David Jonies concerts

Janet Anuta Dalquist holds degrees from Macalester College, McCormick Theological Seminary, and the University of Michigan. She began playing for church services at the age of 12, served as a substitute organist in various churches from 1956–1988, and in 1989 was appointed organist at Portage Lake United Church (UPUSA/UCC), Houghton, Michigan. She is a co-founder of the Organists of the Keweenaw and holds memberships in the AGO, PAM, ALCM, OHS and the Hymn Society. As a professional academic librarian, she served as director of the Suomi College (now Finlandia University) library from 1968 to 1984 and as collection manager of the J. Robert Van Pelt Library at Michigan Technological University in Houghton from 1984 to 1994.

Trinity Episcopal Church
205 East Montezuma, Houghton, MI 49931; 906/482-2010.
Austin, 1913, 3M, 26 ranks; new console, 1958; rebuilt with new console, 1976; rebuilt, Roscoe Wheeler, Iron Mountain, MI, 1987; repaired, including reinstallation of the Echo organ, Lauck, 2004.
Placement: chancel, right side, in well facing the opposite side

GREAT
8' Open Diapason Rank 1
8' Clarabella Rank 2
8' Dulciana Choir
4' Octave Rank 3
4' Stopped Flute Choir
2' Fifteenth (ext of Rank 1)
III Mixture Ranks 4-5-6
Great 16
Great 4
Great Unison Off
Swell to Great 16, 8, 4
Choir to Great 16, 8, 4
Echo on Great
Echo on Great Off
Chimes (Echo) 25 bars

SWELL
16' Bourdon Rank 12
8' Rohrflute Rank 13
8' Viole d’Orchestre Rank 14
4' Geigen Principal Rank 15
4' Flute Harmonique Rank 16
22⁄3' Nazard Rank 17
2' Flautino Rank 18
8' Cornopean Rank 19
8' Oboe Rank 20
Tremolo
Swell 16, 4
Swell Unison Off

CHOIR
8' Violin Cello Rank 7
8' Spitzflute Rank 8
8' Dulciana Rank 9
4' Flute Rank 10
8' Clarinet Rank 11
Tremolo
Choir 16, 4
Choir Unison Off
Swell to Choir 16, 8, 4

ECHO
8' Chimney Flute Rank 21
8' Viole Aetheria Rank 22
8' Vox Angelica Rank 23
4' Fern Flute Rank 24
8' Cor Anglais Rank 25
8' Vox Humana Rank 26
Tremolo
Chimes 25 Bars
16' Pedal Bourdon (ext of Rank 21)

PEDAL
32' Resultant Bass Wired
16' Open Diapason (ext of Rank 1)
16' Bourdon Rank 27
16' Contra Dulciana (ext of Rank 9)
16' Gedeckt Swell
8' Flute (ext of Rank 27)
16' Echo Bourdon (ext of Rank 21)
Great to Pedal 8, 4
Swell to Pedal 8, 4
Choir to Pedal 8, 4

Programmable thumb pistons under each manual
Toe pistons: 10 General; 5 Pedal with some reversibles
Crescendo pedal
Swell expression
Choir expression
Choir and Great are on same wind chest

The forming of the Houghton Episcopal congregation began in 1860. The parish was officially founded in 1861 when the congregation entered into an agreement with members of the Congregational denomination to jointly construct a building in Hancock. Disagreement followed as to which denomination the building would be dedicated. The Episcopalians, who comprised the majority of the joint church board, floated the building across Portage Lake to Houghton to the site of the present church. Construction on the present church began in 1907 and was completed in 1910 when it was dedicated.
The Austin organ was installed in 1912 with the dedicatory service played by Edwin Arthur Kraft of Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, Ohio. The Echo organ was dedicated in 1924 with a recital played by Joseph Kershaw. During a building renovation in the 1970s the wind lines and electrical work to the Echo organ were dismantled. In 2001 Father Ted Durst initiated refurbishing during which time the Echo organ was again connected to the main organ. A re-dedicatory recital was played in 2002 by Deward Rahm of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Chicago, Illinois. (Sources: Centennial History; recital service bulletin)

•

Lake Linden and Hubbell

Heritage Center (former First Congregational Church), Lake Linden, MI. Property of Houghton County Historical Museum Society.
Garret House, Buffalo, New York, 1873–4, 2M/23 stops, tracker, installed 1887; cleaned, Dana Hull, 2001; cleaned and restored, blower replaced 2002, Helmut Schick, Ann Arbor, MI
Placement: left front of sanctuary, bench faces away from audience

GREAT
8' Open Diapason
8' Viol d’Amour (TC)
8' Stopped Diapason Bass
8' Melodia
4' Flute
4' Principal
2' Fifteenth
Tremolo

SWELL (enclosed)
8' Open Diapason
8' Clarabella (TC)
8' Stopped Diapason Bass
8' Stopped Diapason Treble
4' Violina
8' Hautboy (TC)

PEDAL
16' Bourdon

Couplers
Swell to Great
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal

Tracker (mechanical) action; parts and case are all hand-crafted
580 pipes, 12 ranks, 2 manuals, 25 pedals
Hitch-down Swell pedal
May be hand-winded (pumped)

The organ was built in 1873–74 in Buffalo, New York, shipped to Lake Linden, and then transported in 1874 to the Congregational Church in Calumet, which served the wealthy class during the copper boom era. It was replaced there by a larger instrument (Hook & Hastings of Boston) and returned, as a gift from the Calumet church, to the Lake Linden church.
The Lake Linden church was built in 1896 at the cost of $8,325. A museum piece in itself, the building was designed by Holabird & Roche of Chicago in the Victorian Stick style on a non-coursed mine-rock foundation. It was dedicated February 27, 1887, with the dedicatory service being played by Professor Roney, organist of the Michigan Grand Commander of the Knights Templar.
In the summer of 1887 a fire destroyed almost all of Lake Linden, but the frame Congregational Church survived. It housed eight families for several months until new homes were found. The congregation ceased as a church in 1979, and ownership was taken over by the Houghton County Historical Museum. Grants have helped to renovate plumbing, roofing, electrical wiring, heating, and repainting of the outside of the building.
Dana Hull, Ann Arbor, representative of the Organ Historical Society, and Helmut Schick of the University of Michigan cleaned and restored the organ during 2001 and 2002. A new blower replaced the original. (Sources: Taylor; The Daily Mining Gazette)
“Beautifully made, much detail and care; shows growth and refinement in an organ shipped to the hinterlands; finials, medallions in the casework, nice lines in the presentation; some expensive wood here and there, very well cut and finished; excellent pipework.” (Source: e-mail from David Short quoting Dana Hull and Helmut Schick, 10-04-01)

