John Joseph Erm was born to Stephen Erm and Anna Mary Jochmann on June 27, 1917 in Ironwood, Michigan. Following high school Erm worked at several Civilian Conservation Corps camps including Camp Sidnaw and Camp Bonifas in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Erm served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II under the 77th Bomb Squardon, 462 Bombing group until he was discharged in 1945. Following the war Erm and his wife, Mary, moved from Chicago to Ironwood where he worked as a miner in the Penokee Mine and Montreal Mine until his death in February 15, 1962.

One of the most extensive fires to occur on Isle Royale began in July of 1936 near the Siskiwit Bay logging camp. The U.S. Fire Service, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Civilian Conservation Corps, totalling over 1,800 firefighters, worked to contain the fire. By the time the fire was extinguished in mid September, over 27,000 acres of forest was destroyed, but the blaze did result in the construction of three fire towers spanning the island.

Camp Sidnaw was established as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp in 1935 near Sidnaw, Michigan in Houghton County. Once used by the United States’ Army’s 10th Mountain Division as a training site for their ski troops, the camp was later repurposed as a prisoner of war (POW) camp during World War II in 1944, eventually housing around 250 German prisoners through April 1946. Following the war, the camp was purchased by Bill Hutula who converted some of the old buildings for his sawmilling business.