Beaver Island, Michigan

Subject: Beaver Island
From: Mick Lane
Date: 19 May 98 - 12:33 AM

By the way, have any of you ever heard of Beaver Island, Michigan? It is a great story. It is the northernmost inhabited island in the Great Lakes. It is located about 35 miles out in Lake Michigan northwest of Charlevoix. It was settled by Irish immigrants from the Arran Islands. It seems it reminded them of home. They established the town of St. James, complete with a Catholic Church and were quite happy until a Mormon leader by the name of James Jesse Strang decided that he needed a place to call home for himself and his followers. So he came to the Island and promptly declared it a Kingdom with himself as King. The lads abandoned the Island and changed their base of operations to the mainland. It seems that King James (The only King in American History) pissed off a few of his followers and they assassinated him. The lads heard the news and promptly went back to the island and threw the interlopers out and reclaimed their turf. That was in the mid to late 1800's and the island has been Irish ever since. The music of the island is clearly Irish, but it has developed a style of its own which has many influences from Great Lakes sea shanties to the music of the lumber camps. It is really a kick when you take the ferry to the Island to see one "Old Glory" and about 10 Irish Tri-Colors. It has such a great history and ambience that Dermott Gallagher, before leaving the States to go home from his Ambassadorship, brought his family to the Island for a two week visit. It is quite interesting to hear how some of the old Irish music has evolved separately on the island. There are several musicians there who have recorded the music of the island. My band has performed there and the hospitality is Irish through and through.

Mick

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Art Thieme
Date: 19 May 98 - 04:23 PM

Lee Murdock, a fine singer from North Central Illinois will be playing there this summer. And I do believe that Claudia Schmidt lives there.(may have moved--not certain)

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Jon W.
Date: 19 May 98 - 05:06 PM

We Mormons prefer to think that Strang was an "EX-mormon" leader by that time. BTW we have an older couple, friends, in which the husband is an "EX-Strangite" raised hating the mainstream Mormon church (no, that's not an oxymoron) but now a full-fledged convert to it.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Jon W.
Date: 19 May 98 - 05:07 PM

PS I would love to here some of the recordings you mentioned Mick, can they be found on the internet?

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Will
Date: 19 May 98 - 06:12 PM

Nice story, Mick. Although the reference to the "northernmost inhabited island in the Great Lakes" (in Lake Michigan) reminds me a bit of the Northern Rockies Action Group (NRAG) in the 1970s, which was based in Colorado or Montana or some such rather southern point in the Rockies. I might be wrong, but I suspect that there is an inhabited island on the Canadian side of Lake Superior, north of Lake Michigan.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Big Mick
Date: 20 May 98 - 10:34 AM

First to my Latter Day Saints friend, Jon W., I hope you took no offense, and if so, please accept my sincerest apologies. And from this day forward, I will refer to Strang as the "Ex-Mormon" leader. Thank you for correcting me.

Now to Will. Boy, when I decide to put my big Irish-American foot in my mouth, I put both in, shoes and all. I meant to say, in the United States. Thank you for your correction, and please accept the sincere apologies of a "typical Yank".

Jon, there is at least one recording I am familiar with, and that is "Beaver Island House Party" which I believe was collected by Alan Lomax. I will find out the details of that and post it to this thread. Additionally there have been several very good Beaver Island natives who have recorded and I will get that data as well. Finally, if you use your search engine (Alta Vista, etc.)and search under "Beaver Island", I believe you will find several sites.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Jon W.
Date: 20 May 98 - 10:46 AM

Mick, I took no offense, just wanted to clarify the often-misunderstood history of my church. We definitely don't believe in setting ourselves up as kings. And thanks for the recording info, I'll check it out.

Jon W.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 May 98 - 01:39 PM

Art mentioned Lee Murdock (click here). Lee has five CD's of the finest Great Lakes music I've heard - just about the only Great Lakes music I've heard outside of the Stan Rogers "Fresh Water" album and a couple other single songs. Anybody got any other leads to good Great Lakes music?
-Joe Offer, raised on the shores of Lake Michigan-

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Will
Date: 20 May 98 - 09:01 PM

Joe, isn't Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzergerald" about the Great Lakes (at least, I think that Gordon did that one)?