St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Church
Guck Street, Hubbell, MI 49934; 906/296-6971.
A. B. Felgemaker, Erie, Pennsylvania, c1900, 2M, 12 ranks, tracker
Placement: gallery, rear of sanctuary

GREAT
8' Open Diapason
8' Flute
8' Dulciana
4' Octave
2' Super Octave
16' Bourdon
Bellows Signal

SWELL
8' Stopped Diapason
8' Viola
8' Aolina
4' Flute Harmonique
8' Oboe

PEDAL
16' Bourdon

Couplers
Swell to Great
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Tremolo

St. Cecilia Church, organized in 1893 to provide for German, French, and Irish immigrants, was an offshoot of St. Joseph’s Church in Lake Linden. The frame building was dedicated in 1893. It features a stained glass window of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of church music, playing an organ. (Source: e-mail from David Short, 2-14-06)

St. John’s Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
311 Guck Road, Torch Lake Township, Hubbell, MI; 906/296-1022.
Verlinden, 1M, 5 ranks, 1968, Roscoe Wheeler, Iron Mountain, Michigan; 2' flute added, Verlinden, 1977; rebuilt 2006, B. K. Kellogg & Associates*

Stoplist (257 pipes)
8' Open Diapason
8' Flute
8' String
4' Flute
2' Flute
4' Coupler
16' Coupler
Tremulant
*Rebuilding 2006 (354 pipes)

8' Principal
8' Holz Gedackt
8' Traverse Flute
8' Dulciana
8' Unda Maris TC
4' Octave
4' Traverse Flute
2' Octave
16' Coupler
4' Coupler
Tremulant

Crescendo pedal
No pedal organ
No presets

The church was formed on May 15, 1893 by twelve men who gave the congregation the name “Saint Johannes Congregation.” The white frame building was dedicated August 13, 1893. The organ was installed by Verlinden in 1968. The open pipes of this unique instrument are mounted in the rear gallery of the sanctuary. The rope for the steeple bell descends amidst the pipes. The console is placed at one end of the gallery. The first part of the dedication service in November 1968 was played on the existing electronic instrument. During the service the pastor, Frank J. Schulz, demonstrated the newly installed pipe organ, and the remainder of the service was played on that instrument. A 2' flute rank was added in 1977 as a memorial to the longtime organist.
The organ was rebuilt during 2006. Relay switches, console stop controls, key contacting systems and wiring were replaced, and the leather on the wind regulator, the tremulant and the wooden pipe stoppers renewed. Interior actions were reconditioned as needed and one rank of pipes was added. Cost was $16,000. (Source: e-mail from organist June Peterson, 2-4-06)

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church
701 Calumet Street, Lake Linden, MI 49945; 906/296-6851.
Casavant Frères Opus 41, 1916, tubular pneumatic; overhauled by Pipe Organ Craftsmen, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1957; converted to electro-pneumatic, Verlinden, 1982; dismantled and cleaned, new console, J. A. Hebert & Son Associates, Troy, Michigan, 1995; enlarged to meet original specifications by Lauck Pipe Organ Company, Otsego, Michigan, 2001*. 2M/23 stops, 25 ranks, electro-pneumatic.
Placement: rear gallery, right side of console to front of church

GRAND-ORGUE
8' Montre 65 pipes
8' Melodia 65 pipes
8' Dulciana 65 pipes
4' Prestant 61 pipes
22⁄3' Quint* 61 pipes
2' Doublette* 61 pipes
III Fourniture* 183 pipes
8' Trompette* 61 pipes
4' Grand-Orgue to Grand-Orgue

RÉCIT (enclosed)
8' Principal 65 pipes
8' Bourdon 65 pipes
8' Viola di Gamba 65 pipes
8' Voix Céleste 53 pipes
4' Flute Harmonique 65 pipes
2' Octavin* 61 pipes
II Sesquialtera TC* 98 pipes
8' Hautbois 65 pipes
4' Chalumeau* 61 pipes
Tremulant
4' Récit to Récit

PÉDALE
16' Bourdon 30 pipes
16' Gedeckt 30 pipes
8' Flute Bouchée 12 pipes
4' Prestant* 32 pipes
16' Bombarde*(ext G-O) 12 pipes
4' Chalumeau Recit

Tirasses
8' Grand-Orgue/Pédale
4' Grand-Orgue/Pédale
8' Récit/Pédale
4' Récit/Pédale
16' Récit/Grand Orgue
8' Récit/Grand Orgue
4' Récit/Grand-Orgue

*Added stops 2001
23 stops, 25 ranks, 1340 pipes

Combination pistons:
6 thumb pistons, Swell
8 thumb pistons, Great
6 thumb pistons, Pedal
8 general pistons (thumb/toe)
8 memory levels - Peterson

St. Joseph Church was founded and the first building dedicated in 1871. In 1902 a new structure was built on the same site. The Casavant Frères organ was installed in the rear gallery in 1916 with the dedicatory recital played by the Rev. Father Dobblestein, O.Praem., thought to be from DePere, Wisconsin. The pipework is believed to have been made in Canada and the workmen from South Haven, Michigan. During the late 1990s, through the efforts of director of music and organist David Short and Father Eric Olson, the organ was cleaned and the console replaced. In 2001 twelve ranks were added by the Lauck Organ Company, Otsego, Michigan. (Source: church brochure)

