U.P. [Yooper] culture

[granskare Registered Find all posts View Profile Close granskare]

Everybody is somewhat familiar with the upper peninsula of Michigan. Kevin and I hail from that place and so does Paul Kangas of Nightly Business Report. I came across a book of lyrics of yooper songs so I thought people would be interested in some U.P. culture:

Title: Dear Mr. Governor

There's a rebel group from Suomi [small town up there]
They got a master plan
To blow up the mighty Mackinaw [hmm, politically incorrect these days]
And take a rebel stand
Secede from the union
Call this place Yooperland
Become a third world power
Ask the U.S. for a hand
They'll give us lots of raha
We'll be rich as oil sheiks
'Cause they won't want the Russians putting missiles in Trout Creek.

Refrain: Dear Mister Governor you better turn us loose
We asked you for a rest stop instead you sent us moose
The honeymoon is over the declaration's written
We'll take what's above the bridge
You can keep the mitten.

We'll sell clean air to the west
Blueberries to Iran
Ice and snow to the Arabs
Pasties to Japan
Scorpus to the Russians [what's that?]
Smelt to Pakistan
Moose meat to McDonald's
Sisu to Uncle Sam
We'll join the world market
Control the smart pill trade
We'll become a mighty nation
You'll be asking us for aid

Refrain: Dear Mister Governor...

oh yes, copyright 1991 by You Guys Records,
490 N. Steel St., Ishpeming, Mich 49849

Chuck

[kpaavola Registered Find all posts View Profile Close kpaavola]

Re: U.P. [Yooper] culture

Originally posted by granskare
Scorpus to the Russians [what's that?]

Wonder if it could be "kropsua"? Cinnamon/sugar toast. Don't know if I spelled it correctly but that's how it sounds in my mind.

There were a number of bakeries that made/sold this cinnamon toast. Probably the most famous, imo, is Trenary Toast, which was darker and harder than the others. It came from Trenary, MI.

My after school treat was Trenary Toast with Peanut Butter (June would like that!)

I also remember at some point in the late 70s much talk about the UP and part of Wisconsin becoming the 51st state: Superior.

[granskare Registered Find all posts View Profile Close granskare]

Trenary Toast

Trenary toast is still the best but now with a downside. Higher price and the package now is down to 10 oz. When I first bought the stuff, it was a 24 oz sack and then dropped to 18 oz and finally 10 oz so soon you will only be able to buy an empty bag for 5.00

Superior is the name. Northern WI and the UP - don't know what came of it. Probably a fight over where the capital would be located. WI people likely wanted Green Bay and yooper people liked Chatham - good coop store there or they could settle on Trenary - toast place

Amazing, we yoopers come up with the best ideas and the cheeseheads are unable to see the genius in them!

Chuck

[syrene Registered Find all posts View Profile Close syrene]

Yoopers

Yes, the Yoopers have another good idea: FinnFest in 2005.
Don and I will be there along with the Millers to staff the SFHS booth. This time the exhibit will be all about Swedish Finns who arrived in Michigan. Anything you want to add to the exhibit, just write me! I would love some stuff.
Judy Miller and I were sitting at February's FinnFest in Florida brainstorming, and we think that downloading every Swedish Finn we can find on the early census would be a trip!
Regards,
Syrene
PS Marquette really goes all out for Finns during the fest there. We saw it a few years ago and really look forward to it next summer. Could we meet up with a few of our Finlander websiters while up there?
SF

[kpaavola Registered Find all posts View Profile Close kpaavola]

I think they hold Finnfest in Marquette at the "island" called Presque Isle. Though I was born in Ironwood, I grew up in Marquette and consider it my home. Situated on the shores of Lake Superior, it is a beautiful little city.

There are many Finns who lived there even when I was growing up. I think it was discovered by Father Jacques Marquette and I want to say it was in the 1600s. There's a little park with a statue of him.

