Amasa Historical Museum, P.O. Box 111, Amasa MI (2026)

11/11/2025

Korean War veterans remembered

More than 70 years after the Korean War ended, we recognize those who served during that era, whose living ranks were estimated to be 1 million in 2020. With the demographic decline of these currently 90+ year old veterans (perhaps as few as 650,000 today) that number is projected to be fewer than 200,000 by 2030.

Roy Koski (b.1938-d.2005) of Amasa was one such Korean War veteran. He was the driving force behind the Amasa Centennial history book (1891-1991). I borrow from this author’s words and research in the remainder of this post. [My comments are in brackets. Thanks to all veterans for their service and sacrifice.]
_____

“Between June 25, 1950, and July 27, 1953, there were 33,629 American battle deaths and 103,284 wounded non-mortally. Many of the commissioned officers of World War II were recalled into service during the war and two National Guard infantry divisions served in Korea.

“The young soldiers who fought the Korean War had been children during the depression and teenagers during World War II. The average age of the combat soldier was 22, but they were mature beyond their years and tough and well disciplined.

“Men in the service during the Korean War [presumably all from the Amasa area] were:
Raymond Alatalo
Earl Anderson
Marco Buzachero
Norman Cornelia
Wilbert Dahlgren
John Dallafior
John Gerry
Don Gill
Jack Gill
Rueben Hansen Sr.
John Hanttula
Calvin Heimerl
Morris Heimerl
Warren Hendrickson
William Hill
Jack Holm
Albert Jacobson
Mickey Kangas
Jack Kenney
George Ketola
Reino Ketola
Roy Koski
Robert Kreisch
James Larson
Richard Lehmann
Andrew Makus
Gerald Odlund
Roy Pagel
William Peryam
Eli Rossi
Arthur Syrjala
Gene Tucker

“The Korean Was is called the “Forgotten War”…The Korean War has been over for 38 years [as of the time of Koski’s writing] and hopefully the planned Korean War Memorial will soon be built.” [It was dedicated in 1995.]

Image: Sgt. Roy Koski, December 1951

28/10/2025

This Wednesday (October 29th @ 5 PM), come join us for family fun: an early Halloween party at the Amasa Historical Museum!

23/07/2025

Thanks to the donors, volunteers, and attendees that made the past Museum season possible and an enjoyable time!

04/07/2025

Duck Racing and Fund Raising, July 4

After 4th of July gathering and games at the park which start at 10 AM, ducks will be available for $5 each, proceeds to benefit the museum. The float starts around noon, with the winner announced at the park. Raffle tickets sales from Memorial Day will continue, the winners revealed at the museum around 1 PM. A 50:50 drawing with a large payout also helps support the museum (PO Box 111, Amasa MI 49903).

Music planned at the Amasa Historical Museum starts with returning favorites Polecat Panic (Jake and Danica Soha). Following the big raffle will be another Michigan band Skinned Knees & Friends (Sydney Timbrook, Brad Premo, Karalyn Anderton, and Eric Bates) playing original tunes.

Brats, dogs, pop, and chips will be available at the Museum, too. The museum will be open for visitors and merchandise sales.

28/05/2025

Memorial Day is a time when many with ties to Amasa come home to remember loved ones passed, especially those who served their country militarily. With utmost respect and honor, we recognize those who never returned home from war and made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Thanks to the volunteers, donors, and attendees of Amasa Historical Museum’s 28th annual Heritage event held this past Memorial Day. We thank donors of flowers (Premo’s Greenhouse, Carol Meyer for baskets), food/beverages (Super One Foods Iron River, Econo Foods Iron Mountain, Bink's Coca-Cola Bottling Iron Mountain), and music (Polecat Panic, Jake and Danica). Volunteers helping were Jerry and Kelly, Debbie and Kent, Wes and Ella, Helen and Raven, Donna, Wes S., and Joe (tent and stage setup). Thanks to Aila, too, for sharing the Rice Krispie treats.

The latest Spring 2025 newsletter is available as a PDF link in the first comment. Contact us if you wish to be added to the annual mailing list or if you have a change of address. Thank you for your support.

