About the UP

Ontonagon History

lci — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:38:06 +0000

The area was first inhabited by Ojibwa Indians. European occupation began in the 1790s with English fur traders. Miners were then drawn to the area. Ontonagon did not become a flourishing town until the economic upswing in the 1880s with the construction of lumber mils soon followed by shingle mills. The fire of 1896 destroyed the town. It was not until 1921 and the arrival of a big paper mill that the town was fully revitalized. Ontonagon was home to the Upper Peninsula's first newspaper and pioneered the inter-city phone.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Ontonagon

lci — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:37:20 +0000

Ontonagon is a harbor town located at the mouth of the Upper Peninsula's longest river and near the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The town is located just west of miles of beautiful sandy beach on Lake Superior. The harbor serves as an official harbor of refuge, and is the only safe Lake Superior port of any size between Eagle Harbor and Chequamengon Bay in Wisconsin.

The Ontonagon Chamber notes that Ontonagon County has a distinguished history of logging and mining and is the site of the first telephone system in Michigan. The oldest standing log home village in the United States is located at Old Victoria near the village of Rockland.

Ontonagon links

Ontonagon Chamber of Commerce
Ontonagon History
View Ontonagon on the UPWaterfront.com map!

Baraga

lci — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:35:45 +0000

Baraga is named after Father Frederic Baraga who in 1843 established a mission two miles north of town. The area was later settled by Euro-Americans. A ship captain James Bendry became stranded near what is now Baraga. He spent the winter in the area with his family and subsequently bought land, built a sawmill and brickyard, and founded the settlement that went on to become Baraga.

Baraga Links

L'Anse Indian Reservation

lci — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:32:44 +0000

L'Anse Indian Reservation is home to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community of the Lake Superior Bands of Chippewa Indians. The L'Anse Reservation is the eldest and largest reservation in Michigan. It was established in 1854 under the Chippewa Treaty of 1854. The entire reservation encompasses nearly one third of the area of Baraga County.

L'Anse Indian Reservation links:

Wikipedia - L'Anse Indian Reservation

View L'Anse Indian Reservation

Gwinn History

lci — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:28:12 +0000

The history of Gwinn began with the acquisition of property by the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Mining Company in the Austin and Princeton area in 1902. In 1907 the president of C.C.I. decided that a town was necessary for miners to live in. Gwinn was chosen for its beautiful location and its lack of iron deposits. The town was a model town and was designed before it was built. It soon became a thriving mining town. In 1956 the K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base was developed as a joint civil-military facility. The base was originally used as an Air Defense Command base to deter Soviet bomber attacks. The base was closed in September if 1995. In 1999 it was reopened as the Sawyer International Airport.

Gwinn

lci — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:21:05 +0000

Gwinn is known as the Heart of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Located in the center of the upper peninsula, Gwinn serves as the perfect home base to explore the area. Only 25 minutes from Marquette, Gwinn allows easy access to the city, while being surrounded by beautiful scenic outdoor attractions. On June 24, 2002, Gwinn was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the "Gwinn Model Town Historic District, Forsyth Townsip, Marquette County, Michigan"

Gwinn links:
Gwinn Michigan
Wikipedia - Gwinn
View Gwinn

L'Anse History

lci — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:57:58 +0000

The L'Anse area was first occupied by the Sugar Island Band of Ojibwa Indians who utilized the rich fishing grounds in the area. 1660 was marked by the entrance of Father Rene Menard, a French Jesuit Priest. Menard was the first white person on record to arrive in the area. L'Anse was founded in 1871 when a preliminary route was platted from the eastern end of Lake Michigamme to the head of the Keweenaw Bay. The village was founded with the intention that it would become a port and house numerous stamping mills for the nearby iron ore mines. It was in August of 1871 that village stores were built. The first railroad engine did not reach L'Anse until December 17, 1872. The village was in the midst of a boom when it quickly came to an end with the panic of 1873. Again twenty-three years later L'Anse was faced with another setback. On May 9, 1896 a fire, started at the L'Anse Lumber Company, ravaged the village. The village was gradually rebuilt. Henry Ford bought the sawmill in 1922. The mill went on to ship as much as 180,000 board feet of lumber a day.

L'Anse

lci — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:56:07 +0000

The village of L'Anse is the local hub of activity, and is home to the county government seat and the business center for the area. The village is surrounded by beautiful Lake Superior shoreline, pristine wilderness, waterfalls, lakes and streams. The highest point in Michigan, Mt. Arvon at 1,979 feet is close by.

L'Anse links:

L'Anse Township

View L'Anse

Hancock

lci — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:52:41 +0000

Hancock is the northernmost city in Michigan and has strong Finnish heritage which is evident in the annual midwinter festival - Heikinpäivä - and the many street signs printed in both English and Finnish and the Finlandia University.

Hancock is connected to Houghton by the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, which is the heaviest aerial lift bridge in the world. Every summer Hancock plays host to the International Frisbee Tournament.

Hancock links

City of Hancock

Wikipedia - Hancock

View Hancock on the UP Waterfront map

photo: Gartner's, Hancock by Marjorie O'Brien

Houghton

lci — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:48:37 +0000

Houghton is one of the premiere "Winter Cities" and one of "The 100 Best Small Town in America" and is home to Michigan Technological University. It was the birthplace of professional ice hockey in the United States with the formation of the Portage Lakes in 1903 and in the winter of 2001 became the site of the first lumitalos - a Finish temporary show dwelling - in the United States.

Although Houghton is known for its winters it's also a great summer destination, offering numerous biking, hiking, and kayaking experiences the area has to offer.
Isle Royal National Park is a ferry ride away and the Keweenaw Underwater Preserve offers excellent diving.

Houghton links:

City of Houghton

Wikipedia - Houghton

Houghton County

View Houghton