Welcome to the Upper Peninsula Historical Page. This page is specifically devoted to Upper Michigan's past. When it was first learned that the state of Michigan acquired the Upper Peninsula from the government, many Michigan residents were disappointed or upset about the acquisition. They thought that the U.P. was a scenic wilderness, inhabited by Indians, and wouldn't become important to the state. Although they were misguided then, they have since changed their minds. After many years, most Michigan residents will agree that the acquisition was well worth it, even if it meant not getting the Toledo Strip, which went to Ohio (read a little more about the battle for the Toledo Strip below). If it's Upper Michigan history you want, then you've come to the right place!
The Toldeo War
One of the most frequent questions I get from people regarding the history of the Upper Peninsula is the events surrounding the Toledo War. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this event, it involves a great war that took place between members of Michigan's territorial militia and Ohio's military forces. Eventually all of the Upper Peninsula was awarded to the state of Michigan as a comprise to the battle between the two states. Here is some more information regarding the great Toledo War:
The battle began around 1778 when the boundaries were drawn after the Northwest Ordinance was enacted. Boundary lines were mis-drawn and surveyors drew the boundary from the southern tip of Lake Michigan due east to Lake Erie. It was determined that the line was actually much further north than it should've been. A later survey eventually established the correct boundary between Ohio and Michigan, but Ohio would not relinquish control of the "Toledo Strip," a thin strip of land (a total of only 486 square miles) that fell in between the two boundary drawings. It would be a battle the two "territories" would fight over for nearly 50 years.
When Michigan applied to become a state in 1833, the issue quickly resurfaced. Michigan's territorial government tried to negotiate with Ohio's Governor Robert Lucas (Ohio became a state in 1803) over the rights to the Toledo Strip, but Lucas would refuse. Michigan's territorial governor Stephens T. Mason was quite upset at Ohio's position on the matter and hastily sent Michigan militia members south to the Toledo Strip at a takeover attempt. However, a major battle between the two militia's did not take place because the two sides got lost looking for each other.
Eventually the dispute was settled by the United States Congress in 1835. For Michigan to receive statehood, they needed to give up their fight for the Toledo Strip, in which they did. As compensation, Michigan received a majority of the Upper Peninsula - while Ohio finally gained control of the small strip of land that the two sides were fighting over for years, which included the city of Toledo, Ohio. At first, the new state of Michigan was outraged over the deal. Instead of getting a highly populated strip of land (which included Toledo), Michigan received an un-inhabited, wildered chunk of property. At that time, they didn't even know what the Upper Peninsula comprised of. As they began exploring this new land, they quickly learned how valuable the Upper Peninsula really was - and didn't think the compromise for the Toledo Strip was really all that bad.
Eventually the dispute was settled by the United States Congress in 1835. For Michigan to receive statehood, they needed to give up their fight for the Toledo Strip, in which they did. As compensation, Michigan received a majority of the Upper Peninsula - while Ohio finally gained control of the small strip of land that the two sides were fighting over for years, which included the city of Toledo, Ohio. At first, the new state of Michigan was outraged over the deal. Instead of getting a highly populated strip of land (which included Toledo), Michigan received an un-inhabited, wildered chunk of property. At that time, they didn't even know what the Upper Peninsula comprised of. As they began exploring this new land, they quickly learned how valuable the Upper Peninsula really was - and didn't think the compromise for the Toledo Strip was really all that bad.
Early Historical Data on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
In the years following the War of 1812, with the Indian threat gone, the American people began their westward migration in earnest and naturally showed a burning interest in the land and its resources. This attitude can be seen in a petition written by Lewis Bringer seeking to have Congress pass a law which would allow individuals to develop gold, silver, lead, and copper mines in the United States. Although Bringer was primarily interested in developing lead mines west of the Mississippi River, this spirit prevailed throughout the nation.
Dr. Francis Le Baron, a surgeon at Fort Mackinac, was now in a position to petition Congress to allow him a concession to exploit the copper of the Upper Peninsula. He felt that the development of these deposits would "contribute to the prosperity and independence of these United States." His request attracted Congressional interest, and on December 24, 1816 he answered a series of questions probably requested by a Senate committee concerning the region, transportation, the Indians, and naturally, the copper. Dr. Le Baron further felt that the development of these copper deposits would bring about a strong American presence and eventual domination by British fur traders and this pro-British in their allegiance.