Lake Linden United Methodist Church
53237 N. Avenue, Lake Linden, MI.
Lancashire-Marshall, Moline, Illinois, 1893, $2100, 2M/19 ranks, tracker, pneumatic assist pedal; Hugh Stahl, 1950
Placement: center front of chancel, keydesk back of pulpit facing the case

GREAT (58 notes)
8' Open Diapason
8' Dulciana
8' Melodia
4' Octave
4' Flute Harmonique
22⁄3' Twelfth
2' Fifteenth
16' Trompette
Tremolo
Pedal Check
Bellows Signal

SWELL (enclosed)
16' Lieblich Gedact
16' Bourdon Bass
8' Open Diapason
8' Stopped Diapason
8' Aeoline
8' Salicional
4' Flauto Traverso
4' Fugara
2' Flautino
8' Oboe

PEDAL (27 notes) (pneumatic)
16' Bourdon
8' Flute

Couplers
Swell to Great
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal

5 pedal presets, loud to soft
Original cost: $2100
Additi
onal work done by Hugh Stahl
The Methodist Church was formed shortly after 1868, the year that two Methodist missionaries had been assigned to organize a Sunday School in the Lake Linden area. The present sanctuary was built and dedicated in 1886.
The organ was installed in 1893 and considered something of a “wonder.” At one point, an organist traveled to Lake Linden from Houghton and stayed the day so as to play both morning and evening services. The organ was originally winded by hand, and the blower was installed after World War I, much earlier than work done by Stahl. It is thought he may have worked on the pneumatics in the two pedal ranks, possibly doing needed repairs, and affixed the company tab to the keydesk at that time. Roscoe Wheeler of Iron Mountain, Michigan, did maintenance on the organ for many years prior to James Lauck taking over in 2001. (Source: e-mail from David Short, 2-14-06)

St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church
71 Michigan Ave., Rockland, MI.
Garret House, 1859. On board inside case: “1859 - Irish Hollow - Ontonagon - Lake Superior - Michigan”
The oldest pipe organ in Michigan, by 12 years. Thought by Dana Hull and Helmut Schick of Ann Arbor to be one of the first organs built by Garret House, possibly made from a template instrument, roughcut, less refined than the Lake Linden instrument. The congregation is still active. This organ must be restored.
(Source: Short)

Bibliography

Books, Pamphlets, Magazines
Butler, Ruth Gibson. Centennial History, 1860–1960. With photos from Mr. and Mrs. George Pruner. Hancock, MI: Trinity Episcopal Church [1960]
Fisher, James and Good, R. Allen. 100th Anniversary of the First Congregational Church, 1862–1962. Hancock, MI [1962]
Holmio, Armas K. E. History of the Finns in Michigan. Translated by Ellen M. Ryynanen. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2001.
Lankton, Larry. Beyond the Boundaries: Life and Landscape at the Lake Superior Copper Mines, 1840–1875. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Monette, Clarence J. Churches of Hancock (Hancock, Michigan Remembered, vol. II; Twenty-fifth of a Local History Series). Lake Linden, MI: Welden H. Curtin, c1985.
Murdoch, Angus. Boom Copper: the Story of the First U.S. Mining Boom. New York: Macmillan, 1943. Nordberg, Erick. “From the Archives: Just like the Montreal Forum.” Michigan Tech Alumnus (April 2000), Houghton, MI: Michigan Technological University.
“Restoring the tracker organ—15th century design for the 21st century.” Newsletter (Fall 2001), Lake Linden, MI: Houghton County Historical Society.
Reynolds, Terry S. Grace of Houghton: A History of Grace United Methodist Church, Houghton, Michigan, first edition. Houghton, MI: Grace United Methodist Church, 2004.
Thurner, Arthur W. Strangers and Sojourners: a History of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1994.

Brochures and Bulletins
Blessing and rededication of the organ. [Service bulletin, April 22, 2001.] St. Joseph Church, Lake Linden, MI.
[Brochure with photos (c1984) by Eric Munch]. St. Paul the Apostle Church, Calumet, MI. [n.d.]
Celebrating 140 Years: 1861–2001. First United Methodist Church, Hancock, MI.
Brochure about Estey Organ Museum. Brattleboro, VT, February 2006.
Historic Churches of Calumet. Research and technical assistance by Ed Yarbrough and the Keweenaw National Historic Park. Calumet Heritage Celebration 2001 Committee.
Keweenaw Family Resource Center: Benefit organ recital [Service Bulletin, October 13, 2002]. Trinity Episcopal Church. Houghton, MI.
Organ dedicatory service & recital [Service Bulletin, March 29, 1998]. Sts. Peter & Paul Lutheran Church, Hancock, MI: 1998.
Stetter, Charles. How Our New Pipe Organ Came About [Service Bulletin, November 5, 1970. Organ Dedication]. Mimeographed copy of original kept in the organ chamber. Calumet Congregational Church.
The History of the First Congregational Church of Lake Linden: now the Houghton Country Heritage Center. Program production by Andrew McInnes. Houghton County Heritage Center [Lake Linden, MI: n.d.].
Work to be done on the pipe organ of St. Joseph Church. [Brochure with photos] St. Joseph Church, Lake Linden, MI, n.d.]

Newspaper Articles
“Arts, Culture & Heritage.” The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI), July 31, 1994.
Burack, Susan. “The Organs of Lake Linden: carrying the tune of tradition.” The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI), July 31, 1994.
“Church marks 110 years.” The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI), August 8, 2003.
“First Presbyterian Church of Houghton buys Maxcy organ.” The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI) [1930–33?] [photocopy].
Fisher, Nancy Beth. “Saving the music; restoring the 1874 Garret House organ.” The Marquette Monthly: arts & humanities (Marquette, MI), August, 2001. “Museum gets grant for organ.” The Marquette Monthly: arts & humanities (Marquette, MI), July, 2001.
Taylor, Richard. “Renowned organist to dedicate restored organ in Lake Linden.” The Marquette Monthly: arts & humanities (Marquette, MI), August 2003.

