During the community's earliest time, there was only one house in the area, and it was constructed of rough logs and covered with "shakes" which are thin strips split from logs. By 1846, Hiram Joy was tending to a log constructed boardinghouse in Eagle Harbor, which was purchased by Charles Kuntz in 1849. At this time there were four buildings in the town. Charles Kuntz was the village blacksmith and was born in Germany, in the village of Wennenbergerhoff, on November 25, 1822. He emigrated to the United States in 1844, landing at New Orleans where he spent six months, moving up to the northern states where he became engaged as a blacksmith at the Northwest mine, remaining there for two years. He then did blacksmith work at the Copper Falls mine during the years of 1847, 1848 and 1850. In 1849 he moved to Eagle harbor, where he opened a blacksmith shop and maintained the hotel. He was known as a large real estate owner and had quite a few buildings. He was also Under Sheriff for Houghton County, and upon the organization of Michigan's new Keweenaw County, he was elected as Sheriff of that county, being an efficient peace officer.