire has been burning over an area of approximately 10 acres of slashing since yesterday. Charles Scavarda, conservation warden, has been directing the fighting of the fire." (Daily Globe)
November 30, 1934: "Joseph Bergeron, 32, died last Friday morning at 5:30 at the Grand View hospital after a serious illness lasting two weeks. Mr. Bergeron suffered from a bone ailment known as osteomyelitis and had been crippled in one foot since boyhood.
Deceased was born in Ironwood on May 12, 1902. He was associated with a brother, Rene Bergeron, when they operated a dairy farm north of Bessemer for several years. For the past 10 years Joseph was employed by the state conservation department as towerman at the Chippewa hill fire tower." (The Bessemer Herald)
February 17, 1938: "A telephone line from the Copper Peak fire tower line to the county park at Black river has just been completed by Camp Norrie enrollees. The Black river line is five and a half miles long.
The telephone at the park will be installed in the caretaker's home. Besides being of service for fire protection, the line also will be valuable in case of accidents at the park." (Daily Globe)
June 26, 1943: "The sharp eyes of a porcupine as well as those of Frank Cvengros, towerman at the Copper Peak tower, are on the look-out for forest fires in the Ironwood district.
Towerman Cvengros reports that every day when he climbs to his high look-out post, the same beady-eyed porcupine, who has apparently appointed himself the towerman's assistant, appears and scrambles up the 80-foot tower behind him, either by way of the tower ladder or by the angle irons. For the rest of the day, the friendly animal proceeds to make itself at home, sleeping in the sun. For amusement, it sits and knocks its teeth against the angle irons hour after hour.
When the towerman wants to get rid of it he merely throws some water and it obediently scampers down the 80 feet of angle iron to the ground--only to return in an hour or so for another visit.
Towerman Cvengros reports that the porcupine seems to have some strange sixth sense. It never attempts to climb the tower if he is only on duty one or two hours a day, apparently not thinking it worth the energy. The towerman has seen it only on those days on which he has worked his full eight hours." (Adrian Daily Telegram)
Towerman Cvengros reports that every day when he climbs to his high look-out post, the same beady-eyed porcupine, who has apparently appointed himself the towerman's assistant, appears and scrambles up the 80-foot tower behind him, either by way of the tower ladder or by the angle irons. For the rest of the day, the friendly animal proceeds to make itself at home, sleeping in the sun. For amusement, it sits and knocks its teeth against the angle irons hour after hour.
When the towerman wants to get rid of it he merely throws some water and it obediently scampers down the 80 feet of angle iron to the ground--only to return in an hour or so for another visit.
Towerman Cvengros reports that the porcupine seems to have some strange sixth sense. It never attempts to climb the tower if he is only on duty one or two hours a day, apparently not thinking it worth the energy. The towerman has seen it only on those days on which he has worked his full eight hours." (Adrian Daily Telegram)