E-mail Notes and Personal Sources
Arten, Kathleen. Organist, Community Church, Calumet, MI.
Halkola, David and Viola. Members, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.
Hokenson, Ron. Pastor, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1960s.
List, Jan. Organist, St. Paul MSL Church, Laurium, MI.
Peterson, June. 2 February 2006. Organist, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Hubbell, MI.
Photo St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Dawson City, Yukon, 1995, taken by author.
Seaton, Lois Isaac. Member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.
Short, David. Numerous e-mail notes and conversations. Director of Music and Organist, St. Joseph’s RC Church, Lake Linden, MI.
Waisanen, Carol. 13 February 2006. Organist, First United Methodist Church, Hancock, MI.
[Correspondence from Fabry, Inc. with Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 9 July 2001]

Introduction

The Keweenaw Peninsula, the northernmost part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. The land was mined by prehistoric miners, starting in 3,000 B.C., and has produced over 1.5 billion pounds of pure copper. Its major industries are now logging and tourism. The northern end, referred to locally as Copper Island, is separated from the rest of the peninsula by the Keweenaw Waterway, a natural river that was dredged and expanded in the 1860s across the peninsula between the cities of Houghton on the south side and Hancock on the north.
The Keweenaw’s importance in mining led to the founding of the Michigan College of Mines (now Michigan Technological University) in Houghton in 1885. From 1964–1971, the University of Michigan cooperated with NASA and the U.S. Navy to run the Keweenaw Rocket launch site.
In the Keweenaw, many artifacts, buildings, and locations have been documented and preserved for local historical museums and the Keweenaw National Historic Park. What have not been documented are the historic pipe organs in the area. It is the intent of this article to do that. Included are a brief description and history of each church structure and a description, stoplist, and photos for each pipe organ featured. Information was gleaned from books about the area, brochures and bulletins from the individual churches, clippings from Upper Peninsula newspapers, and people—the local organists and pastors and local historic preservationist, Ed Yarbrough. A bibliography is included at the end of the catalog.
In 1995 the Pine Mountain Music Festival (PMMF) for the first time included a pipe organ recital and work-shop in their concert schedule. Two major events happened at that time. First, the Keweenaw group formed the Organists of the Keweenaw, and since then we have met three or four times a year sharing in presenting programs for each other. The second event was an organ crawl to visit the historic organs that David Short had “rediscovered” thirty years earlier. Shortly after, I began collecting material for a catalog of the Keweenaw organs.
David Short has been a partner with me in the collection of this material. In his early enthusiasm he became acquainted with all the instruments listed and registered some of them with the Organ Historical Society. I am indebted to him for providing access to the buildings and the instruments and providing much of the history. I collected the stoplists, wrote the histories from the collected sources, did all the photography, and formatted the information. He read the draft and corrected technical errors. It is to him that I dedicate this catalog. Errors are strictly my own.
These magnificent music machines are a valuable historic resource in the Keweenaw. They reflect the boom days of the copper mining era when people of wealth who lived in the area sought the best music for their churches and arranged for the purchase of these instruments. To replace any one of these pipe organs at this time would cost a minimum of $200,000 and many times more for the larger instruments. Their great value requires regular maintenance and care similar to any other major investment such as automobile or home. Well-maintained pipe organs live for centuries. A loss of any one of the Keweenaw pipe organs is a loss of history, loss of a valuable asset, and, because they are wind instruments similar to the human voice, a loss of the very best way to lead the people of a congregation in their song.
We hope this catalog will trigger interest in the organs of the Keweenaw from the local folk as well as travelers to this unique place. To see the organs, visitors may contact the church offices to make arrangements for a convenient visit.

