Dennis:
Lots of memories in that photo...I lived there! I lived in
one of Paul Herveat's apartments over Surplus Outlet and
the Sherwin Williams paint store, which would be the building
at the very left-hand edge of the photo. In fact, I still
have daily memories of that time. Herveat was known for being
cheap and not keeping much pressure in the boiler, so very
little heat made it up to the apartments on the second floor.
My apartment was at the back of the building and overlooked
the Portage. When the winter winds whipped down the canal,
it got blue-fingernail cold.
The apartment had an extra-long (5.5 ft), cast iron, lion's paw bathtub.
If that tub could talk, I'd be in big trouble! The bathroom was a sizeable
8' x 12', and because it had a radiator but no exterior windows, it was
the warmest room in the place. I think my friends and I did everything
but eat there. I remember a couple good parties! Lined with floor pillows,
the tub would comfortably seat three.
I left Tech for a year to recover from brain overload, and after my
return, I moved back into the same apartment building. Herveat
sold the building, and and the new owners decided to do a bit of remodeling,
starting with the bathroom of my old apartment. The cast
iron tub sat in the hallway for a week, so I asked the landlord what
he was going to do with it. He told me if I wanted it, to haul it away
and it was mine. I immediately called a couple friends, and we put the
tub into the back of my F150, where it provided traction weight for the
winter. Everybody joked about "Lisa and her bathtub-drive truck!"
That spring, I took the tub home, and it got stored upside down, on
a pallet behind a shed, in my mom's yard in Wisconsin, for the next 20
years. Fast forward to 2003, when I had a bunch of my grandparents' furniture
shipped up to me here in Alaska. My mom wanted the space back, so she
drove that tub down to Illinois, where it got added to the shipment going
north. When I got running water in 2004 (which was a big deal after 15
years in a dry cabin about five miles outside Fairbanks), that bathtub
was one of the first things that got hooked up. I may be thousands of
miles away, but I think of Houghton and Tech every day when I look at
my antique bathtub.
Other memories I have from that photo:
*Lakeview Lounge is where I learned to play Pong, the only video game
I've ever been good at!. The Lakeview is also where the rock band Head
East went for a drink after they did a concert in the ice arena. When
the bar closed, a friend brought most of the band and their road crew
over to my place because it was only half a block away and he knew I
wouldn't mind. The party continued until morning.
*I bought a large basket-style clothes hamper real cheap at Newberry's
going-out-of-business sale. I cut out the bottom, attached suspenders
to the top so I could wear it, turned the lid into a hat, and dressed
up as a Basket Case for Halloween that year. Lots of fun, but not so
good when it came time to get rid of used beer.
*I see the parking deck is there, but I don't see the Golden Arches.
When the McDonalds first opened, folks were very confused about needing
to go onto the parking deck in order to get to the drive-thru. McDonalds
later put up a small Golden Arches sign at the entrance of the deck indicating
the way to the drive-up window.
Lisa Sporleder
When I was two quarters away from the Mining Engineering
degree I started in '78, I changed majors. I got my B.S. in Scientific
and Technical Communications in '87
***
Lakeview Lounge was ahead of its time ---It was "Green" in
the 70's-early 80's recycling glass juice jugs to use instead of pitchers
serve of beer …was more of a local hangout but would serve anybody…at
least I don't recall anyone ever being carded there…
Laura M. Nagel
Director, Operations
Ford Component Sales, LLC
***
If memory serves me right, and looking at the cars, that picture was
taken not too long after the parking deck was still considered “new”!
Newberry’s was a step up in quality from Woolworth’s, and
these were both long before we ever heard of Pamida or Wal-Mart.
The Lakeview Lounge was a bar and pool table in the front,
and two pool tables and tables in the back. Long before they
ever thought of dancing on a regular basis, since it was
mostly a locals bar, and not really a student hang out, from
what I remember. Juke box and Pabst on tap. The food selection
consisted of chips, plain or BBQ. They had pickled eggs for
awhile, but no where near the quality of the B and B. Kukkonen’s
on the corner was where you went to buy your Hallmark cards
and gifts. Very nice family from Hancock. Of course, in Houghton/Hancock,
they are all good people! Swift’s hardware; Paul and Betty Swift
were 2 great people as well. We sat next to them at the hockey
games at Dee Stadium. Great MTU supporters and a wonderful
family as well.