23/05/2025

Celebrate Amasa Heritage and Enjoy Old-Time Music, May 26

Come listen, lunch, and tour the Amasa Historical Museum Monday after Memorial Day services at Hematite Cemetery, May 26, 2025. On stage to share their winning combination of bluegrass, folk, and Americana is Amasa’s own Polecat Panic, Jake and Danica Soha. The duo will start playing around 11:30 AM CT, previewing their upcoming album.

28/10/2024

Sometime before 1963, this photo of the Amasa-Hematite Fire Department was snapped. The roster included:

Top row L to R
Jim Juneau, Howard Bennett, Odie Peterson, Carl Kinnunen, George Mechon, Ralph Watts

Middle row L to R
Eli Rossi, Louie Galob, Donald Johnson, Slim Wickman, Glen Brittain, Floppy Pari

Bottom row L to R
Donald Colombino, Glen Larson, Roy Isaacson, Norman Gill, Bino Webber

Thanks to Robert “Tim” Olson for sharing the photo and naming everyone. Recognizing firefighters and first responders everywhere.

21/09/2024

Happy Birthday to Amasa’s Newest Centenarian!

Jane Wormwood Pjesky celebrated her 100 years on earth this month. She was born in Amasa to Mildred (Premo) Wormwood and Ward Wormwood, graduated from Amasa High School in 1942, and studied nursing at Detroit Henry Ford Hospital. She and her husband Dan Pjesky, a WWII vet, raised a family in Saint Joseph and made Arizona their seasonal retirement home. Earlier this summer, friends of Jane from the Hawley-Poikola family (Jane’s friend and fellow nursing student Helen Poikola, also from Amasa) ordered a memorial brick, which has now been placed at the Amasa Historical Museum grounds.

Thanks to Jane’s family members, several of whom donated monetary gifts to Amasa Historical Museum in honor of her birthday milestone.

24/07/2024

AMASA – Just A Town They Call Home
Unknown author (likely Roy Koski)
Possibly published The Diamond Drill (indicated as Volume 104, Number 26)
Printed June 26, 1991 (Amasa’s Centennial Celebration year)

Part 4 of 4

The first church built in Amasa was Maria Lutheran Church | [1901], even though the Amasa Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church congregation was in existence since 1899 [its name was changed to Bethany Lutheran Church]. The other churches of Amasa were and/or are Grace Methodist Church [which began as a Presbyterian Church], First Methodist Episcopal Church, Sion Lutheran Church, and St. Mary's Catholic Church [1910, the church never had a resident priest].

Amasa history includes many boarding houses operated at all the mining locations and of course the famous "Hen House," where the school teachers lived. History also states the Finnish Temperance Society was formed in 1896, the Amasa Band in 1903, and the Amasa Civic Club in 1920.

Businesses that have and do now occupied space on the main street, side streets, and byways of Amasa include: Amasa Bottling Works [1912, began by Matt Skytta, sold to Jacob Ketola, then John Poikola, and closed doors in mid 1940s], barber shops as early as 7/25/1891, Amasa House [1895, proprietor Ed Day], New Commercial House [1895, with hotel-man Albert Drake], Hotel & Restaurant in Webber Building [1910], Amasa Hotel [1923, owned by Hemlock Mining Co.], Phoenix Hotel, Hotel Premo [1900], Henry Makiranta Shoe Shop, Bicigo Shoe Shop, John Erick Anderson Shop, Jacob Jacobson Shop, Elmer Maki Shop, Amasa Cooperative Association, H.F. Christenson Co., Hematite Mercantile Co., C.T. Roberts General Store, I. Marks Store, Meisler Dressmaking Shop, Louis Marks Store, S. Challancin & Co. Grocery Store, W.J. Horder Store, Matt Hurja Grocery & Dry Goods Store, W.H. Jobe & Co. Store, H.F. Christenson Store, Berg's Confectionery, Frank Thompson Confectionery, The Paris Store, Louis Minkus Store, Luopa & Wormwood Grocery, Marks General Store, Rautanen Bros. Pool Hall, Lahde Pool Hall, F & A Lumber Co., Pivatto Grocery, Arnie Hendrickson Grocery Store, Webber's Cash Market, Corner Cash Market, Fran's Cash Market, Amasa Drug Store, Amasa Bijou [changed to The Pioneer Theatre], Star Bakery, a livery stable, a candy store, a Blacksmith Shop, Farmer & Miner State Bank of Amasa. Amasa Lumber & Supply Co., Cloverland Super Service Station, Cloverland Supply Co., Brown Mill Bar, Amasa Supply Co., Rossi Bar, Colombino Bar, American Can Co., Golob's Service Station, Vi's Coffee Shop, another coffee shop [no name found], Ned Lake Timber, Amasa Hotel Bar, Amasa Hotel Country Gift Shoppe, K.C.'s Bar & Grill, James River Corp., Pard's Bar, Tall Pines Grocery, Pine Cone Cafe, Hardwood Hotel, and White Water Associates.