History

People have always had their songs. Prior to the boom of the music publishing industry in the early 1900s, people matched their voices with whatever instruments they had—homemade or store-bought. Angus Murdoch writes in Boom Copper of the “Grand Callithumpian” parade in Calumet (Boom Copper, 1943, 199), where bands from all over the Copper Country gathered for the Fourth of July celebration. The bands were from mining companies, lodges and guilds, various “locations,” and represented various ethnic groups. Larry Lankton quotes Bishop Baraga being surprised at “the fast spreading of civilization on the shores of Lake Superior . . . [where] there was even a piano on which a young American woman played very skillfully . . . Many settlers undoubtedly brought musical instruments with them. Others special-ordered instruments at frontier stores. By as early as 1849–50, John Senter’s store in Eagle River did a modest trade in musical instruments, selling an accordion, a melodion, bass violas and bows, a violin and bow, guitars and guitar strings. Flageolets, and a German flute, a tuning fork, and a violin and cello instruction book” (Beyond the Boundaries 1997, 168–169). The ethnic folk brought with them their song. They sang drinking songs, folk songs, or parlor songs such as published in The Gray Book of Favorite Songs, and they sang their hymns. Much of what defined ethnic identity and culture through the decades was the song of the church in their hymnals. Indeed, the religious belief of people is, in large part, learned and remembered from the words and tunes of their hymns. It was only in the last decades of the 20th century that some foreign-language hymnals ceased to be used and the hymns begun to be sung in English. During all that time the leader of that song was, and still is, the organ.
Reed pump organs were common in both church and home. Thurner, in writing about the early 20th century, quotes Clare Moyer who recalled a pump organ in her home (Strangers and Sojourners, 1994, 187). Most likely, church congregations that could not afford pipe organs bought reed pump organs instead. Some of these instruments, now over 100 years old, still survive. At least two are currently used during summer services in local chapels. Others, also in working order, can be seen in local museums.
Acquisition of pipe organs probably reflected the wealth of the congregation. Some instruments from the late 19th century cost little over $2000. The Boom Copper folks wanted for their local churches what they had had “out East”—the pipe organ. This was not uncommon for people in remote areas. During the “Gold Rush” in Canada’s Dawson City in the Yukon, a frame Presbyterian Church, built to hold 650 people, had a pipe organ, which had been shipped to the church by steamboat up the Yukon River. The Congregational Church in Calumet bought a Garret House organ in 1870 from the manufacturer in Buffalo, New York. It was shipped—keydesk, 16' metal and wood pipes and all—to Lake Linden and then transported up the hill to Calumet. Some time later, the congregation decided to get a larger organ and bought a Hook & Hastings instrument, again from “out East.” The Garret House was given to the Lake Linden Church and made the journey back down the hill. Sad to say, the Calumet church met with disaster when both the building and the organ were destroyed by fire. The congregation joined with the Presbyterian congregation that had in their building a 1905 Estey organ.
Both the Estey, which was rebuilt in 1970, and the Garret House, which has been cleaned and reconditioned, are still in use. There is a great irreplaceable investment in the Keweenaw pipe organs! Thurner writes that the German Lutherans in Laurium built a church “early in the twentieth century [which had] an altar with elaborate wood carving, three steeple bells, and an organ . . . ” (Strangers and Sojourners, 134). Armas Holmio describes the Finnish Lutheran Church that was built in 1889 on Reservation Street in Hancock: “In the balcony of the new church, which was the most imposing one owned by Finnish Americans of that time, there was a large pipe organ . . . ” (History of the Finns in Michigan, 2001, 188). That organ, a Kilgen dating from 1915, was moved to the newly constructed Gloria Dei building after the Lutheran Church mergers in 1964.
The Houghton Methodists suffered several fires, the last one in 1916 destroying a pipe organ, according to Terry Reynolds’ history of the church (Grace of Houghton, 37). Until their new building was erected, the Methodists worshiped for a time with the First Presbyterians on Franklin Square, and then separately in the Masonic Temple. When the Methodists decided to purchase an organ for their new church, the Presbyterians apparently took advantage of the opportunity. Both churches dealt with the same company during the same period of time and ended up with similar instruments, the Methodists’ Maxcy-Barton organ being somewhat larger. When the Presbyterian church was razed to allow for highway expansion down Montezuma Hill, their Maxcy-Barton was purchased by a local party and installed in the family home.
Sadly, the same did not happen for the large Austin organ in the First Congregational Church of Hancock, which was razed about the same time. The music history of that church, which included among others the notable baritone Will Hall, was impressive. The organ had played a huge musical role in the church and community, but unfortunately could find no local home, and was sold to a party outside of the area.
Another organ has lain in state for over 30 years. When one local church closed, no home could be found for the pipe organ. Pastor John Simonson dismantled the instrument and made plans to install it in an enlarged garage on his property. The project was not completed, and the organ now awaits resurrection, hopefully to be placed in the St. Anne Heritage Center in Calumet, where it could be used for concerts, weddings, and other events and to echo the music of the ethnic people of the area.
The Keweenaw boasts pipe organs dating from 1870 to 1968. All are in working order and in regular use, and several are tracker organs. All of the Keweenaw tracker organs now have electric blowers; however, two of the trackers can still be hand pumped. One has a detached and reversed keydesk. Several of the Keweenaw organs are in their original state with no changes having been made. They were installed with electric blowers and with either electro-pneumatic or electro-magnetic action. Three have been moved to different locations. Although the consoles have been moved in at least two churches, the innards of the instruments remain the same. One organ has been enlarged to meet the specifications for the original instrument. Others have been so enlarged with additional pipes and digital circuitry that they no longer resemble the original instrument. Only two organs have three manuals. One has an echo organ placed at the opposite end of the sanctuary from the main organ chamber. Another is a beautiful one-manual, no-pedalboard organ with fully exposed pipes. The Keweenaw pipe organs are irreplaceable treasures, a legacy from those folks of the Boom Copper days who sought to bring the best of instruments to their churches for their peoples’ song. These are instruments worthy of preservation, care, and constant use. Let them be heard!

Pipe Organs of the Keweenaw, Houghton County, Michigan

Calumet, Laurium
Community Church, Calumet. Estey, 1907; Verlinden 2M, 1970
St. Paul the Apostle, Calumet. Kilgen 2M, 1869; Lauck, 2001
St. Paul Lutheran (Missouri Synod), Laurium. Schuelke 2M, 1902; Verlinden, 1963

Hancock, Houghton
First United Methodist, Hancock. Kimball 2M, 1905; electro-pneumatic 1958; refurbished, Lauck, 2005
Gloria Dei Lutheran, Hancock. Kilgen 2M, 1915?; moved to new location 1969; rebuilt and enlarged, Fabry, 2000
Grace United Methodist, Houghton. Maxcy-Barton, 1931; rebuilt, Verlinden, 1971
Michigan Technological University. Wurlitzer, 3M, c1920; installed at MTU, John Wagner, Wicks, 1970–1975
David and Carol Waisanen residence. Maxcy-Barton 2M, c1931–1933; moved from original location, 1975
Sts. Peter & Paul Lutheran (Missouri Synod), Hancock. Haase 2M, 1901; modified and electrified, Haase, 1960; rebuilt, Roscoe Wheeler, 1997
Trinity Episcopal, Houghton. Austin 3M, 1913, 1976, 1987

Lake Linden, Hubbell
Heritage Center (former First Congregational Church), Houghton County Historical Museum, Lake Linden. Garret House 2M, 1870; cleaned, Dana Hull, 2001; restored, Helmut Schick, 2002
St. Cecilia RC, Hubbell. Felgemaker 2M, c1900
St. John’s Lutheran (Missouri Synod), Hubbell. Verlinden 1M, 1968
St. Joseph’s RC, Lake Linden. Casavant Frères 2M, 1916; overhauled 1957; electro-pneumatic, Verlinden, 1982; cleaned, new console, J. A. Hebert, 1995; additions, Lauck, 2001
Lake Linden United Methodist, Lake Linden. Lancashire-Marshall 2M, 1893; Hugh Stahl, 1950

Keweenaw area
Rockland Roman Catholic. Garret House, 1859 (not functional)

Calumet and Laurium

Community Church of Calumet
201 Red Jacket Road, Calumet, MI 49913; 906/337-4610.
Estey tracker 1907; rebuilt, Verlinden “incorporating most of the stops from the original organ,” electro-pneumatic, 1970. 2M/28 stops, 16 ranks
Placement: center front of sanctuary in well of choir loft, facing organ chamber

