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The NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute (NEH CDMI) virtual workshops continued yesterday with over 40 fellows in attendance. During this workshop Director Dr. Dan Trepal led a discussion on best practices in Data Linking, the creation of Historical Spatial Data Infrastructures, and Data Management. Each of these topics has played a critical role in building the Keweenaw Time Traveler and are essential components of building deep maps as they allow for the connection of data across time and space. The recording of this virtual workshop and others as they become available can be found on the NEH CDMI Virtual Workshops & Asynchronous Modules webpage. A full schedule of virtual workshops and the in-person institute program can be found on the Schedule page.
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On Tuesday, April 3rd the directors of the NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute (NEH CDMI) received notice that the National Endowment for the Humanities had terminated the federal grant responsible for funding the 2025 institute. The letter states: ‘The NEH has reasonable cause to terminate your grant in light of the fact that the NEH is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda’. Further information about NEH funding priorities and the Agency’s recent implementation of Trump administration executive orders can be found in this recent press release from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The elimination of this funding mechanism immediately put strain on financially supporting both Institute program development by research staff and faculty as well as the two week in-person workshops taking place in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Over the course of this last week directors have worked to develop a new plan for the continuation of the NEH CDMI constrained by the funding limitations due to the grant termination. To meet this challenge the director team developed a two-prong approach. First, directors developed a new plan that aimed to limit and differ costs while also still meeting the original aims of the Institute and supporting the needs of Institute fellows and their deep mapping projects. Secondly, directors reached out for financial support from their own academic institutions as well as reaching out for support from academic and professional institutions associated with Institute fellows.
Yesterday, NEH CDMI directors and fellows met to discuss the current state of affairs surrounding the Institute. Directors explained the current situation to fellows and discussed their work over the past week to create a plan that would allow the Institute to continue without creating an undue burden of costs on fellows. Fellows universally expressed their support for the Institute and the work directors continued to do to support their teams and projects. All teams agreed that the Institute should move forward with virtual sessions. Teams also expressed a willingness to participate in a more condensed in-person program in the Keweenaw this July, paying for their own transportation and lodging.
Due to the overwhelming support of the Institute fellows as well as generous financial support from Michigan Technological University and North Dakota State University the 2025 NEH CDMI will continue with both virtual and in-person workshops. The updated virtual and in-person schedules can be found on the NEH CDMI schedule page.
Over the course of this last week directors have worked to develop a new plan for the continuation of the NEH CDMI constrained by the funding limitations due to the grant termination. To meet this challenge the director team developed a two-prong approach. First, directors developed a new plan that aimed to limit and differ costs while also still meeting the original aims of the Institute and supporting the needs of Institute fellows and their deep mapping projects. Secondly, directors reached out for financial support from their own academic institutions as well as reaching out for support from academic and professional institutions associated with Institute fellows.
Yesterday, NEH CDMI directors and fellows met to discuss the current state of affairs surrounding the Institute. Directors explained the current situation to fellows and discussed their work over the past week to create a plan that would allow the Institute to continue without creating an undue burden of costs on fellows. Fellows universally expressed their support for the Institute and the work directors continued to do to support their teams and projects. All teams agreed that the Institute should move forward with virtual sessions. Teams also expressed a willingness to participate in a more condensed in-person program in the Keweenaw this July, paying for their own transportation and lodging.
Due to the overwhelming support of the Institute fellows as well as generous financial support from Michigan Technological University and North Dakota State University the 2025 NEH CDMI will continue with both virtual and in-person workshops. The updated virtual and in-person schedules can be found on the NEH CDMI schedule page.
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Members of the Keweenaw Time Traveler team and Michigan Technological University’s Social Sciences Department attended the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting In Detroit this past week. Over the course of the week students and faculty have presented in or helped facilitate 27 sessions! Below is a list of work presented at the conference:
- Victor Humanes Fuente: Influence of Fire Regimes and Human Migrations on Pine Regeneration in Northern Michigan
- Mark Rhodes: Printing the Historical Geographies of the State: The temporalities, spatialities, and bureaucracies of the National Museum Wales Press
- Don Lafreniere: FV 3-2: Explore the "World in 2 square Miles"- the unique enclave of Hamtramck Michigan
- Kathryn Hannum: Experiential Learning in Geography: The World as Our Classroom (BOOK) Meet the Authors
- Dan Trepal: Mapping IPUMS Census Microdata at Micro-Scales: Challenges and Opportunities
- Kathryn Hannum and Erin Loeschmann: Adapting the IPL-12 for Qualitative Insights into Refugee Integration
- Esther Acheampong: Enhancing Stakeholder Participation in Geospatial Coastal Vulnerability Indices for Shoreline Management on Lake Michigan’s Coastline
- Grace Murray: Living Memorials and Their Potential for Community Connections and Representative Memorialization
- Roman Sidortsov: Harnessing Community Power: Exploring Community-Based Approaches to Energy Justice
- Grace Griffin: Developing a National Soundscape Model for US National Parks
- James Juip: Interpreting the Absent: The use of digital story trails and deep mapping to resurrect a former lumber mill landscape
In partnership with the Hamtramck Historical Museum and Wayne State University the Keweenaw Time Traveler hosted “Explore the ‘World in 2 square miles’ - the unique enclave of Hamtramck Michigan” a field trip to the community of Hamtramck was one of the highlights of the week. Visitors used the Hamtramck Explorer on their mobile phones to explore the temporal and spatial changes Hamtramck has experienced. Participants received a personal tour of the Hamtramck Historical Museum and wrapped up their excursion with a trip to the Polish Village Cafe.