Now I'm homesick (except for the snow)

[granskare Registered Find all posts View Profile Close granskare]

Worcester, Michigan Founded 1849

Hej Kev,
Hmm, only 249 years off so not bad at all
Worcester was renamed for Jacques Marquette. Here is a nice official website for the city.
http://www.mqtcty.org/
The last Finnfest held there was mostly hosted by Northern Michigan University.

Yeah, I am also surprised about that Worcester name

Chuck

[kpaavola Registered Find all posts View Profile Close kpaavola]

Interesting...never heard of the Worcester story before....

Here's what I was referring to:
"Serving as Priests, explorers, cartographers, linguists, farmers, scientists and chroniclers, Jesuit missionaries introduced Christianity to the Great Lakes region. Among them was Father Jacques Marquette, Born in Laon, France, he came to Quebec in September 1666. In 1671 he and Chippewa Indians who had been forced east by the Sioux established St. Ignace mission at the Straits of Mackinac. From there Marquette and Louis Jolliet set out on their voyage to the Mississippi River in the spring of 1673. Ill before the journey began, Marquette died on the return trip, on May 18, 1675. Indians from St. Ignace later brought Marquette's remains to a chapel on the site where they were rediscovered in 1877 by Father Edward Jacker."

He made his way through Marquette back in the 1600s and a park was established in his honor containing both a statue and plaque.

[A-M Löfdahl Registered Find all posts View Profile Close A-M Löfdahl]

about Swedish Finns who arrived in Michigan

This is a swedish Finn in Gladstone, Michigan. Unfortunately I don´t know who...... could someone on the basis of his clothing and the photograph "guess" when it´s taken?
Ann-Marie
(I hope there will be a photo here......)

[Karen Norwillo Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Karen Norwillo]

Whenever I get "home" to Crystal Falls, I visit the local bakery in town to buy a bag of cinnamon toast. I still make pasties for my Polish husband. You can move, but you can't take the Yooper out of the soul. Karen

[kpaavola Registered Find all posts View Profile Close kpaavola]

Re: Yoopers

Originally posted by syrene
Judy Miller and I were sitting at February's FinnFest in Florida brainstorming, and we think that downloading every Swedish Finn we can find on the early census would be a trip!

Maybe I should give this some more thought before I offer....

What specifically are you interested in, Syrene? People appearing in the census born in Finland but speaking Swedish? I could take Marquette (city) for example and go through that and extract all who meet that criteria. I think there were at least 5 wards and maybe a few townships so it would take a while but since there's almost a year to do it, I could. Not sure I'd want to commit to greater than that area. But who knows.

Let me know your thoughts/ideas/desires

[kpaavola Registered Find all posts View Profile Close kpaavola]

Anne-Marie,
There's writing on the bottom of the photo. Is that the name of the individual? Emil Nelson? It looks handwritten with "Gladstone Mich" being printed.

[Dorothy Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Dorothy]

Re "Cinammon toast"

My Fin/Swede family in Vancouver B.C. used to go to the Hastings Bakery every week to buy "Scorpon" ( not sure of the spelling) from Abbos, the baker. This was Thick toasted braided Swedish Cardomon Bread, sprinkled with cinammon and crystal sugar on top....It is like a boscotti.

[A-M Löfdahl Registered Find all posts View Profile Close A-M Löfdahl]

Photo in Gladstone

Emil Nelson is printed as well. I assume that´s the name of the photographer.
Ann-Marie

[kpaavola Registered Find all posts View Profile Close kpaavola]

Hi Anne-Marie,
If it's printed, then it probably is the photographer. From the photographs that I've seen from that time period, the studio/photographer's name was printed in more of a block style rather than a style that resembles handwriting.

Oh well, it was worth a shot!

[A-M Löfdahl Registered Find all posts View Profile Close A-M Löfdahl]

Could someone say more specific from which time-period this photo is??
Ann-Marie