Lake Linden - Michigan's Upper Peninsula

<html> <head> <title>Lake Linden - Michigan's Upper Peninsula</title> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1"> <META Pragma: No-Cache> <META name="Pragma" No-Cache> <META Cache-control: No-Cache> <META HTTP-EQUIV="expires" CONTENT="Wed, 26 Feb 1997 08:21:57 GMT"> <META name="description" content="French-Canadian lumbermill village transformed by enormous waterfront copper-process-ing plants, built up & torn down in a few 20th c. dec-ades & turned into large park. Visit French Catholic church with spectacular interior, sprawling Houghton Co. history museum with train ride, copper mining relics and much more"> <base href="http://hunts-upguide.com/"> <link href="/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <center> <table width="100%" bgcolor="#F5F5D5" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0> <tr> <td width="18%" colspan=2 height=82 bgcolor="#306799" valign="top"> <table width="100%" cellpadding=22 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td align="left"> <b><font size="-2" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"> <font color="#FEE384">We welcome<br> your comments<br> experiences &<br> corrections.<br></font> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=10 height=8 alt="---"><br> <a class="whitelinkunderlined" target="_top" href="http://hunts-upguide.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/dehunt/feedback.pl">E-mail us</a> </font> </b> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width="63%" height=82 bgcolor="#306799" align="center" valign="top"> <table cellpadding=22 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td align="center"> <img src="/images/online_words.gif" width=386 height=13 alt="The online version of the popular regional travel book""><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=500 height=2 alt="---"><br> <nobr><font color="#FFFFFF" size="+2" face="Georgia,Times New Roman,Times"><b>Hunts' Guide to Michigan's UPPER PENINSULA</b></font></nobr><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=500 height=7 alt="---"><br> <img src="/images/candid_words.gif" width=391 height=13 alt="A candid guide to enjoying and understanding the U.P."> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td valign=top width="1%" bgcolor="#F5F5D5" rowspan=3>  <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=9 height=25 alt="|"></td> <td width="18%" rowspan=3 valign="top"> <a target="_top" href="/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/dehunt/click.pl?nextfile=http://hunts-upguide.com/up_travel_map.html"><img src="/ads/Small_map_ad_ver_6.gif" border=0 ALT="UP Travel Map ad" width=160 height=418></a> <p>  <a target="_top" href="http://www.wunderground.com/US/MI/Lake_Linden.html?bannertypeclick=bigtemptr"> <img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/bigtemptr_both/language/www/US/MI/Lake_Linden.gif" border=0 alt="Click for Lake Linden, Michigan Forecast" height=94 width=185></a> <br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=20 height=3 alt="---"><br>  <center> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </center> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=5 width="100%" height=9> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=790 height=9 alt="---"></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="17%">  <table width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td width="100%" valign="top">  <table width="100%" cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=0 bgcolor="#306799"> <tr> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#306799"> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-2"> <b> <a class="sidebar" href="/" target="_top">Home</a><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="85" height="5"><br> <a class="sidebar" href="keweenaw_peninsula.html" target="_top">Back to Keweenaw Peninsula</a> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="85" height="20"><br> </b> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="100%"> <table width="100%" border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=10 bgcolor="#FFE09B"> <tr> <td align="left"> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=100 height=10 alt="-"><br> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1"> <center><font color="#C82F2C"><b>LAKE LINDEN<br>POINTS<BR>OF INTEREST</b></font><br> </center> <font color="#263692" size="-2"> <p> <a name="e1191"><b>Lindell Chocolate Shoppe.</b></a> A gem of a classic 1920s sweet shop, the interior all aglow with stained glass and golden oak. Still a popular place for lunch ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/lake_linden_lindell_chocolate_shoppe.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e1192"><b>Houghton County Historical Museum.</b></a> Lots of interesting old stuff here, from miining relics to old snowmobiles ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/lake_linden_houghton_county_historical_museum.