Dr. Francis Le Baron, a surgeon at Fort Mackinac, was now in a position to petition Congress to allow him a concession to exploit the copper of the Upper Peninsula. He felt that the development of these deposits would "contribute to the prosperity and independence of these United States." His request attracted Congressional interest, and on December 24, 1816 he answered a series of questions probably requested by a Senate committee concerning the region, transportation, the Indians, and naturally, the copper. Dr. Le Baron further felt that the development of these copper deposits would bring about a strong American presence and eventual domination by British fur traders and this pro-British in their allegiance.
In order to extract the mineral wealth, Dr. Le Baron proposed a unique interaction of workers in this region with an extremely sparse population. Fur traders would continue to gather furs in the winter and work in the mines during the summer "until there are excavations made in the earth that will contain men so within its bowels as to produce a temperate climate." Unfortunately, nothing came of Dr. Le Baron's enthusiasm, but more information on the region reached the public.
Mineral resources of the region were not the only items discussed in scientific publications. In the summer of 1810, the youthful botanist Thomas Nuttall visited and collected specimens in the vicinity of Mackinac Island. He eventually published his findings in 1818 under the title, The Genera of North America Plants, and a Catalogue of the Species, to the Year 1817. Here he described three species new to science from the Upper Peninsula: a dwarf species of iris (Iris lacustris) found on the shores of northern Lakes Michigan and Huron; a large-headed tansy (Tanacetum huronense) named for Lake Huron; and a thimble berry (Rubus parviflorus) occurring in the northern Great Lakes and found in the West.
Mineral resources of the region were not the only items discussed in scientific publications. In the summer of 1810, the youthful botanist Thomas Nuttall visited and collected specimens in the vicinity of Mackinac Island. He eventually published his findings in 1818 under the title, The Genera of North America Plants, and a Catalogue of the Species, to the Year 1817. Here he described three species new to science from the Upper Peninsula: a dwarf species of iris (Iris lacustris) found on the shores of northern Lakes Michigan and Huron; a large-headed tansy (Tanacetum huronense) named for Lake Huron; and a thimble berry (Rubus parviflorus) occurring in the northern Great Lakes and found in the West.
By this time, information about the Upper Peninsula began to appear in variety of popular publications. Andrew Miller's emigrant guide, New States and Territories...in 1818, labeled the region of the Upper Peninsula as the "Northwest Territory" and stated that it "lies west of Michigan Territory and Lake. It is bounded by Lake Michigan on the east, Superior and the grand portage north, Mississippi river west and Illinois Territory south." As if to paraphrase earlier chroniclers, Miller wrote: "...the territory derives its chief importance at present from its mines, wild game, fish, fowl, and wild rice. Virgin copper," he continued, "has also been found in several places, and iron ore." In 1819, Daniel Blowe published an emigrant guide again calling the Upper Peninsula the Northwestern Territory. Writing about Point aux Pins, he noted that shipbuilding continued to be carried out there and that there were places along the St. Mary's River that had the potential of becoming mill sites. Neither Mackinac Island nor the copper deposits were forgotten. He noted that his British audience should not be surprised to learn that Americans were finally entering the region to work the copper deposits and that the British should take heed of the possibilities. Finally, he wrote that in November 1816, a company was formed in the United States to develop these deposits which "ensures the future commercial consequence of this territory." The third and last descriptive study of the Upper Peninsula to be reviewed was the result of a trip taken by Estwick Evans during the winter and spring of 1818. In his work, Evans described Mackinac Island and praised its fish: "The Michilimackinac trout are bred in Lake Michigan and are celebrated for their size and excellence; they sometimes weigh 60 to 70 pounds." His account continued: "The tract of country lying between Lake Michigan and Lake Superior is rather sterile. The falls of St. Mary situated in the strait between Lakes Huron and Superior, are mere cascades. In this strait there are several islands. Below the falls is situated Fort St. Mary. In this strait are caught fine fish of many kinds."
Evans went on to write of the Indians and ended by saying that "...the vicinity of this place (Sault Sainte Marie) is a perfect wilderness." The year 1820 was pivotal in the historical perception of the Upper Peninsula. Up to that time, a surprisingly large amount of accurate data about the environment and resources had been gathered and made available to the public through published works, government reports, and specimens. All of this knowledge about the region had been gathered by individuals, but an official government expedition with professional scientists and artists had never visited the area to develop detailed reports and drawings.