Mick, no offense on this side either. Just a knee-jerk reaction after a lifetime of listening to Americans talk about themselves. My other knee now jerks when I hear Canadian's talk about the U.S.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 May 98 - 09:21 PM

Yup, Will, "Fitzgerald" was by Lightfoot. I've always liked it, but many folkies don't. Another good Great Lakes song is "Lovely Agnes," by Sally Rogers.
I think that Lee Murdock does The Julie Plante, a song about a storm on Lake St. Clair. I'll post it later. Although I call Wisconsin home since I moved there when I was ten, I was born in Detroit from a family of proud Detroiters and know for a fact that there are six Great Lakes - but the sixth one is St. Clair, not Champlain.

-Joe Offer, in exile in California-

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Big Mick
Date: 20 May 98 - 09:40 PM

In response to Joe, there is a singer out of the Flint area whose name is Dan Hall and one of his specialty's are songs of the Great Lakes sailors. He recently released a CD titled "It's Quiet Where They Sleep". His E-mail Address is [e-mail]. He also has a web page located at http://www.danhall.com where you can order the CD's. I have heard him live and have the CD and, as a musician, I must tell you he is excellent. His lyrics are very powerful.

Yes, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a Great Lakes song about a shipwreck on Lake Superior. Lightfoot wrote the lyrics and set them to an old irish melody. Another song that uses the same tune is an Irish transportation song written by Bobby Sands called "Back Home in Derry".

I agree with your comment about St. Clair/Champlain. The nerve of those folks!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Nora
Date: 21 May 98 - 12:02 AM

If I may digress to an Edmund Fitzgerald story. This really happened:

A friend of mine was at Split Rock lighthouse on Lake Superior waiting for the tour to be over so as to have coffee with the tour guide, who was explaining about lighthouses and shipwrecks and asked (for probably the 9 millionth time) could anyone name the most recent major shipwreck on Lake Superior. The audience of tourists was stumped. Silence. Finally someone in the back asked "Was it wreck of the Gordon Lightfoot?"

Nora

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 May 98 - 02:14 AM

Well, here's a link to The Julie Plante. Another good song from the Lakes is Red Iron Ore.

When I was ten, we moved from Detroit to Wind Point, north of Racine, Wisconsin. We could see a lighthouse out our front window, and occasionally saw the ore boats in the distance. I loved it there and still call it home, but my parents never adjusted. Every summer, my parents took the five of us kids back to Detroit for vacation - and they still go to Detroit for vacation every year, forty years after they moved away. One thing I loved about Detroit was the river. It was a great place to watch a constant parade of those wonderful ore boats.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From:
Date: 23 May 98 - 10:59 PM

Farther North than Beaver Island (but still in the U.S.) are the inhabited islands of Mackinac Is., Michigan and Drummond Is., Michigan (both in Lake Huron) and Madeline Is., Wisconsin (in Lake Superior).

Beaver Island House Party is by Laurie Kay Sommers, published by the Michigan State University Press, the Michigan State University Museum and the Beaver Island Historical Society, East Lansing/Beaver Island, 1996. ISBN 0-87103-453-1. 86pp, with an enclosed CD containing 24 selections, mostly recorded in the 1990s, but some as early as 1952 and 1938. Alan Loman joined Ivan Walton in the collection of the 1938 material.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 23 May 98 - 11:02 PM

Oops--the automatic signing mechanism wasn't on. Attribute the above comment to me.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Dan Mulligan
Date: 23 May 98 - 11:11 PM

Mick,
You told the story pretty well, (as a Michigander I have heard the story a few times before) but Beaver island is by no means the northermost inhabited island in the great lakes. Mackinac Island is further north (and a whole lot more famous) and so is Drummond Island , just to name two. They are both located up in the straights of Mackinac just east of the Mackinaw bridge.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Dan Mulligan
Date: 23 May 98 - 11:13 PM

oops looks like Charlie beat me to that little piece of info.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 24 May 98 - 07:58 PM

Big Mick, G'day, I think you may find that the Lightfoot song pre-dated the Bobby Sands song Regards Ted

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From:
Date: 24 May 98 - 08:53 PM

I watch the ships go down the Detroit River every day. My office is on the Canadian side of the river, and I live about four blocks from it. (Pretty good location for the fireworks.) I can generally drive to Tiger Stadium faster than I can drive to the local mall.