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <p>   </font> </td> </tr> </table>  </td> </tr> <tr> <td>   </td> </tr>  <tr> <td align="center"> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td> </tr> </table>  </td> <td valign=top width="1%" bgcolor="#F5F5D5">  <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="9" height=500 alt="|"> </td> <td valign=top width="63%">  <table width="100%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0> <tr> <td valign=top align=center bgcolor="#018650" colspan=2> <center> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="30" height=8 alt="-"><br> <b><font color="#FFFFFF" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1"><a class="whitelink" href="keweenaw_peninsula.html" target="_top">Region: Keweenaw Peninsula</a></font></b><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="100%" height=3 alt="-"><br> <h1>LAKE LINDEN</h1> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="30" height=8 alt="-"></center></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="63%">  <table width="100%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=8 border=0> <tr> <td align="left">  <font face="Georgia"> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=6 alt="-"><br> <center> <table cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 border=0 width=359> <tr> <td> <img src="http://hunts-upguide.com/photos/53.gif" width=359 height=137 alt="Lake Linden" border=0> </td> </tr> </table> </center><p> <br>Lake Linden and its sister city, Hubbbell, profited from their locations on the shores of Torch Lake. First they shipped lumber, and then became the site of <B>Calumet & Hecla's</B> copper <B>stamping mill</B> and <B>smelter</B>. Lake Linden was largely settled by French-Canadians who worked in the woods and lumber mill. It remains French today, but the names are never pronounced the French way. "Gervais," for instance, is not "GURR-vay" but "JAR-viss."<br><br>Torch Lake got its name from Indians who fished at night with torches and spears. The lake connects with the Portage Waterway (sometimes called Portage Lake) and <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a>. That's why seven different businesses in town are called "Lakes." Because of the lakes, large vessels could travel all the way to Lake Linden's docks.<br><br><center> <table cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 border=0 width=299> <tr> <td> <img src="http://hunts-upguide.com/photos/198.gif" width=299 height=457 alt="St. Joseph's Church" border=0> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-2"> <b>Impressive as the exterior of St. Joesph's Catholic Church is, the interior is stunning. Built by a largely French congregation, it is often open and well worth a visit.</b> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </center><p> By the late 1880s the big white pines were gone. Finns were turning the area's cutover land into farms. In 1900 French-Canadians built the beautiful, twin-towered <B>St. Joseph Catholic Church</B>, on the main street just north of downtown. Most of the church's original interior survives.<br><br>Calumet & Hecla's great innovation was to develop a process that efficiently extracted small amounts of copper deposits carried by much of the area's rock. A key to the process was a stamping mill to crush the rock brought up from the mines. C&H's first stamping mill, built in 1866, crushed rock transported by narrow-gauge railway from the company's Calumet-area mines down the steep hill to Lake Linden/Hubbell. A smelter then extracted copper from the crushed rock. By 1873 an astounding 10,000 tons a year of ingot copper were shipped from here. The later stamping mill and smelter were among the world's largest. They finally closed during the 1968 strike. Some of their remains are still visible today along M-26 from Hubbell to Lake Linden. Industrial buildings lined the waterfront near where Lake Linden's park and the <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/lake_linden_houghton_county_historical_museum.html" target="_top">Houghton County Historical Museum</a> are today.<br><br>The western shore of Torch Lake (about 2,700 acres) was filled in with over 200 million tons of stamp sands and smelter slag wastes. Recently, a $15 million EPA Superfund project has covered these tailings with sandy loam, resulting in a rather bland grassy parkland along the shoreline between Hubbell and Dollar Bay. Today it's a favorite spot for geese to gather, and eagles are also commonly seen.