Evans went on to write of the Indians and ended by saying that "...the vicinity of this place (Sault Sainte Marie) is a perfect wilderness." The year 1820 was pivotal in the historical perception of the Upper Peninsula. Up to that time, a surprisingly large amount of accurate data about the environment and resources had been gathered and made available to the public through published works, government reports, and specimens. All of this knowledge about the region had been gathered by individuals, but an official government expedition with professional scientists and artists had never visited the area to develop detailed reports and drawings.
The nationalistic territorial governor of Michigan, Lewis Cass, was well aware of the Upper Peninsula, its resources, and Indian difficulties. On November 18, 1819, he wrote to Secretary of War John C. Calhoun proposing that he head an expedition through the little known area to the south of Lake Superior, to the headwaters of the Mississippi River, and back through Chicago. Cass was primarily concerned with acquiring accurate geographical knowledge of the region and obtaining the cession of Indian lands in the area. In response to this request, Calhoun wrote on January 14, 1820 that the expedition has his sanction, but financing would have to come from Cass's Indian superintendency budget and a supplemental one thousand dollars from the War Department. Calhoun concluded: "Feeling as I do great interest in obtaining correct Topographical, geographical and military survey of our Country, every encouragement consistent with my means will be given by this department." A few weeks later, he wrote to Cass attaching Henry R. Schoolcraft to the expedition so that the minerals of the country could be properly studied.
The fact that the Cass expedition was in the process of being organized was promptly reported by the newspapers. The Detroit Gazette of March 3 published an article praising Calhoun's foresight in having authorized such a beneficial expedition that would help to reduce the nation's ignorance of its own geography. This article reached a much larger audience when it was reprinted by the Nile's Weekly Register in April.
Individual territorial officials were also interested in the expedition and its results. William Woodbridge, the Michigan territorial secretary, wrote to Calhoun in February, concerned about the purpose of the expedition and the importance of the government's obtaining the Indian cession to the copper-rich lands.
In June 1820, the Cass expedition moved into the north country. Stops were made at Mackinac Island and then at Sault Ste. Marie. At the latter stop, a treaty was made with the Indians ceding land for a future military post, but no mention was made of the copper deposits to the west. The flotilla of canoes passes along the south shore of Lake Superior making accurate observations. Much of what they saw and wrote about merely pointed to the accuracy of the earlier reports.
It is one thing to make reports and another to get the information published and out to the public so that perceptions of the land are created. At first, the data uncovered were written up in the form of official reports. In a letter written to Calhoun on October 1, Schoolcraft discussed the copper deposits and related matters. First he noted that the lands belonged to the Ojibwe Indians and their title would have to be extinguished.
As you can imagine, this is only a small excerpt of the Upper Peninsula's overall history. In the future, I hope to add some more historical content pertaining to the U.P.
An Upper Peninsula Historical Time Line
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| Etienne Brule meeting the Natives. |
1622 - Etienne Brule and his companion, Grenoble, French explorers, searching for a water route to the Pacific Ocean, discovered Lake Superior.
1634 - Jean Nicolet, an agent of the French, was the first European to pass through the Straits of Mackinac. He was an agent of Champlain, Governor of Canada.
1641 - Isaac Joques and Charles Raymbault, Jesuit missionaries, reached the rapids at the foot of Lake Superior, which they named the Sault de Sainte Marie.
1654 - Medard Chouart, the Sieur des Groseilliers and Pierre Esprit Radisson explored the shore of Lake Superior.
1660 - Father Rene Menard, a Jesuit priest, was sent from Quebec to establish a mission among the Huron Indians. He spent the winter near the present town of L'Anse.
1667 - Peace treaty agreed upon by the French and Iroquois Indians permitted the French to travel the lower lakes.
1668 - Father Jacques Marquette and Claude Dablon founded the first mission at Sault de Sainte Marie.
1669 - Adrien Jolliet with an Indian Guide traveled through Lakes Huron, St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario on a trip to Quebec and became the first European known to have visited the southern Lower Peninsula.
1671 - Francois Daumont, Sieur de St. Jusson, representative of Louis XIV, claimed the whole interior of the continent for the French as a result of the organization of the Hudson Bay Co. by the British in 1670.
1673 - Father Marquette and Louis Jolliet set out from St. Ignace for the Mississippi River but they traveled only as far as the Arkansas River.
1675 - Death of Father Marquette near Ludington.