GREAT (enclosed)
8' Open Diapason 61 pipes
8' Melodia 61 pipes
8' Dulciana 61 pipes
4' Octave 61 pipes
4' Waldflote 12 pipes
2' Fifteenth 12 pipes
II Grave Mixture 122 pipes
8' Trumpet 61 notes
16' Great to Great
4' Great to Great
8' Swell to Great
4' Swell to Great
Four combination pistons

SWELL (enclosed)
16' Bourdon 73 notes
8' Stopped Diapason 73 pipes
8' Salicional 73 pipes
8' Voix Celeste TC 49 pipes
4' Principal 73 pipes
4' Flute d’Amour 12 pipes
4' Salicet 61 notes
22⁄3' Nazard 61 notes
2' Principal 61 notes
2' Flautino 61 notes
13⁄5' Tierce 57 notes
8' Trumpet 73 pipes
4' Clarion 61 notes
Tremolo
16' Swell to Swell
4' Swell to Swell
Swell Unison Off
Four combination pistons

PEDAL (enclosed)
16' Bourdon 32 pipes
16' Lieblich Gedeckt 12 pipes
8' Octave 12 pipes
8' Bass Flute 32 notes
8' Gedeckt 32 notes
4' Choral Bass 32 notes
8' Trumpet 32 notes
8' Great to Pedal
8' Swell to Pedal
4' Great to Pedal

Deagan Chimes - 21 bells
Expression pedal for entire organ
Crescendo pedal
Sforzando toe piston
Great to pedal reversible toe piston

The Calumet Congregational Church was the church of James MacNaughton and Alexander Agassiz and represented the elite and wealthy of the community. The original church, built in 1874, burned down in 1949. In 1971 the congregation merged with the Calumet Presbyterian Church, which had been built in 1894 to serve the Scottish Presbyterians in the area. The merged churches, first named the Federated Church, then became the Community Church of Calumet (Congregational-Presbyterian). In 2005 the congregation separated from the Presbyterian Church (USA) in order to lease the basement facilities to the Copper Country Community Arts Council. It retains affiliation with the United Church of Christ.
The organ was originally built from two Estey trackers from Brattleboro, Vermont. Estey was in business from 1846–1960 and manufactured more than 3,200 pipe organs during the first half of the 20th century. On November 5, 1969, the Calumet organ was removed by Verlinden Organ Company, Milwaukee. Roman J. Leese, president of Verlinden, designed a new chamber, and the organ was reinstalled with most of the original pipes on July 13, 1970. It was converted to electro-pneumatic, and the console was moved from next to the chamber to a well at the opposite side of the choir loft. It is totally under expression. The first service with the new installation was played July 17, 1970, with James Abrams at the console. Dedicatory recitalist on November 5, 1970, was Harvey L. Gustafson. (Source: church records by Charles Stetter)

St. Paul the Apostle Church
301 Eighth Street, Calumet, MI 49913; 906/337-2044.
Kilgen, 1905, reverse tracker, 2M, 17 stops; oak, 18' wide, 9' deep; original cost $4,000. Rebuilt, cleaned, new trackers, manuals regulated, 1 stop* added, Lauck, 2001. Pneumatic pedal, hand pump preserved.
Placement: rear balcony, facing front of sanctuary

GREAT
8' Open Diapason
8' Trompette*
8' Melodia
4' Octave
4' Flute d’Amour
2' Fifteenth
16' Bourdon

SWELL (enclosed)
8' Violin Diapason
8' Salicional
8' Aeoline
8' Oboe Gamba (2 ranks, non-reed)
8' Stopped Diapason
4' Violina
4' Flute Harmonique
2' Flautina
Swell to Great
Tremolo

PEDAL
16' Bourdon
8' Violon Cello
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal

Pneumatic assist
Five foot pedals: soft to loud

The parish was established in 1889 by Slovenian immigrants and was originally named St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church. The original 1890 wood frame building was destroyed by fire in 1902. The new twin-spired church was built of Jacobsville sandstone from 1903 to 1908 at the cost $100,000. In 1928 St. Joseph’s Parish absorbed St. Anthony’s Polish Parish. After 1966 they absorbed St. Mary’s (Italian), St. Anne’s (French), St. John’s (Croatian), and took the name St. Paul the Apostle Parish. The structure was designated an Historical Building in the State of Michigan in 1983.
The 1905 Kilgen organ is a reverse tracker. Although operating with electric power, the organ retains the original pump and can be operated in that manner. (Source: church brochure)

St. Paul Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
146 Tamarack, Laurium, MI 49913; 906/337-0231.
Schuelke, 1902; rebuilt Verlinden, 1963
Placement: rear balcony, right side of console faces the front of the sanctuary

GREAT
8' Diapason
8' Melodia
8' Dulciana
4' Principal
III Mixture
8' Trumpet
16' Great
4' Great
Great Unison Off
16' Swell to Great
8' Swell to Great
4' Swell to Great
Chimes
Tremulant

SWELL
8' Geigen
8' Bourdon
8' Salicional
8' Celeste
4' Harmonic Flute
2' Fifteenth
II Sesquialtera
16' Krummhorn
8' Krummhorn
8' Trumpet
4' Fagotto
16' Swell
4' Swell
Swell Unison Off
Chimes
Tremulant

PEDAL
16' Bourdon
8' Octave Bass
4' Fagotto
8' Great to Pedal
8' Swell to Pedal
4' Great to Pedal
4' Swell to Pedal

Presets are inside the organ chamber

The congregation formed in 1879. The first church building was located on Scott Street in Calumet. The present building was dedicated 1899.
The Schuelke tracker organ was given to the congregation in 1902 by Mr. Ernest Bollman. In 1929 two recitals were performed by Mr. Martin, Chicago, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the church. In 1961 Rudolf Patsloff donated the trumpet rank, which is mounted to the left of the chancel in the front of the church. Franz Ziems, organist for many years, left a bequest to renovate the organ. Renovation was completed by Verlinden Co., Milwaukee, in October 1963. The dedicatory recital was played by Rev. Harvey Gustafson, Minneapolis. He played four more recitals after that time. The chimes were given in memory of John Messner. The casework of the chamber is the work of Arthur Jarvela. (Source: e-mail from church organist Jan List)