The town today is still governed by the Hematite Township Board, and its members are: Supervisor Joe Mechon, Clerk Debra Ragan, Treasurer Catherine Gill, and Trustees Susan Kenny and Fred Hiltonen. The constable is Butch Soderna.

For the complete, in depth history of this town with a colorful past, "rivaling the reputation of Dodge City," be sure to order and read the Amasa 1991 Centennial Book when it comes off the "hot" presses. [watch the Drill for the big announcement].

The dozen or so businesses operating in Amasa today, along with the residents of the township, can all be proud of the rich history of the town they call home, AMASA!

17/07/2024

AMASA – Just A Town They Call Home
Unknown author (likely Roy Koski)
Possibly published The Diamond Drill (indicated as Volume 104, Number 26)
Printed June 26, 1991 (Amasa’s Centennial Celebration year)

Part 3 of 4

Roads leading to Amasa were just that in the beginning…"Roads." The names of the "big ones" changed many times from Route 69 to US 102 to present day US 141.

The Town Hall has been the center of activity from the very birth of Amasa and was first built on the corner of Pine St. and Hemlock Ave., with the front entrance on Pine St. In 1934, the two-story structure was turned so the front faced the Milwaukee Rd. depot. It was enlarged in 1947 when the township purchased its first fire truck, for the new addition also accommodated the vehicle.

Mining was not the only industry that kept Amasa alive and growing. They had logging, ranching, and farming, which was said to be number one over the mining industry.

The era of logging was known as "Pine Days." Logging companies in the history of Amasa include: Murphy & Sons, Net River Improvement Co., Menominee River Lumber Co., Detroit Lumber Co., Kirby-Carpenter Co., Hamilton & Merriman Co., Fence River Logging Co., Fence River Improvement Co., Patten Lumber Co., James River Corp., Pine River Lumber, Henry Rajala Logging, and probably a few more.

Sawmills included: Oaklands' Mill, Patten Timber Co., Luke & Carlson, and Marathon Box Co.

With no railroads in the early days of the area, mill owners used the abundant area rivers to transport logs to the sawmills. As a result 41 dams were built on the Menominee River and 30 more were built on the Nett, Hemlock, Paint, Deer, Fence, Michigamme, and Brule Rivers to float logs to the mills. And of course, log jams occurred as well as logs freezing solid in the rivers. One early mention of "a log jam" stated “6 million feet of logs were jammed at the Rosenquist Bridge."

The railroad entered the picture around 1918, and the CMSTP&P Railroad hauled pulpwood to Green Bay and Appleton.

Ranching/farming included: Triangle Ranch [1921], Dude Ranching of Rosebush Ranch Co. [1926], Beaver Farm of Rosebush Ranch, sheep ranching, pig farming, Fox Farm's [1928-29, Quinnesec Fur Farm - The Peninsula Fox & Fur Co.], dairy farms, cattle farms, along with the big and little farmers who produced the vegetable and fruit crops.

The first doctor listed in Amasa Annals is Dr. Theo. B. Breck [9/26/1891], followed by Doctors McBurney, A.M. Darling, McDaniels, Redner, Hauser, Law, McMurchie, Duby, Coxon, Newbern, and the last one to practice, Hillmer. All the early doctors worked for the mining companies.

[Drawing of Amasa's Pioneer Theatre by artist/cartoonist Carl Hanson]

16/07/2024

Iron County Reporter ad (July 17, 2024). Thanks to all who visited and supported the Museum on July 4th.

15/07/2024

Here's the schedule for the last two days of Amasa's Centennial Celebration in 1991, July 3, 4, 5, and 6. This happened to be on the back of the article "Amasa Just a Town They Call Home" that we've been reprinting Wednesdays this month. Does anyone have the whole schedule saved as a newspaper clipping? How about the clipping for 1966's Diamond Jubilee Celebration?

Amasa Historical Museum