1683 - Fort de Baude was built at St. Ignace.
1689 - War broke out between the British and French, the first of a series which lasted until 1815.
1694 - Cadillac served as a commandant at Fort de Baude, later known as Michilimackinac.
1715 - French re-established a fort at the Straits of Mackinac and named it Fort Michilimackinac. The fort was essential to French security and to keep the western Indians loyal.
1779 - The British abandoned Fort Michilimackinac on the mainland and built Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island.
1783 - Treaty of Paris made at the termination of the Revolutionary War. Land taken from the French in 1763 was given to the United States.
1787 - The Ordinance of 1787 established the Northwest Territory of which Michigan was apart and defined the procedure for obtaining statehood.
1787 - The Ordinance of 1787 established the Northwest Territory of which Michigan was apart and defined the procedure for obtaining statehood.
1791 - Michigan was incorporated into Upper Canada under the provisions of the constitutional act by British Parliament.
1792 - Under the Constitutional Act the first election was held in Michigan.
1794 - In an article in the Jay Treaty, the British agreed to evacuate the forts in the west on or before June 1, 1796.
1796 - British evacuated Detroit and abandoned fur post on the lakes. New county of Wayne was created. It contained all the present State of Michigan except the western part of the Upper Peninsula, with the addition of northern Ohio and Indiana, and a strip of eastern Illinois and Wisconsin bordering on Lake Michigan.
1799 - Michigan Territory had enough inhabitants to entitle it to representation at the General Assembly in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance of 1787.
1802 - Detroit was incorporated as a town under charter enacted by the Legislature of the Nortwest Territory
1803 - Territory of Indiana, of which Michigan was part, was created by the division of the Northwest Territory. The seat of government was located at Chilicothe, Ohio.
1813 - Lewis Cass appointed military and civil governor of the Michigan Territory and served until 1831.
1815 - British built a fort on Drummond Island.
1822 - Fort Saginaw built on the Saginaw River; Fort Brady established at Sault Ste. Marie.
1834 - Michigan Territory included present states of Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and part of Dakota.
1836 - Treaty of Washington; Indians ceded remaining lands in western part of Lower Peninsula and eastern tip of Upper Peninsula. First Convention of Assent called relative to Michigan-Ohio boundary line; Second Convention of Assent called to provide admission of Michigan to the Union.
1842 - Copper mining operations started on the Keweenaw Peninsula. Indians ceded remaining lands in the Upper Peninsula; called Treaty of La Pointe.
1844 - Iron ore discovered in the Upper Peninsula at Negaunee. Fort Wilkins built at Copper Harbor.
1855 - Ship canal at Sault Ste. Marie.
1857 - The first railroad in the Upper Peninsula extended from Marquette to Ishpeming. Ore cars were moved by mules and oxen.
1881 - The Weitzel Lock was built at Sault Ste. Marie by the U.S. Government.
1884 - Mining was started in the Gogebic Iron Range, and the Colby Mine sent its first shipment.
1952 - Act of Legislature authorizing the building of a bridge between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
1954 - Construction started on the Mackinac Bridge.
1957 - Five-mile-long Mackinac Bridge opened November 1.
1975 - The Northern Michigan University football squad wins the NCAA Division 2 football championship.
1991 - The Northern Michigan University men's hockey team wins the NCAA Division 1 hockey championship after defeating Boston University 8-7 in a triple overtime thriller.
1991 - Construction of the Superior Dome is officially completed. It cost $23.9 million to construct and opened as the world's largest wooden dome.
1995 - K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Marquette County is officially closed by the U.S. Government. It was deemed unnecessary to keep open after the end of Cold War. K.I. Sawyer was the closest geographic air base from Russia.
2003 - The Silver Lake dam in Marquette County breaks after a period of heavy rains. It causes millions of gallons of water to rush along the Dead River and into Lake Superior. Over $100 million worth of damage occurred as a result of the dam breach. The Wisconsin Electric Power Plant near the Dead River was forced to shut down for awhile due to the flood waters. This caused a power crisis within the Upper Peninsula and also resulted in the closure of the Empire and Tilden mines until the power plant was able to come back on-line.
2004 - President George W. Bush speaks at the Superior Dome in Marquette during a campaign stop for his re-election. This marked the first time a sitting president has visited the Upper Peninsula since William H. Taft.
