History: Calumet, Michigan, 1971
A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University
Bloomington
Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for
the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002
Overview of the Collection
Repository
Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleHistory: Calumet, Michigan, 1971
Project No.
ohrc051
Interviews
9 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University
Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
This project deals with the changes and conditions Calumet,
Michigan has undergone since its origins as a copper mining company town. The
interviewees discuss the ethnic diversity of the town, effects of the 1913
mining strike, effects of the Great Depression, and local community life.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains nine interviews conducted in 1971. The interviews range from thirty minutes to two hours. All interviews
consist of audio reels and most have typed transcripts.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the
history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open
to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies
are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any
restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier
(pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript
(deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for
patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that
interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview.
Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be
used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession
number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last
name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University,
Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Interview List
Interviewee
Enrietti, Johanna
May
1971
Call Number
71-030
Physical Description
37 pages; 4 reels, 3 3/4 ips; no index
Interviewer
Ivey, William J.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Johanna Enrietti, born on December 15, 1900, joined by her
husband, Joseph Enrietti, shares her memories of the Great Depression, family
and community life, and general differences in Calumet, Michigan. She speaks of
her identity as an Italian American, the work ethic, and family values she has
embraced throughout her life. She also shares some of her daily activities,
including baking, sewing, and mending.
-
Keywords
-
-
Place Names
- Rambletown, Michigan
-
-
Subjects
- child care
- community life
- ethnic diversity
- family relations
- Fourth of July
- generational differences
- Great Depression
- Italian Americans
- local community
- pensions
- work ethic
Interviewee
Forster, Edna
April 29,
1971
Call Number
71-034
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 reel, 3 3/4 ips
Interviewer
Ivey, William J.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Edna Forster shares her perspective on life in the community of
Calumet, Michigan.
Interviewee
Greenlee, B.
April
1971
Call Number
71-026
Physical Description
12 pages; 1 reel, 3 3/4 ips, 30 minutes; no index
Interviewer
Ivey, William J.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
B. Greenlee comments on his first impressions of Calumet,
Michigan, some traits of the community, and the disaster at the Italian Hall in
town. In addition, he speaks of the local economy, the impact of the strikes,
and some of the major ethnic groups in the community. He also discusses the
tendency of the community to glorify the past.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- ethnic diversity
- Great Depression
- local economy
Interviewee
Ilenich,
Katherine
May 03, 1971
Call Number
71-027
Physical Description
32 pages; 1 reel, 3 3/4 ips; 80 minutes; no index
Interviewer
Ivey, William J.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Katherine Ilenich discusses the community of Calumet, Michigan,
the different ethnic groups who live there, and its origin as a company town of
copper miners. She speaks of the impact of the disaster at the Italian Hall,
the children who were killed, and how it brought the community closer together
after the divisive strike of 1913. In addition, she comments on local schools
and the apparent decline of the town.
-
Keywords
-
-
-
Subjects
- 1913 mining strike
- community life
- company towns
- copper mines
- ethnic diversity
- local economy
- local history
- local schools
Interviewee
Kitti, Walter I.
May 03,
1971
Call Number
71-028
Physical Description
32 pages; 1 reel, 3 3/4 ips, 75 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Ivey, William J.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Born on April 8, 1918, Walter I. Kitti discusses life during the
Great Depression, copper mining, and the community's original status as a
company town. He speaks of the negative impact the 1913 strike had on local
employment and of his memories of the introduction of automobiles. Mr. Kitti
died on March 16, 1992.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Calumet and Hecla Mining Company
-
-
Subjects
- 1913 mining strike
- automobiles
- copper mines
- Finnish culture
- Great Depression
- local community
- local employment
Interviewee
MacDonald, James
April 28,
1971
Call Number
71-033
Physical Description
35 pages; 1 reel, 3 3/4 ips, 75 minutes; no index
Interviewer
Ivey, William J.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
James MacDonald, born on December 13, 1897, discusses the copper
mines of Calumet, Michigan, their peak production during World War II, and the
devastating impact of their closure. He speaks of the community's ethnic
diversity, and of the saloons and brawling that characterized Calumet's early
history as a mining town. In addition, he comments on some of the problems of
the current Calumet community, including the lack of strong work ethic and the
misuse of welfare funds.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, Calumet,
Michigan
-
-
Subjects
- community life
- copper mines
- ethnic diversity
- population decline
- saloons
- welfare
- work ethic
- World War II
Interviewee
Mihelic, Lodi
April 28,
1971
Call Number
71-031
Physical Description
16 pages; 1 reel, 3 3/4 ips, 40 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Ivey, William J.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Lodi Mihelic discusses his Yugoslavian parentage, community, and
daily life in Calumet, Michigan, and the ethnically diverse population that
lived in this mining town. In addition, Mr. Mihelic predicts that the copper
mines will be re-opened at some point in the future.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- 1913 mining strike
- community life
- copper mines
- ethnic diversity
- Yugoslavian immigrants
Interviewee
Steck, Alden
April 29,
1971
Call Number
71-032
Physical Description
17 pages; 1 reel, 3 3/4 ips, 40 minutes; no index
Interviewer
Ivey, William J.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Alden Steck, born on November 15, 1904, discusses his thoughts
on the best times in the history of Calumet, Michigan, the town's development,
and some local eccentric characters. He comments on the community's ethnic
diversity, the social role of Finnish-Americans and how the town weathered the
Great Depression and mining strikes.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, Calumet
Michigan
-
-
Personal Names
- Hardy, George
- Harrington, Maggie
-
-
Subjects
- ethnic diversity
- Finnish-Americans
- Great Depression
- local economy
Interviewee
Stetter, Charles
May 5,
1971
Call Number
71-029
Physical Description
53 pages; 2 reels, 3 3/4 ips, 2 hours; no
index
Interviewer
Ivey, William J.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Charles Stetter discusses the tendency of the Calumet community
to nostalgically live in the past. He recalls both the poverty and the good
times of the Great Depression, and the swift downturn of this mining town's
economy after the 1913 strike. In addition, he describes the local community,
and ethnic diversity of Calumet and the negative reputation that prevails with
regard to labor relations at the former Calumet and Hecla Mining Company.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, Calumet,
Michigan
-
-
Personal Names
- McNaughton, James
-
-
Subjects
- 1913 mining strike
- copper mines
- ethnic diversity
- Finnish-Americans
- Great Depression
- labor relations
- local community
- local economy
- real estate
- unions