Thanks for the jogging of the mind to get me to go down memory lane
a bit.
Take care,
Paul Meese
***
Not only did I graduate from MTU (1973), but I grew up in Houghton.
I have fond memories of having a Coke at the little lunch counter in
Newberry's. It was a pretty big deal back then. I'm guessing that was
back in the very early '60's.
Jill (Stevens/Jury) Somrock, 1973
***
Having lived in Houghton from 1971 until 1987, I was there when this
photo of Shelden Avenue was taken. Any blanks you need filled
in? I remember Kukkonen’s drive through card shop in particular.
I was the first to use the drive in feature on a late, icy
Thanksgiving night in 1976. I turned down Pewabic Street from Montezuma
intending to head back on Shelden. As soon as I started going down hill
I knew I was in trouble. The road was very slippery with the brakes having
no effect at all. This was before the parking deck was built behind the
downtown stores (parking deck sign shown in the picture)
and Lakeshore drive existed. If I didn’t
make the turn onto Shelden, I figured I would accelerate
down Pewabic and into the Portage. It was too slippery to
make the turn and I ended up in the window of the card shop. This killed
my old Rambler and the card shop window. I was a small participant in
the history of Shelden Avenue.
Ken Williams
Class of ‘75
Editor's Note: Ken, thanks for the great story. I know
the Kukkonen's from Hancock: Phil is retiring as our district
judge. Carl and Shirley, who owned the store, are still around
in the summers. Their grandson, Zach, is a sportswriter at
the Gazette.
***
Looking at the North side of Houghton Ave in a westerly direction.
I never saw SNOWSHOES in a hardware store before I went in
there.
Actually never saw snowshoes before.
Never went in the Lakeview, but I think it was a decent place
for drinks and dinner.
Legal drinking age was 18 then.
Michael Binder 1975
***
Hi Dennis,
Your article about businesses on Shelden
Avenue reminded me of one experience I had
there in 1963. I had received $20.00 in the
mail from my parents as a birthday gift while
attending Michigan Tech and decided to "splurge".
I went to the Army Surplus store near the
end of Shelden Avenue and bought a pair of
Michigan snow shoes .... for $19.95. I imagine
the price has gone up quite a lot since then!
I still have them, but have not found much
use of them now that I live in Kentucky.
Your "fill in the blank" idea brought
back some fond memories.
Thanks & Regards, Wayne Trombley BSME
'67
***
Hi Dennis,
You asked for any memories of the buildings shown in the
latest on-line newsletter. Yup, I can vividly remember going
into Swift's True Value Hardware and purchasing my first
snow scoop. That was during the winter of 1968. I still have
it and use it every winter here! I guess the manufacturer
hadn't heard of the "planned obsolescence" concept
in those days <g>.
Doug Davies '69
***
[Swift Hardware] It was the place to get an industrial broom with a
1 ¼” handle.
Add some tape to the handle, trim it up, and lots of duct tape……
You
then had an indestructible broomball broom that would snap
other like match sticks. It was also longer than most brooms so playing
defense with it gave you tremendous reach and the weight gave you
a heavy shot that had the power of an illegal slap shot.
Mine
lasted all the years I was at Tech and finally went to the trash when
moving out of my first house.
Ricky A. DeVisch, P.E.
Editor's Note: Swift's is still downtown, but it moved
a block east. And it still sells lots of brooms, when broomball
season starts, and Yooper scoops.
Senator
Carl Levin 
Professor
Bill Sproule 
Andrea
Metz 
Robert
Haynes 
Silvia
Oliveros-Torres 
The
Consensus: Upper row (L
to R): Brian Hoag, woman?, Tom ?, Werner ?