1634 - Jean Nicolet, an agent of the French, was the first European to pass through the Straits of Mackinac. He was an agent of Champlain, Governor of Canada.
1641 - Isaac Joques and Charles Raymbault, Jesuit missionaries, reached the rapids at the foot of Lake Superior, which they named the Sault de Sainte Marie.
1654 - Medard Chouart, the Sieur des Groseilliers and Pierre Esprit Radisson explored the shore of Lake Superior.
1660 - Father Rene Menard, a Jesuit priest, was sent from Quebec to establish a mission among the Huron Indians. He spent the winter near the present town of L'Anse.
1667 - Peace treaty agreed upon by the French and Iroquois Indians permitted the French to travel the lower lakes.
1668 - Father Jacques Marquette and Claude Dablon founded the first mission at Sault de Sainte Marie.
1669 - Adrien Jolliet with an Indian Guide traveled through Lakes Huron, St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario on a trip to Quebec and became the first European known to have visited the southern Lower Peninsula.
1671 - Francois Daumont, Sieur de St. Jusson, representative of Louis XIV, claimed the whole interior of the continent for the French as a result of the organization of the Hudson Bay Co. by the British in 1670.
1673 - Father Marquette and Louis Jolliet set out from St. Ignace for the Mississippi River but they traveled only as far as the Arkansas River.
1675 - Death of Father Marquette near Ludington.
1683 - Fort de Baude was built at St. Ignace.
1689 - War broke out between the British and French, the first of a series which lasted until 1815.
1694 - Cadillac served as a commandant at Fort de Baude, later known as Michilimackinac.
1715 - French re-established a fort at the Straits of Mackinac and named it Fort Michilimackinac. The fort was essential to French security and to keep the western Indians loyal.
1779 - The British abandoned Fort Michilimackinac on the mainland and built Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island.
1783 - Treaty of Paris made at the termination of the Revolutionary War. Land taken from the French in 1763 was given to the United States.
1787 - The Ordinance of 1787 established the Northwest Territory of which Michigan was apart and defined the procedure for obtaining statehood.
1787 - The Ordinance of 1787 established the Northwest Territory of which Michigan was apart and defined the procedure for obtaining statehood.
1791 - Michigan was incorporated into Upper Canada under the provisions of the constitutional act by British Parliament.
1792 - Under the Constitutional Act the first election was held in Michigan.
1794 - In an article in the Jay Treaty, the British agreed to evacuate the forts in the west on or before June 1, 1796.
1796 - British evacuated Detroit and abandoned fur post on the lakes. New county of Wayne was created. It contained all the present State of Michigan except the western part of the Upper Peninsula, with the addition of northern Ohio and Indiana, and a strip of eastern Illinois and Wisconsin bordering on Lake Michigan.
1799 - Michigan Territory had enough inhabitants to entitle it to representation at the General Assembly in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance of 1787.
1802 - Detroit was incorporated as a town under charter enacted by the Legislature of the Nortwest Territory
1803 - Territory of Indiana, of which Michigan was part, was created by the division of the Northwest Territory. The seat of government was located at Chilicothe, Ohio.
1813 - Lewis Cass appointed military and civil governor of the Michigan Territory and served until 1831.
1815 - British built a fort on Drummond Island.
1822 - Fort Saginaw built on the Saginaw River; Fort Brady established at Sault Ste. Marie.
1834 - Michigan Territory included present states of Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and part of Dakota.
1836 - Treaty of Washington; Indians ceded remaining lands in western part of Lower Peninsula and eastern tip of Upper Peninsula. First Convention of Assent called relative to Michigan-Ohio boundary line; Second Convention of Assent called to provide admission of Michigan to the Union.
1842 - Copper mining operations started on the Keweenaw Peninsula. Indians ceded remaining lands in the Upper Peninsula; called Treaty of La Pointe.
1844 - Iron ore discovered in the Upper Peninsula at Negaunee. Fort Wilkins built at Copper Harbor.
1855 - Ship canal at Sault Ste. Marie.
1857 - The first railroad in the Upper Peninsula extended from Marquette to Ishpeming. Ore cars were moved by mules and oxen.
1881 - The Weitzel Lock was built at Sault Ste. Marie by the U.S. Government.
1884 - Mining was started in the Gogebic Iron Range, and the Colby Mine sent its first shipment.
1952 - Act of Legislature authorizing the building of a bridge between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
1954 - Construction started on the Mackinac Bridge.
