UP Roadside Icons - Highway M-38




Highway M38 goes from Ontonagon to Baraga, and is a particularly scenic route, one of my favorites. East of Greenland it criscrosses the old Mineral Range Railroad that served the Ontonagon County mines and was a milk run for farmers along the way, going near the old railroad sidings: Simar, China, Motley, Hazel and others. This is the land of Finnish farm country, and life here still follows traditional standards.


"The Critters" Barn
Jackie Strauch loves animals, and it really shows in this comfortable home she maintains for them five miles east of Ontonagon. Local kids visit often to feed the chickens, ride the horses, and attempt to pet the goats. Galen Doughty, the former owner of the barn, lives across the highway and provides help with the chores and round-the-clock attention to the critters.


Classic UP Roof
This garage is located east of Nisula. It shows a favored roof design in the UP, able to withstand the weight of heavy snow.


Nisula Lutheran Church
New England doesn't entirely have the corner on charming country churches. The Nisula Church has an fabulous growth of creeping flox, and a gravestone rumored to be a meteor.


Keranen Music
Eino Keranen lived the pioneer UP life: self-employed, with backbone to survive life's challenges. His primary product was music, the joy in everyone's soul. A large dance hall was located behind this store, and a cedar shingle mill in back shored up tough times in the music biz. Eino and the pianos and organs are gone, and his storefront is fondly remembered by many - a UP icon now lost to time. It was located just east of Alston.



Nisula Store
The backwoods equivalent of SevenEleven. Hardly 24/7, but gas, snacks and beer are available when you likely need them. Get some of Walt's Crawlers to feed the perch in Otter Lake.






Your comments and suggestions for more UP Roadside Icons are appreciated! If you have historical data on any of the Icons presented here, please get in touch. Contact:

Return to QuietlyWild Home