I seem to recall that there is or was a singer from Kingston, Ontario who wrote songs about the Great Lakes. The person's name escapes me. Can anyone from The Limestone City enlighten me?

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Big Mick
Date: 24 May 98 - 11:33 PM

O.K. Charley and Dan, they are farther north than Beaver, I guess it must have been the illicit items I put in my body in the 60's that were affecting me when I wrote that piece. But if you will notice, it was after midnight, and during the week. At any rate, those are the best excuses I can come up with quickly.

Ted from Australia, How's she cuttin? I know that the Lightfoot song predated Sands song. What I said was that both songs were set to an older irish tune, at least that is what I have read somewhere.

It's great to hear from you, stay in touch. Are you one of "the green among the gold" that Geraldine Doyle refers to in her song?

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 25 May 98 - 08:45 AM

Big Mick G'day. All is cool downunder thanks for asking.

You may be right, however, I recall that Christie Moore attributed the tune to lightfoot on the album sleeve of "Ride On"(I think).

Yair Geraldine has us pegged.

Beaver Is is another place i have to add to my list of places to visit (together with all the places from the Lightfoot and Rogers songs)next time I come to Cananda to see the rellies.

Regards Ted

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Art Thieme
Date: 25 May 98 - 10:15 AM

Howdy folks,

Edith Fowke collected many songs of the Great Lakes. Check out the LP on Folkways and possible the CD on Smithsonian-Folkways of those original collected source versions of those song.

Art

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From:
Date: 25 May 98 - 06:34 PM

Are those old Folkways LP's now out on CD? I remember that they had some pretty obscure ones, a lot of stuff collected in the field. Years ago I had a folk show on student radio, and did a few shows where I played the "collected" version followed by a "modern" version. Or at least I did until the station manager made me stop.:)

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 May 98 - 06:43 PM

Tim, for $20 US, Smithsonian Folkways will make you a CD of anything that has ever been in the Folkways catalog.

Say, Art, did Edith Fowke publish a Great Lakes songbook? I've been looking for a Canadian songbook she did - would that be the one with the Great Lakes songs? I sure wish somebody would reissue some of the wonderful songbooks that came out earlier in our century - although I must admit there's a real thrill in finding an old gem for a buck or two.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From:
Date: 25 May 98 - 06:58 PM

Joe, do you mean to say that I get to pick and choose, and they make me a custom CD? What a wonderful concept. Now if I can just figure out how to use their search engine.

Joe, if you ever get up to Detroit with your mother and father, check out King's Used Books downtown. It's in an old glove factory and is massive -- four or five floors of used books, records, magazines, obscurities, etc. It isn't computerized, but it is well organized into sections. I haven't any doubt but if anyone would have used folk songbooks they would.

And if you do make it to Detroit, make sure you give me a call for a beer or two.:)

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 May 98 - 07:39 PM

Not that custom, Tim - but they will give you a CD of any album that was on the Folkways label. Picking and choosing isn't allowed. Part of the deal when Smithsonian acquired Folkways was that they had to continue the policy of keeping everything that ever was in the catalogue available. Until recently, all they had was cassettes of the old albums, but they recently got CD capability. I understand that Folk-Legacy does the same thing, but only on cassette - and their catalog is also a rich treasury of folk recordings.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From:
Date: 25 May 98 - 08:01 PM

If you go to the Smithsonian Folkways site posted by Joe, and do the appropriate search, you will see that there is at least one CD of songs from the Great Lakes.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: JenEllen
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 06:23 PM

Just got word via Biggus Mickus himself that the CCB will return to the Island in a few weeks. Interesting story and would be a treat to see. Let those tri-colours fly, boys!