<br><br>Most workers who live in Lake Linden now commute to jobs elsewhere. It is home to one of the Upper Peninsula's more exotic businesses: <B>Nitrate Eliminators </B>Inc. on Calumet Street/M-26 across from the <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/lake_linden_lindell_chocolate_shoppe.html" target="_top">Lindell Chocolate Shoppe</a>. Owned by a <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/houghton_michigan_tech.html" target="_top">Michigan Tech</a> professor and his wife, the biotech company has garnered substantial federal research grants for developing <B>enzyme-based products for water testing</B> and treatment. It also sells a homenitrate testing kit for under $20 <br clear="all"> <hr> <center> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </center> <hr> <p align="right"><a href="keweenaw_peninsula.html" target="_top">Back to Keweenaw Peninsula</a></p> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"> <table width="100%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=8 border=0> <tr> <td height="4" width="37%">  <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=1 alt="-"></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" align="center" bgcolor="#C7302D" width="37%">  <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" color="#FFFFFF"> <b> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=8 alt="-"><br> <font size="-1"> LAKE LINDEN<br> RESTAURANTS,<br> LODGINGS<br> & CAMPGROUNDS </font> <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=6 alt="-"><br> <font size="-2">These are our choices, not ads.</font><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=8 alt="-"><br> </b> </font> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top bgcolor="#FFE09B" width="37%">  <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=9 alt="-"><br> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"> <center><font size="-1" color="#C82F2C"><b>LAKE LINDEN<br>RESTAURANTS</b></font></center> <br> <font size="-2"> See also: Dollar Bay, Laurium, Calumet, Hancock, Houghton.<br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=8 alt="-"><br> <a name="e1193"><b>LINDELL CHOCOLATE SHOPPE</b></a><br> (906) 296-0793 <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> A 1922 Greek sweet shop in all its original glory. Lindell's retains its fine quarter-sawn oak wainscoting and booths with little lamps; its tile floor in gold, white, and turquoise; mirrored back bar; fretwork; and stained and leaded glass in a stylish Arts & Crafts pattern. The ensemble cost $3,700 in 1922. Today the Lindell isn't just a visitor attraction but a popular hometown spot, where regulars meet for coffee and breakfasts like two eggs, sausage, from-scratch hash browns, and toast. Much <B>better than average diner fare</B>, proclaimed an Ann Arbor visitor who especially enjoyed her onion rings and sugary-crusted pie. Changing daily specials and Friday evening fish fry. <B>Rice pudding</B> and ice cream (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla) are made on the premises.<br>    In 2005 history-lover Dick Taylor, a Lake Linden resident and owner of RailDreams model railroad fabricator, purchased Lindell's with an eye to preserving and revitalizing it. He stripped wallpaper and restored the original paint scheme in rose and burgundy. Longtime cook Candy Schmitt manages Lindell's. So far, <B>wireless internet</B> has been installed for patrons. The menu has been expanded beyond diner classics to include <B>homemade desserts </B>and<B> cinnamon rolls, Greek favorites</B> such as <B>spinach pie, gyros,</B> lemon-rice soup, and lamb chops, and <B>Near Eastern sides</B> like tabooli - a little bit of Detroit come to Copper Country. Homemade <B>ice cream</B> can be <B>customized</B>; the Cornish Cousins can get <B>saffron ice cream</B> made for their 2007 national convention in Calumet. Chocolates again available, may be made on the premises. Lindell's already had a liquor license - a real plus for future possibilities. <B>Plans</B> call for renovating the adjacent storefront space as <B>Lindell After Dark</B>, with a dance floor, sound system, projection screen for computer presentations, and more. Lindell's now takes credit cards and out-of-town checks. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>300 Calumet/M-26 in downtown Lake Linden. Mon-Thurs 6 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri & Sat 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Handicap access: one step. Family-friendly. Kids' menu. Full bar.</i> <p> <a name="e1194"><b>LAKES DAIRYLAND</b></a><br> (906) 296-0414 <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> Stopping at is a regular summer ritual for <B>Jilbert's ice cream</B> lovers (there's even fried ice cream). But Lakes also has a <B>full menu</B> including breakfasts, four homemade soups, lots of sandwiches, meal-size salads, and good daily specials served in the dining area, with lots of booths. Lake Linden's schools are just down the street. This small-town gathering spot attracts just about every age group in town. Lots of fried appetizers are on the menu (onion rings, chicken nuggets, etc.) but there are always <B>low-fat options</B> like buffalo burgers, baked potatoes, and veggie and turkey sandwiches from turkey roasted here. Turkey dinner served Sundays from noon until there[s no more left; No credit cards. Out-of-town checks OK. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>On M-26/Calumet Ave. at the north end of downtown Lake Linden. Open from April 1 into early December, daily 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wheelchair-accessible.