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History
The Keweenaw's rich deposits of copper (and some silver) were extracted on an industrial scale beginning around the middle of the 19th century. The industry grew through the latter part of the century and employed thousands of people well into the 20th century. Hard rock mining in the region ceased in 1967 though copper sulfide deposits continued for some time after in Ontonogan. This vigorous industry created a need for educated mining professionals and directly led in 1885 to the founding of the Michigan Mining School (now Michigan Technological University) in Houghton. Although MTU discontinued its undergraduate mining engineering program in 2006, the university continues to offer engineering degrees in a variety of other disciplines.
Running concurrently with the mining boom in the Keweenaw was the white pine lumber boom. Trees were cut for timbers for mine shafts, to heat the communities around the large copper mines, and to help build a growing nation. Much of the logging at the time was done in winter due to the ease of operability with the snow. Due to the indiscriminant logging practices at that time, the forest of the Keweenaw looks much different today than 100 years ago.
For detailed information on the region's mineralogical history, see the virtual tour of the peninsula written by the Mineralogical Society of America, found in exterior links on this page. Information on the geological formations of the region are also detailed.
From 1964-1971, the University of Michigan cooperated with NASA and the U.S. Navy to run the Keweenaw Rocket launch site.
Communities
A partial list of towns in the Keweenaw Peninsula:
- Ahmeek
- Atlantic Mine
- Bete Grise
- Calumet
- Chassell
- Copper Harbor
- Delaware
- Dodgeville
- Dollar Bay
- Dreamland
- Eagle Harbor
- Eagle River
- Freda
- Gay
- Hancock
- Houghton
- Hubbell
- Hurontown
- Lac La Belle
- Lake Linden
- Laurium
- Little Betsy
- Mason
- Mohawk
- Osceola
- Painesdale
- Pelkie
- Phoenix
- Quincy
- Redridge
- Ripley
- South Range
- Tapiola
- Toivola
- Wyoming (Helltown)
See also
References
External links
- Keweenaw Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
- Exploring The Keweenaw Peninsula
- Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula
- Home of Pasty Central
- Historical Photos
- Keweenaw Rocket Site
- Keweenaw Rocket Site history
- Copper Country Explorer
