Merle Potter was the best teacher I ever had at the Tech. But I have to disagree with his assessment of where to get and how to eat pasties.

My recollection of the Koffee Kup is that in the fifties it was a teen hangout. I was unaware that they had anything on their menu besides Coke
and fries. My recollection is that in the fifties the best pasties in town were from Kaleva’s Cafe. The question of ketchup vs gravy is silly. A good pasty needs neither. I always ate the first half with neither, and the second half with a little ketchup to jazz it up a little.

The best pasty chef in the world was my own wife. A New Mexico girl, she never heard of pasties before we got married. But we found a recipe, and she made pasties better than Kaleva’s Cafe. My aunt told us to use rutabagas instead of turnips, and then it was even better.

Now I live just blocks from a “Cornish Pasty Co.” Their pasties are mediocre. The main ingredient seems to be salt. When in doubt, add salt, they say. But sometimes a Cornish pasty is better than no pasty at all.

This is off-topic, but my aunt, born and raised in Houghton, told me where the name “Toots” came from. Not from kids tooting horns or anything as silly as that. In the late 1800s the Tech was the Mining Institute. Students went to the ‘Tute to learn mining. They were called ’Tutes. Not Toots. ‘Tutes.

Tom Williamson ’61

-Thanks for sharing the pasty memories, Tom. And, thanks for the information about Tutes. -SW 

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I grew up in northeastern Minnesota where pasties are just as common as in the UP.  I never heard of putting anything but maybe a little butter on a pasty until I started at Tech.

The best pasties come from a church basement made by the church ladies for a pasty sale.

Bruce Kettunen, ’76

-We will have to watch for more of those church basement pasty sales. Thanks for the tip! -SW 

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Hello Sarah,

I was lucky enough to spend two summers in the Keweenaw, summer of ’91 and ’92. After class in the morning, we would play volleyball everyday over at Hancock Beach. On the weekends we’d go 4-wheelin’ out by the Redridge dam, or I’d take my motorcycle out for a ride past the Rendezvous near McLain’s and then make my way up the covered road to Copper Harbor. Sometimes I’d pile a tent and sleeping bag on the back of the bike and camp out on 7 mile point beach near Eagle River or on Bete Grise beach. Those are some of the best summers I’ve ever had thanks to my SPE Bros.

Thanks for the newsletter and keep up the good work.

Christopher “Mooner” Munn – Class ’92

-Great summer memories. Sounds like you had some good times in the Keweenaw. Thank you for sharing! -SW