1957 - Five-mile-long Mackinac Bridge opened November 1.
1975 - The Northern Michigan University football squad wins the NCAA Division 2 football championship.
1991 - The Northern Michigan University men's hockey team wins the NCAA Division 1 hockey championship after defeating Boston University 8-7 in a triple overtime thriller.
1991 - Construction of the Superior Dome is officially completed. It cost $23.9 million to construct and opened as the world's largest wooden dome.
1995 - K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Marquette County is officially closed by the U.S. Government. It was deemed unnecessary to keep open after the end of Cold War. K.I. Sawyer was the closest geographic air base from Russia.
2003 - The Silver Lake dam in Marquette County breaks after a period of heavy rains. It causes millions of gallons of water to rush along the Dead River and into Lake Superior. Over $100 million worth of damage occurred as a result of the dam breach. The Wisconsin Electric Power Plant near the Dead River was forced to shut down for awhile due to the flood waters. This caused a power crisis within the Upper Peninsula and also resulted in the closure of the Empire and Tilden mines until the power plant was able to come back on-line.
2004 - President George W. Bush speaks at the Superior Dome in Marquette during a campaign stop for his re-election. This marked the first time a sitting president has visited the Upper Peninsula since William H. Taft.
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| Silver Lake dam in Marquette County drained after a period of heavy rains in 2003. |
2005 - A fire at Ishpeming's Mather Nursing Center kills two people and causes 109 other residents to evacuate.
2007 - The Sleeper Lake fire consumes nearly 20,000 acres north of Newberry in Luce County. The wildfire ended up being the state of Michigan's worst in a decade.
2011 - President Barack Obama makes a visit to Marquette to speak about the national wireless initiative on the campus of Northern Michigan University. Obama becomes the third sitting president to visit the Upper Peninsula.
2012 - The Duck Lake fire in Luce County burns nearly 22,000 acres and destroys a total of 132 structures north of Newberry. The fast moving fire burned north to the shore of Lake Superior. It became one of the most destructive fires ever during Michigan's history.
2014 - The Eagle Mine in northern Marquette County officially begins production. The underground mine is located near Big Bay, with processing facilities located near Humboldt. The mine is expected to be in production for approximately eight years.
2015 - The Manistique Paper Mill closes after the owner experiences financial difficulties. This put approximately 147 employees out of work. Over a year later, the paper mill re-opens with new owners. About 100 employees are hired-on.
2016 - After 56 years in production, the Empire Mine in Marquette County official ceases production. The mine is left in an indefinite-idle condition, in the hopes that steel demand increases in the coming years. This put about 300 employees out of work.
Origins of Upper Peninsula County Names
ALGER COUNTY - Named for Governor Russel A. Alger (1885-1886). Organized in 1885.
BARAGA COUNTY - Named for the missionary Bishop Baraga. Organized in 1826.
CHIPPEWA COUNTY - Named after a large Indian tribe.
DELTA COUNTY - From the Greek "delta" referring to the triangle shape of the original county, which includes segments of Menominee, Dickinson, Iron, and Marquette Counties. Organized in 1861.
DICKINSON COUNTY - Named for Don M. Dickinson of Michigan, Postmaster General under President Grover Cleveland during his first term. Organized in 1891.
GOGEBIC COUNTY - An obscure word. Most references interpret it as "rock." Organized in 1887.
HOUGHTON COUNTY - For Michigan geologist Professor Douglas Houghton. Organized in 1846, and reorganized in 1848.
IRON COUNTY - For the mineral product of that county. Organized in 1885.
KEWEENAW COUNTY - An Indian word meaning "portage" or "place where portage is made." Organized in 1861.
LUCE COUNTY - For Governor Cyrus G. Luce (1887-1890). Organized in 1887.
MACKINAC COUNTY - This county was laid out under the name Michilimackinac in 1818. Organized in 1849.
MARQUETTE COUNTY - For the Jesuit missionary and explorer, Father Jacques Marquette. Organized in 1846, reorganized in 1848.
MENOMINEE COUNTY - Derivation of the word means "riceman," or "rice gatherers." Named for the Menominee tribe which lived in the area. Organized under the name of Bleeker in 1861, and reorganized in 1863.
ONTONAGON COUNTY - "Dish" or "bowl" is from the Chippewa "onagon." Organized in 1846, reorganized in 1848, and legalized by the Legislature in 1853.
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