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7th and 8th graders from Jeffers visited the Michigan Tech Department of Social Sciences this Wednesday and Thursday. As part of their visit students learned how to use the Keweenaw Time Traveler as a historical resource to learn and share about the history of their communities. Students also broke into teams and used the Keweenaw Time Traveler Mobile application to play Keweenaw Time Traveler Bingo across the Michigan Tech campus. Students uncovered buildings and places that used to play a large part in campus life. Students will be using the Keweenaw Time Traveler this Spring to share stories collected from their parents and grandparents about life in the Copper Country.
Interested in Keweenaw Time Traveler Bingo or how the Time Traveler can be used in your classroom? The Lessons from the Past page provides a variety of resources for ages K-12.
Interested in Keweenaw Time Traveler Bingo or how the Time Traveler can be used in your classroom? The Lessons from the Past page provides a variety of resources for ages K-12.
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NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute (NEH CDMI) fellows and directors met virtually yesterday to discuss developing and sustaining community partnerships and ethical community-based work. Using the Keweenaw Time Traveler as an example directors shared some of the best practices in engaging and sustaining community partnerships as well as their value in the scoping, creation, and ongoing development of deep maps. Fellows shared the challenges and opportunities they have had in engaging community stakeholders in their own projects. The recording of this virtual workshop and others as they become available can be found on the NEH CDMI Virtual Workshops & Asynchronous Modules webpage. A full schedule of virtual workshops and the in-person institute program can be found on the Schedule page.
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The virtual workshops for the NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute (NEH CDMI) continued yesterday with a session devoted to scoping deep mapping projects. During this workshop Institute Directors shared their experiences scoping deep mapping projects like the Keweenaw Time Traveler and the Hamtramck Explorer. Fellows then broke into teams to scope and develop their plans for their own projects. The recording of this virtual workshop and others as they become available can be found on the NEH CDMI Virtual Workshops & Asynchronous Modules webpage. A full schedule of virtual workshops and the in-person institute program can be found on the Schedule page.
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The virtual workshops for the NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute (NEH CDMI) began yesterday with orientation for fellows and directors. Over 40 people participated in the first of the virtual workshop sessions. During the orientation workshop directors shared the key goals for the Institute, outlined plans for the upcoming virtual workshops, and shared details with fellows about the immersive in-person institute taking place mid-July up in the Keweenaw. Fellows then had the opportunity to share their visions for their deep mapping projects. Fellows from the 9 project teams described the scope of their projects, as well as the benefits their projects would have for local stakeholders, academics, and the broader public. The recording of this virtual workshop and others as they become available can be found on the NEH CDMI Virtual Workshops & Asynchronous Modules webpage. A full schedule of virtual workshops and the in-person institute program can be found on the Schedule page.
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Fellows for the 2025 NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute (NEH CDMI), hosted by Michigan Tech University and Wayne State University, have been announced! This year’s cohort consists of 9 projects spread across the Western hemisphere ranging from Sao Paulo Brazil to Foothills county Alberta. The application process was competitive: Institute directors received proposals from a total of 1086 applicants and were able to support 23 in-person fellows, a 2% acceptance rate. This year's fellows have a variety of affiliations including academia, museums, heritage institutions, and Tribal and municipal governments and represent 13 different disciplines and professional backgrounds. .
Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in half a dozen virtual workshops before attending the two week immersive in-person institute in the Keweenaw in mid-July. More information about the institute schedule can be found here. Explore the webmap below to learn more about each project accepted this year. A detailed list of fellows and projects can be found on the NEH CDMI 2025 Fellows page.
Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in half a dozen virtual workshops before attending the two week immersive in-person institute in the Keweenaw in mid-July. More information about the institute schedule can be found here. Explore the webmap below to learn more about each project accepted this year. A detailed list of fellows and projects can be found on the NEH CDMI 2025 Fellows page.
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This post was written by Audrey Jiang, a long-time resident of Houghton and current sophomore at Yale University. She worked with Dr. Sarah Fayen Scarlett to complete this project.
Charles Archibald Pearce’s ad, showing the Light House before alterations. From Our Boys in the Spanish-American War: A Souvenir, Illustrated (privately printed, 1900).