~JE

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Jul 03 - 09:58 AM

Aaaaargh!! And I'm in Idaho!!

In dicussing the history of Beaver Island, let's not forget WHY his followers killed Strang. He wasn't the most pleasant of those who broke away during the confusion after Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed, Nauvoo was sacked, etc. -- Joseph Smith's son and wife (Emma?) also apostasized and founded the Reformed LDS church. Strang was probably the worst, though.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Art Thieme
Date: 04 Jul 03 - 01:11 PM

...and since this thread petered out in '98 there has been a fine book issued of lakes songs. WINDJAMMERS---SONGS OF THE GREAT LAKES SAILORS is the title. It is made up from the Ivan H. Walton collection by Joe Grimm. Lee Murdock did the musical scores. Comes from The Wayne State University Press.

And a fine CD, mostly origianally collected songs from Walton's recording trips, and some from A. Lomax's work, also comes with the book. Beaver Island is central to some of the songs.The song "The Gallant Tommy Boil" was sung on Beaver Island by Pat McDonough----August 28th, 1938

Art Thieme (July 4, 2003)

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: GUEST,Liam's Brother / Dan Milner
Date: 06 Jul 03 - 03:01 PM

Thanks Mick and everyone else. I have seen things about Beaver Island before but never with Mick's big spotlight beam shining.

All the best,
Dan

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: kendall
Date: 06 Jul 03 - 08:36 PM

Here's one folkie who loves the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It's a great story, well told.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: pattyClink
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 09:47 AM

For the record, that would be spelled Tommy Boyle.
So where's Big Mick playing? The Shamrock? Museum Week? someplace new?

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Mark Clark
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 10:46 AM

And Lee Murdock's Web site has moved since Joe posted the link only five short years ago. He now has his own domain.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Big Mick
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 03:21 AM

Hi folks. Just in from a wonderful three days with the wonderful Beaver Islanders. Patty, to answer your question, we were the featured band during museum week. We played in the Parish Hall/Village Auditorium. I love playing in that place. It is where many of the stories begin.

One of the things that occurred during our first break was a DVD/video presentation of the Beaver Island and Arranmore Island "twinning" ceremony. To see the people of Arranmore waiting on the quay for the Beaver Islanders with a huge green banner that said "Failte Abhaile" brought tears to my eyes. For those that don't know, back in the early part of the Great Hunger 163 people were evicted from Arranmore, and forbidden to ever return, by the resident landlord because he felt that there were too many people and they would take up valuable land for growing. Many of those victims of forced evacuation made their way to Beaver Island and established a "new Ireland" (words used by a modern day resident of Arranmore in describing Beaver Island) in the waters of Lake Michigan. When the gangplank dropped on the boat, returning the descendants of the original evictees for the first time in some 150 years, well, it was an overpowering moment for me. The Island remains to this day forever bound to Arranmore and her people.

The night was filled with moments for me. One of the songs that I sang was Donegal Danny, because these folks are Donegalers. But in the middle of singing it, while looking into the eyes of these folks who had all lost relatives to the storms on the Lakes, the gravity of the words hit me like McGurk's right hand. I asked them to sing the last chorus with me, and it was powerful.

We had a little fun with them too. Jewell Gillespie was one of the noted singers from Beaver Island. He is featured prominently in the book "Beaver Island House Party". One of the songs he wrote is called Enoch Hill. It is about a fella who got caught by the Revenue Men with a still. The song has two verses which describe him being caught, and then getting sent to Milan (Correctional Facility). Jon Koeze (our bass player) has always been bothered that Jewel didn't write a verse about him coming back to the Island. So he asked Cindy Gillespie (Jewel's youngest daughter) if we could write a third verse. She said yes, I wrote the verse, and when I am standing there singing I realize that all of Jewel's kids and grandkids are there, and they all have a look on their face that says "This better be good, Mick". One aside is that we also ended the song with a sudden key change from C to D and launched into two reels, Wheels of the World and The Congress Reel, at a very hot tempo. They were all laughing and clapping and I was very relieved. There is only one way off the Island and thoughts of getting shanghied were crossing my mind................LOL.

