Lake Fanny Hooe

It is one of my favorite bodies of water found along the peninsula, due largely to its location nestled up against the rugged hillside overlooking Copper Harbor. Its most remarkable feature is perhaps its stillness, as it presents itself to you in real life in the same way it would as photograph – still, serene, quiet and calm. Hardly have I seen so much as a ripple splash along its surface, its waters just a hazy mirror reflecting the beautiful setting that surrounds it.

When first discovered, the lake was labeled as “Porter’s Lake” on maps, in reference to the Secretary of War at the time James Porter. At the time the lake was described as having waters which were brackish, resembling brandy and water but unpalatable. The lake would pick up a new nickname years later, thanks to a visit to the neighboring fort from Lucy Francis Hooe.

Known as “Fanny” to her friends, Lucy was the sister-in-law of one of the officers stationed at Fort Wilkins. In 1844 she spent a summer at the fort, leaving quite the impression on the enlisted men. The men would end up naming the lake in her honor – Lake Fanny Hooe. It was a name that would stick, making its way onto official government maps of the area and then into history.

Michael Forgrave

CCE is written, photographed and illustrated by Mike Forgrave. After having graduated from Michigan Tech, Mike spent 16 years in the Copper Country exploring the remains of the great industrial empire that was. In 2007 he began to document those explorations through the pages of CCE, hoping to share the beauty and majesty of the region to the rest of the world. Since then Mike has written over 1300 articles and a dozen books on the subject, creating one of the largest on-line resources for Copper Country history in the process.
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