 | | It's great to see a traditional Finnish co-op like Settlers still thriving. The key is probably scale: it dwarfs all other U.P. co-ops. | A substantial village has developed at this major Upper Peninsula crossroads, where M-28 heads east from Ironwood and U.S. 45 goes south from Ontonagon to Watersmeet and Eagle River, Wisconsin. (For a bit more on the beginnings of U.S. 45 as the 1840s Military Road from Copper Harbor to Green Bay, see Paulding and the Mystery Light in the Watersmeet region.) After the area's timber was cut, many, many Finns started small farms in the area, and their influence is obvious. Most local residents now work in logging and at Smurfit-Stone Container in Ontonagon.
 | | Dilapidated, long-abandoned farmsteads are a common U.P. sight, testimony to the difficulty of making it agriculturally in this northern clime. The one above, on Highway 45 a few miles north of Bruce Crossing, is an especially poignant portrait of faded hopes. | Bruce Crossing has three restaurants, two motels, three bars, and a funeral home. The hub of town is the big SETTLER'S CO-OP SUPERMARKET (906-827-3515) at the corner of U.S. 45 and M-28. It's still run cooperatively, a true vestige of the Finnish-American cooperative movement of the early 20th century. Settler's Co-op not only has a deli, bakery, bank, and other extras expected of large grocery stores, it carries hardware, sporting goods, livestock feed - and offers fishing licenses.
Grandma Grooter's Restaurant, a local landmark destroyed in a midwinter fire in 2003, has not been rebuilt. A log transfer station is now on the site.
Back to Porcupine Mountains and Ontonagon
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BRUCE CROSSING
RESTAURANTS,
LODGINGS
& CAMPGROUNDS
These are our choices, not ads.
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BRUCE CROSSING
RESTAURANTS
See also: White Pine, Trout Creek, Bergland, Watersmeet.
BUNDY'S. "Eat" says the sign in front of this old-fashioned diner on U.S. 45 south of Bruce Crossing's main intersection. It's a place where all potatoes and soups are prepared from scratch, the burgers ($3.19 with chips) are unusually good, and breakfast is served all day except for no pancakes or French toast after 11 a.m. The $11 New York strip tops the dinner menu; fried seafood platters ($8) are a popular dinner item, as are hot beef sandwiches for lunch. Huge bowls of chili ($3.19), always on the menu, are especially welcomed in winter. Portions please people who like to eat a lot, and the food is reliably good by the standards of local people who eat out all over the area. It might be smoky, despite the diner's smoke-eaters. On snowmobile trail.
5420 U.S. 45, two buildings south of M-28. (906) 827-3665). Open daily 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. except opens at 7 a.m. Sun. Open to 10 p.m. summer weekends. Handicap access: 4 stairs. No alcohol.
CHAR'S CAFE (formerly Bundy's)
(906) 827-3665
This diner serves the area's best food. New owner Char Gustafson had spent 18 years as a waitress at Gramma Grooter's, the very popular Bruce Crossing restaurant that burned in 2003. All the cooks are from GG's; so are the favorites like Granny's omelette, the sausage skillet, and eggs Benedict. All potatoes and soups are still made from scratch, the burgers ($3.89 with chips) are extra good, and most of the breakfasts are served all day. The $12 New York strip is a dinner standout; fried seafood platters are a popular dinner item, as are hot beef sandwiches for lunch. Huge bowls of chili ($3.49), always on the menu, are winter hits. Big portions. Some vegetarian dishes. Expect a little smoke sometimes. On snowmobile trail. (—July, 2008)
5420 U.S. 45, two buildings south of M-28. Look for "EAT" sign. Open daily 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. except opens at 7 a.m. Sun. access: 4 stairs. No alcohol.
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BRUCE CROSSING
LODGINGS
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BRUCE CROSSING
CAMPGROUNDS
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