I brought my youngest daughter up to step dance for the folks. The kids were fascinated by it and trying to copy her. Step dancing is not done on the island anymore, but in watching the kids and the parents, well.....we are going to do something about that. And the wee Ciara (my daughter)felt like she was dancing the lead in Riverdance, what with the reception she got.

I love this Island, and I love the people who live there. I have told them that we want to come up mid winter for a big house party on us. There are about 500 year 'rounders, and I just want to come and sit in someone's house and make music with them.

Both Cindy Gillespie and Barry Pitschner were there. These are probably the two best known of the Island singers. They were wonderfully gracious, and invited us back to do some music together. Ed Palmer couldn't make it and that was one of the few disappointments. Ed keeps the fiddling tradition, and the old songs alive.

Cute bit of Island culture. On our last visit to the Island, my wife and daughter were talking with Mrs. McDonagh (mother of 12 of the most beautiful daughters and a couple of sons to boot), when wee Ciara asked to go out and play. My wife told her to stay within eyesight. Mrs. McD asked her why? Mary Lou replied "I don't want her to get lost". Mrs. chuckled, informed her that "it's an Island, honey". Then she called Ciara over and told her, "honey, if you get lost, go to the water, put one foot in the water and start walking. As long as you keep one foot in the water, you will get home". Ciara said "OK" and off she went. Another bit of Island tradition is that you always leave your keys in the car. When Mary Lou asked why, Mrs replied that someone might need it and "it'll come back, probably with more gas than it left with. Besides, honey, you don't want folks to think that you are stuffy". The last tradition is one to watch for if you ever play the Island. If you get invited to go to someones porch after the bar closes (as I did when I played The Shamrock a few years ago), feel free to go but understand that you can't leave the porch until the sun comes up. That is the rule. It's OK to say no, but if you go, you must stay.

I could go on and on. Wonderful gig, wonderful people, and I am anxious to go back. They have already booked us for next year. I can't wait.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: pattyClink
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 11:53 AM

Sounds wonderful Mick. I got to meet and swap songs with Jewell and Cindy long ago, when the musical tradition was really hanging by a thread. So glad it's come back.

So, what's the exact date for next year? (to book rental homes often requires getting your reservation in January 2 8:01 am) We used to hold clan reunions up there but haven't been for 10 years. It's a logistical nightmare when you're scattered as far as we are. Maybe we can get our butts on the boat next year.

And now I have my very own song to contribute (my Mississippi whaling song) so I can hold my head up amongst the Island songwriters.

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: Big Mick
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 12:14 AM

Patty, that would be a real treat. I will find out the date from Mike (our banjo player and business guy) and find out what they negotiated. The Shamrock wants us back and the Historical society said they want us back for Museum Week next year. I will find out what has been firmed up.

Mick

Subject: RE: Beaver Island
From: GUEST,Shirley (Gatliff) Cole
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 12:04 PM

Hi Mick - It was nice to read the above about the Island. My husband (Paul Cole)and I are both Arranmore/Beaver Island decendants and were at the party at the hall this summer when you played and Ciara danced. We were the couple with the three young girls (aspiring step dancers themselves) and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Your music was wonderful! And your take on the "party after the party" all too true! No one goes home until the sun comes up! You'd never live it down! Anyway, I wanted to let you know about a couple of occasions you might be interested in. The first event is a party in Chicago on October 4th thrown by the folks of Arranmore as a benefit for their church (St. Crones). Many of the Beaver Islanders plan to attend and participate in the music (i.e. Cindy, Edward, Rich Scripps, etc.). There will be a documentary film crew from Ireland there to tape the event. This is the same crew that filmed that small snippet shown at the party. They are "wrapping up" their project and not only plan to tape the party in Chicago, but will travel back to Beaver for taping the following week/weekend. So now the Beaver Islanders are toying with the idea of a hall party that weekend (October 11) to show the film crew what Island parties are like. You'd be more than welcome at either event, so just email me at [e-mail] for more info. Hope all is well and look forward to hearing from you soon! Slan'!