</i> <p> <a name="e1195"><b>DREAMLAND RESTAURANT and BAR</b></a><br> (906) 296-3191 <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> The utterly plain exterior of this old resort hotel might lead you to think it's just a bar. Actually, on <B>winter weekends</B> and <B>every day in summer</B> the kitchen turns out a <B>full menu</B> of steaks, delicious broiled shrimp dishes, <B>fresh fish</B> when available, salads, and more. Even the <B>bar menu</B>, <B>served until closing time</B>, offers better eating than many bars: pizza made on the premises, fresh burgers, fried chicken and shrimp, steak and chicken sandwiches, and homemade soups. Year-round there's <B> fish on Friday</B>, either deep-fried or broiled—half a pound for $8.95 including potato and salad. Regular dinner entrées are mostly around $9 to $13. Big variety of sandwiches range from $5-$8. The side dining room is smoke-free. <br>&nbsdp&nbsdp&nbsdp&nbsdp;Steamers used to take holidaymakers from Houghton and Hancock to the Dreamland Hotel, the park, and dance pavilion here. <B>Patrons can still arrive by boat </B>and walk from the dock to up to the place. Norbert Sarazin, one of the original loggers of 19th-century Lake Linden and a major area landowner, started the resort and hotel in 1913. It's still in the family. Jim and Gladys Sarazin have owned it since the late 1940s; Tod and Laurie run it today. The vintage interior is from the early 1950s. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>Eight miles south of Lake Linden on Bootjack Road. Follow the east shore of Torch Lake until you reach the hotel. Bar and bar menu available year-round at least Mon-Sat from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sun noon to 10 p.m., later if there are customers. Full menu served at least on weekends year-round. From mid-May through miid-November, full menu is served daily from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., until 11 Fri & Sat. Family-friendly especially before 8 p.m. or so. Wheelchair accessible. Rest rooms are tight. Full bar.</i> <p> </font> </font> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#CDCCAD" valign="top"> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=9 alt="-"><br> <center><font size="-1" color="#C82F2C"><b>LAKE LINDEN<br>LODGINGS</b></font></center> <br> <font size="-2"> See also: Laurium, Calumet, Hancock, Houghton<br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=8 alt="-"><br> <a name="e1197"><b>LeBLANC MOTEL</b></a><br> (906) 296-0105 <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> This 12-unit motel may interest boaters and anglers. It's way <B>off the beaten path </B>in <B>Bootjack</B>, a quiet rural area 3 1/2 miles south of Lake Linden, on the shore road toward Dreamland (where the old hotel serves good food) and Jacobsville. Rice Lake and Mud Lake, both known for fishing, are within four miles; Keweenaw Bay is just beyond them, with a boat launch on Grand Traverse Bay at the end of Rice Lake Road. An excellent swimming beach is 15 minutes away at Jacobsville. Rooms are good-size and nicely coordinated. None are smoke-free. All have coffeemakers and cable TV with ESPN. <U>Rates in 2000</U> for 2: $31 (1 double bed), $36 (1 queen with kitchenette). Snowmobilers welcome. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>On Bootjack Road. From M-26 in Lake Linden, turn at the north end of town, toward Gay, but stay along Torch Lake - that's Bootjack Road -for 3 1/2 miles. Handicap access: call. Family-friendly but no onsite open area. </i> <p> </font> </font> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#B6DBA4" valign="top"> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=9 alt="-"><br> <center><font size="-1" color="#C82F2C"><b>LAKE LINDEN<br>CAMPGROUNDS</b></font></center> <br> <font size="-2"> <a name="e1198"><b>LAKE LINDEN VILLAGE RECREATION AREA</b></a><br> (906) 296-9911 <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> Part of a town park with volleyball, basketball, tennis, an <B>elaborate playground</B>, a picnic shelter, and a roller rink, this 21-site <B>modern campground</B> offers some advantages for those not in search of a quiet, remote, natural setting. There's a <B>swimming beach</B>, <B>boat launch</B>, dump station, and cable TV. All sites $11/ night with 30 amp or 50 amp service. Tents are welcome. The campground is right on Torch Lake back a ways from the park but still within easy walking distance of three restaurants, a good supermarket, and an interesting town to explore. <B>Reservations advised </B>but not always necessary from late June through mid-August. July 4 weekend is reserved way ahead by homecoming locals. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>From M-26/Calumet St., turn onto Third opposite the Lindell Chocolate Shop toward the lake. Park is in a block. Open from Mem. Day weekend thru Sept. 30. Wheelchair access: yes. Sites are grassy and hardened with gravel. Paved walks connect park attractions to town. Family-friendly. Dogs permitted on leash.</i> <p> </font> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table>  </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=5 align="center">  <br> <center> <font size="+1" color="#454545" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">Copyright © 1997-2007 Midwestern Guides</font> </center> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>