Hancock and Houghton

First United Methodist Church
401 Quincy Street, Hancock, MI 49930; 906/482-4190.
Kimball, 1905, tracker, 2M, 11 ranks; rebuilt to electro-pneumatic action 1950; new wind lines, 1998; refurbished 2005 by Fabry, Antioch, Illinois.
Placement: front left dais; console is on a moveable platform
Console: not AGO, but radiating pedalboard

GREAT
8' Open Diapason
8' Melodia
8' Dulciana
4' Principal
4' Flute
22⁄3' Twelfth
2' 15th
4' Great to Great
16' Swell to Great
8' Swell to Great
4' Swell to Great

SWELL 8' Violin Diapason
8' Stopped Diapason
8' Gamba
4' Flute d’Amour
22⁄3' Nazard
2' Flautino
Tremolo
16' Swell to Swell
4' Swell to Swell

PEDAL
16' Bourdon
16' Gedeckt
8' Principal
8' Bass Flute
4' Flute
8' Great to Pedal
4' Great to Pedal
8' Swell to Pedal

The congregation of the First Methodist Church organized in 1860, the first of any denomination to be established in Hancock. The first building was erected in 1861. The present structure of Jacobsville sandstone and brick was dedicated in 1903.
In 1905 the Kimball tracker organ was installed, a gift from Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Roberts. The console was built into the paneling of the chamber with the choir loft on either side and in front, with the organist’s back to the choir and congregation. In 1950 the organ was converted to electro-pneumatic and the console moved from its tracker position to a well at the opposite side of the choir loft. In 1998 the sanctuary was renovated and choir loft was leveled to make a flat dais across the chancel area. The organ console was placed on a moveable platform and new wind lines installed by Fabry, Inc. In 2005 Fabry also replaced slide tuners in the pipes, installed a new blower, and repainted the pipes located above the paneling fronting the lower part of the chamber. (Sources: Monette; church organist Carol Waisanen)

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (ELCA)
1000 Quincy Street, Hancock, MI 49930; 906/482-2381.
Kilgen, 1915? 2M; moved to new building, 1969; console rebuilt and preparation made for additions, Fabry, 2002
Placement: rear balcony; left side of console faces front of sanctuary

GREAT
8' Diapason
8' Gedeckt
8' Dulciana
4' Principal
4' Flute d’Amour
4' Dulcet
12th Dolce
15th Dolce
13⁄5' Dolce Tierce
16' Great to Great
4' Great to Great
16' Swell to Great
8' Swell to Great
4' Swell to Great
Chimes
Unison Off
MIDI to Great

SWELL
8' Violin Diapason
8' Gedeckt
8' Salicional
8' Voix Celeste
4' Principal
4' Flute d’Amour
22⁄3' Nazard
2' Flautino
8' Trompette
8' Oboe
Tremolo
16' Swell to Swell
4' Swell to Swell
Unison Off

PEDAL 32' Resultant
16' Bourdon
16' Lieblich Gedeckt
8' Diapason
8' Bass Flute
8' Gedeckt
4' Choral Bass
8' Great to Pedal
8' Swell to Pedal
4' Great to Pedal
4' Swell to Pedal

Memory Select
Transposer
Swell presets: 5, Swell to Pedal
Great presets: 5, Great to Pedal
Generals: 10, Tutti
Toe studs:
General cancel
10 generals
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Resultant
Tutti

The Gloria Dei congregation traces its roots to 1867 when the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation was formed. It was reorganized in 1880 as the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. The first wood frame building was partly destroyed by fire in 1896 and again in 1909. A brick building was constructed in 1910. Shortly after, a member of the congregation, Andrew Johnson, gave the first pipe organ to the church. In 1955 the name of the church was changed to St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 1962 most of the national Lutheran church bodies merged into the Lutheran Church of America. Salem Lutheran (Swedish) and St. Matthew’s (Finnish) merged in 1966 and adopted the name Gloria Dei.
The present building was constructed in 1969, and the Kilgen organ from St. Matthew’s was moved and installed in the new structure. In 2002, the organ was rebuilt by Fabry, Inc. of Fox Lake, Illinois. (Sources: Monette; church records and members)

Grace United Methodist Church
201 Isle Royale, Houghton, MI 49931; 906/482-2780.
Maxcy-Barton, 1931; rebuilt Verlinden, 1971
Placement: left of chancel, below dais

GREAT
8' Open Diapason
8' Melodia
8' Salicional
8' Dulciana
4' Octave
4' Wald Flute
4' Dulcet
22⁄3' Twelfth
2' Fifteenth
16' Great to Great
4' Great to Great
8' Swell to Great
4' Swell to Great
Chimes

SWELL
16' Bourdon
8' Stopped Flute
8' Salicional
8' Dulciana
8' Vox Celeste
4' Principal
4' Flute d’Amour 4' Salicet
22⁄3' Nazard
2' Flautino
13⁄5' Tierce
8' (Syn) Orchestral Oboe
16' Swell to Swell
4' Swell to Swell
Unison Off
Tremulant

PEDAL
16' Sub Bass
16' Bourdon
8' Octave
8' Bass Flute
8' Bourdon
8' Cello
4' Choral Bass
4' Flute
8' Great to Pedal
8' Swell to Pedal
4' Great to Pedal

3 pistons and cancel on Swell
3 pistons and cancel on Great
One toe stud, coupler
1 expression pedal
1 crescendo pedal

