CURRENT ISSUE: Q2 2026

The Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad was famous for the various Alco locomotives that used to comprise a sizable portion of their roster, but did you know there were a couple of LS&I Alcos that found a second home on the Calumet & Hecla and roamed the Keweenaw for a handful of years? In the new issue of The Miscowaubik we take a look at this fascinating era with a photo essay courtesy of George A. Forero Jr. George was on hand to record a C&H train running north from the docks at Hubbell up the Traprock Valley line, a rare look at the operation years after it was done hauling ore, just before it was removed. To complement that story, we included a couple page gallery of the RS-1s during their C&H days and afterward.

Greg Peet looks at the history of freight car reporting marks, why both CR and COPR can be found on Copper Range rolling stock in different eras. Who was behind this change and why those marks can still be found today, albeit on other railroads in different places.

Lastly, Dean Sauvola examines why Michigan’s 2nd smallest municipality, Copper City, was established independently of any specific mine or mining company. Who was behind this “new” city and what lead up to its platting and construction? Why did this new city spring up simultaneously with a new railroad (Keweenaw Central)? The answers touch upon an interesting cross section of Copper Country history including several railroads.

We will have this mailed to COPRHTS members shortly. Watch for it in your mailbox. If you’re not a member but want to participate in our travels through local history, join today and you’ll get all the 2026 issues of The Miscowaubik starting with Quarter 1 and Quarter 2, followed by Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 issues in the coming months.