Richard Light House. Photograph by A. K. Hoagland, 2007.
I am pleased to report that the contents of the Copper Country Architects website has been entered into the Keweenaw Time Traveler! The Copper Country Architects website, which can be visited here, is an extensive online biographical index of architects who worked in the region and their respective buildings. The highlight of the website is the historical research about each building, which can be sorted by time period, location, and type. These architectural historical profiles were researched and written by Professor Kim Hoagland and students in her SS3515 History of American Architecture course mostly completed in 2006 and augmented in following years.
My project builds on their previous work by mapping the information from the Copper Country Architects profiles in location-specific stories in the Keweenaw Time Traveler. Just enter the keywords “CC Architects” into the KeTT search bar, and you will be greeted with a torrent of story entries – chock-full of information about the history, purpose, and design of 150 buildings in the Keweenaw. All of these story entries have been carefully placed on their respective historic maps – which is the magic of the Keweenaw Time Traveler. Here, in this environment, visitors can sift through different layers of a rich storied landscape, with the ability to see how it has changed and continues to change.
Just enter the keywords “CC Architects” into the KeTT search bar...
NOTE: The building you choose might have more than one story point. If that's the case, then you will need to select the "CC Architects" story.
The work for the project started by condensing the information from the CC Architects profile of each building into a few sentences for each Keweenaw Time Traveler story point. The content of the profiles vary widely — some are very brief, others very long. For example, in the profile of the Ulseth House below, there is only one paragraph detailing the design of the house. Other profiles, however, such as the profile of the Hugo Field and Lucy Gartner House, read more like lengthy encyclopedia entries. This presented a challenge — how was one to choose the right framework for these entries, considering their differences in content and style?
Copper Country Architects is an extensive online biographical index of architects who worked in the region and their respective buildings.
As I worked, I started to fall back on my two handy tools of narrativization and familiarity. I’ve always believed people connect well to stories that relate to them – as a result, I started looking for familiar details that I could bring out, such that I could trace the arc of a building’s origins to how it became what it is now. I also looked out for specific people or families as anchoring points, so to speak, of a story. I definitely think my experience growing up in the Keweenaw helped me in this respect – I came into the project with a good idea of what people like me might know and be drawn to.
After I condensed each of the CC Architects stories, I deposited them into a Google Doc, which was organized by location. Last came the step of entering all of these Google Doc entries into the Keweenaw Time Traveler itself. While not “that difficult” by any means, finding the buildings among the interconnected web of map, icon, and text sometimes required an underrated kind of care and patience. In this task, however, I also felt like I really started to understand the appeal of the Time Traveler – yes, sometimes you may have to search extremely closely for what you are looking for, but in the process of doing so, you get to experience the complexities of many real-world stories in one virtual space.
I really started to understand the appeal of the Time Traveler – yes, sometimes you may have to search extremely closely for what you are looking for, but in the process of doing so, you get to experience the complexities of many real-world stories in one virtual space.
I came into this project with the mindset of creating engaging stories for others. What I didn’t expect, though, was how those stories would imprint themselves onto me. Suddenly, buildings that I had seen almost all my life weren’t just “that building there,” they were “St. Anne’s Church from my architects project.” I remember walking past the Blum Building in Calumet with a friend, and experiencing the shock of recognition when I saw its distinctive red and gold color scheme. In some sense, trying to create familiar stories for other people familiarized me with the structures of my own life. In addition to a newfound appreciation for the local area, it was also eye-opening to see a different kind of history than the type I’m used to doing. Nowadays, I spend a lot of time in a distant place, reading histories of distant times and regions. It’s nice to get a taste of history that is more intimate, more grounded in my own life and surroundings. So here’s to bringing history closer to communities!
Big thanks to the Michigan Tech Social Sciences Department, and especially Dr. Sarah Fayen Scarlett, for making this possible! (And please do check out both the entries on the Time Traveler and the Copper Country Architects website!
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Members of the Keweenaw Time Traveler team attended the 2024 annual meeting of the Social Science History Association in Toronto, Ontario this past week. The Time Traveler team presented a vast array of work at the conference. These presentations included ‘Interpreting the Absent: The Use of Digital Story Trails and Deep Mapping to Resurrect a Former Lumber Mill Landscape’ presented by Dr. James Juip and Dr. Don Lafreniere, ‘Francophone Labour and Migrations in and Out of the Industrial Keweenaw Peninsula’ presented by Dr. Don Lafreniere, Dr. Sarah Fayen Scarlett, and Gary Spikberg. Dr. Don Lafreniere also participated in ‘People and Urban Spaces: A Round Table in Honour of Sherry Olson'. Dr. Olson is Professor Emerita in the Department of Geography at McGill University and is a seminal scholar within the field of historical geography. Dr. Olson’s work has directly impacted the vision and shape of the Keweenaw Time Traveler and many other historical geospatial projects.