64 / Methods of Development
The second natural resource that caused man to come to Isle Royale was the abundance
of fish. Commercial fishing began before 1800 and continues today, albeit in a considerably
reduced manner. Early on, nearly every protected cove had a fish house or fisherman’s cot-
tage, although most fishermen and their families occupied the island only seasonally. Now,
plagued by a decline of fish and increase in expense, commercial fishing only suggests what
once was. Primarily an individual enterprise, commercial fishing in the area enjoys the protec-
tive coves and inlets abundant in the archipelago. While catches of the prized whitefish have
declined for unknown reasons, the fishermen also face man-made disruptions of the area’s
fishing. Sea lampreys and smelt, both introduced by man or as a result of man’s interference,
have significantly affected the fish population. The remaining fishermen, mostly park service
employees, attempt to maintain the vocation as part of the island life.
The primary attraction to Isle Royale, however, has been its potential for precious copper.
Prehistoric Indians, like most others who came after them, explored the island during the
short summer season, leaving the whipping subzero winds to batter only the trees and rocks.
Although experts do not know exactly when or why Indians first crossed the water to Isle
Royale, carbon dating indicates they were there by 2000 b.c.e. In their search for copper,
they used the beach cobbles to hammer away the rock and expose the copper veins. Prized
for spear points, implements, and decorative ornaments, the copper attracted Indians to the
island for over 1,000 years. Their occupation sites indicate their peak activity period from 800
to 1600 declined until by the 1840s the Indian culture in the entire Lake Superior area dimin-
ished. When white miners came in the 1840s, only two Indian camps remained. Copper mining
activity, still only sporadic after the Indians left, resulted in only small quantities of the precious
metal. As the largest operation, the Minong Mine employed nearly 150 miners during the late
1800s. They and their families established the largest white man’s settlement on Isle Royale.
When that mine went out of business, it left behind piles of “poor rock,” some yawning pits, and
little else. Nothing remains of the town.
Now people come to Isle Royale for only one natural resource: wilderness. Protected by the
National Park Service, the island is as close to primeval North woods as any other land in the
United States. That may be a more precious commodity than the natural resources any copper,
fish, or lumber industry has sought.ANALYSIS of THE SAMPLE foR SoCIAL SCIENCES
Note these specifics about the five-paragraph paper:
- The first paragraph sets out the cause-and-effect relationships to be examined:
What caused people to come to Isle Royale? - Secondarily, almost coincidentally, the paper also looks at causes for the
people’s leaving. - The introduction includes the thesis sentence, the final sentence in the first
paragraph. - The introduction establishes the order in which the body paragraphs will be
developed.