Grace’s history from 1854 to 2004 is documented in booklet form by Professor Terry Reynolds of the Social Science Department of Michigan Technological University. The church stems from a “Methodist Class” that formed in 1854, an outgrowth of Methodist missions that had begun around 1832 with the Ojibwa natives of the Upper Peninsula. A frame building was constructed in 1859 and in 1890 money was first raised to purchase an organ. In 1893 a new sandstone structure was built and again, in 1907, church records show efforts to raise money for an organ.
An organ must have been installed in that structure as the church history reports a fire in 1916, which destroyed, among other things, the organ. The present Maxcy-Barton was installed in 1931. It is most likely that the Maxcy-Barton organ of the First Presbyterian Church was also installed at that time as the organs are similar except that the Methodist instrument is larger. In 1971 Verlinden rebuilt the instrument and in the 1990s the console was moved from the dais to the main floor level on left side of the chancel. (Source: Reynolds)

Michigan Technological University
MacInnes Ice Arena, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931.
Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, c1920; installed May 1975
Placement: platform on rafters, west wall of MacInnes Ice Arena, access on a 50-ft. ladder climb
1119 pipes, 15 ranks, 130 stops
drums
bells
130 stops
24 notes, cathedral chimes
32-note pedalboard

This instrument was first installed in the Presbyterian Church, Utica, New York, and later moved to the home of James Thomas, who added theatre organ components from two Pennsylvania theatre organs and accessories from a Boston radio station. The instrument, valued at $75,000, was donated to MTU in the late 1960s through the efforts of John Wagner, class of ’61. It was moved to MTU in 1970 with initial installation done by Wagner and completed by the Wicks Organ Company, Highland, Illinois.
The organ was first played for Michigan Tech’s commencement exercises May 1975 by Gerrit Lamain, director of the Suomi College (now Finlandia University) Choir, Hancock, and later of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lamain entertained hockey fans prior to Michigan Tech’s games until he left the area, returning regularly to play for Tech’s commencement exercises. The console is mounted on a high platform at the west end of the MacInnes Ice Arena. Access is achieved by climbing a 50-foot ladder. An article and pictures featuring this instrument can be found in the April 2000 “Alumnus” magazine of Michigan Tech. (Source: Nordberg)

David and Carol Waisanen residence, Hancock, MI.
Maxcy-Barton, Oshkosh, WI, 2M, 8 ranks, 1931–33?, electro-pneumatic; installed by owner, 1975
Placement: music room, console on balcony (former back porch); organ chamber installed with original paneling and grillework

GREAT
8' Open Diapason 61 pipes
8' Melodia 73 pipes
8' Dulciana 61 pipes
4' Flute 61 notes
Unison Off

SWELL
8' Stopped Diapason 73 pipes
8' Salicional 73 pipes
8' Vox Humana 61 pipes
4' Flute d’Amour 61 notes
Tremulant
Unison Off

PEDAL
16' Bourdon 12 pipes
(20 notes from Sw St. Diap.)
8' Flute (from Sw St. Diap.)

Couplers
16' Great to Great
4' Great to Great
16' Swell to Great
8' Swell to Great
4' Swell to Great
8' Great to Pedal
8' Swell to Pedal

Combination pistons:
3 Swell, controlling Swell and Pedal organs and couplers, cancel
3 Great, controlling Great and Pedal organs and couplers, cancel

Balanced expression pedal
Balanced adjustable crescendo pedal

First installed in the First Presbyterian Church, Houghton between 1931 and 1933, it is believed that this instrument was installed during the same period that a larger Maxcy-Barton was placed in the Grace Methodist Church. Maxcy organs were custom built to fit the acoustics of the space. The organ chamber in the Presbyterian church was at the front of the sanctuary and enclosed in a wooden grillework similar to the one in Grace. The detached console was located below the rostrum and in front of the choir loft, which was an elevated tiered area at one side of the chancel. The building was razed in 1976 due to highway construction, and the instrument was purchased by a private party. The owner converted his back yard to a vaulted music room. The organ chamber is enclosed in the original wood grillework from the church and the console sits on what used to be the back porch of the home. (Sources: The Daily Mining Gazette; Waisanen)

Sts. Peter and Paul Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
323 Hancock Street, Hancock, MI 49930; 906/482-4750.
Haase, tracker 1901; modified and electrified by Haase Organ Co., Marengo, IL, 1960; rebuilt, Roscoe Wheeler, Curran, MI, 1997
Placement: balcony, rear of church, left side of console faces front of sanctuary

GREAT
8' Principal
8' Quintaten
8' Gemshorn
4' Octave
22⁄3' Twelfth
2' Fifteenth
8' Great to Pedal
4' Great to Pedal
16' Great to Great
4' Great to Great

SWELL
8' Rohr Gedeckt
8' Salicional
4' Koppel Flute
22⁄3' Nazard
2' Flautino
8' Oboe
Swell Unison Off
Tremolo
16' Swell to Great
8' Swell to Great
4' Swell to Great
16' Swell to Swell
4' Swell to Swell
8' Swell to Pedal

PEDAL
16' Sub Bass
16' Quintaten
16' Posaune
8' Principal
8' Rohr Flute
8' Oboe
4' Choral Bass

Great expression pedal
Swell expression pedal
Crescendo pedal
Sforzando pedal piston
Swell enclosed
Great open

Presets for Swell and Great individually and in combination; located within the organ chamber.
MIDI to Swell, Great, Pedal
Schulmerich carillon keyboard attached to console

The congregation, the first Lutheran one in the Copper Country, was founded in 1867 as the Deutsche Evangelische Lutherische Peter and Paul’s Gemeinde in Hancock. The first church structure was built in 1867 and the present church structure in 1881.
In 1901 the organ was purchased for the sum of $500 from St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The dedicatory recital was played by Professor Karl Haase. Most of the original pipes were constructed in Berlin, Germany by August Laukhuff Orgelteile. New ones were constructed and added by the Durst Organ Co., Erie, Pennsylvania. Under the Rev. Mr. Boomhower the organ was refurbished in 1997 at the cost of $25,000. Improvements included work on all inner mechanical works and solid state circuitry. Total cost for repairs and improvements up to 1998 was $30,000. This church also houses in its belfry tower three bells of 1,000, 800, and 600 pounds. (Sources: Monette; service bulletin)
PLEASE GO TO CONTINUATION