Keweenaw

https://www.nps.gov/kewe/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keweenaw_National_Historical_Park Keweenaw National Historical Park celebrates the life and history of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2009, it is a partly privatized park made up of two primary units, the Calumet Unit and the Quincy Unit, and 21 cooperating "Heritage Sites" located on federal, state, and privately owned land in and around the Keweenaw Peninsula. The National Park Service owns approximately 1,700 acres (690 ha) in the Calumet and Quincy Units. Units are located in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon counties. The stories of people and copper in the Keweenaw Peninsula have been intertwined for more than 7,000 years. Indigenous Peoples made copper into tools and trade items. Investors and immigrants arrived in the 1800s in a great mineral rush, developing thriving industries and cosmopolitan communities. Though the mines have since closed, their mark is still visible on the land and people. Keweenaw National Historical Park is located is located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, the northernmost part of Upper Michigan. Calumet Visitor Center At the Calumet Visitor Center you can explore 3 floors of interactive exhibits, films and museum pieces focusing not only on mining history, but the social aspect as well. The Visitor Center is fully accessible and free of charge. Follow U.S. Highway 41 to Houghton and then north across the lift bridge into Hancock. The Calumet Unit is located approximately 12 miles north along U.S. Highway 41 in Calumet, Michigan. As you come into Calumet, travel to the third light and turn left on Red Jacket Road. You will pass Park Headquarters on the right. Drive two blocks until Red Jacket Road curves and turns into 5th St. You will see the Calumet Visitor Center, a three story brick building on the right, with parking just past. Keweenaw NHP Headquarters Two story stone and brick building. The American flag flies in front of a blue sky background Park Headquarters is housed in the former Calumet & Hecla Mining Company General Office building. Keweenaw History Center Two story stone and brick building. a ranger leads a group of visitors in front or the steps A ranger guided walk outside the former Calumet & Hecla Public Library, now known at the Keweenaw History Center. Calumet Visitor Center Three story brick building, with snow covered trees along the right side The Calumet Visitor Center in the historic Union Building showcases three floors of interactive exhibits, films, and museum pieces. Quincy Mine 140 foot tall industrial building with a steeply pitched roofline under blue skies and snowy ground The Quincy Mining Company #2 Shaft-Rockhouse and Hoist House in winter. Quincy Mining Company Smelter With a colorful autumn background, numerous industrial buildings sit on the waterfront The Quincy Smelter is one of the best-preserved copper smelting facilities of its era. Keweenaw Copper at War As World War I entered its second year, the American Institute of Metals trade journal blithely remarked that “[i]t is almost impossible to kill a man in an up-to-date and scientific way without using copper." Miner in a mineshaft Remembering the Italian Hall Tragedy The people of Calumet, Michigan and Keweenaw National Historical Park, commemorate a tragedy that occurred in the midst of a bitter copper miners strike. Luminaries line a path to the Italian Hall memorial. 2016 Freeman Tilden Award Recipients In 2016, six rangers were awarded a national or regional Freeman Tilden Award for excellence in interpretation. Learn more about their amazing programs! Lynette Weber NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Keweenaw National Historical Park, Michigan Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. [Site Under Development] park headquarters building Shaping the System under President George H.W. Bush President George H.W. Bush was an ardent supporter of the national parks. Explore some the parks that are part of the legacy of the presidency of George H.W. Bush, who served as the 41st president of the United States from January 20, 1989 to January 20, 1993. President George H.W. Bush shaking hands with a park ranger at the World War II Memorial National Park Service Commemoration of the 19th Amendment In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment the National Park Service has developed a number of special programs. This includes online content, exhibits, and special events. The National Park Service’s Cultural Resources Geographic Information Systems (CRGIS) announces the release of a story map that highlights some of these programs and provides information for the public to locate and participate. Opening slide of the 19th Amendment NPS Commemoration Story Map Top 10 Tips For Visiting Keweenaw NHP Make the most of your visit to the Keweenaw! Summer scene of a two story stone building Things to Do in Michigan Find things to do, trip ideas, and more in Michigan. Dunes rise above shoreline under blue sky. Series: Things to Do in the Midwest There is something for everyone in the Midwest. See what makes the Great Plains great. Dip your toes in the continent's inland seas. Learn about Native American heritage and history. Paddle miles of scenic rivers and waterways. Explore the homes of former presidents. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, discover the stories that shape our journey as a nation. Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below. Keweenaw Industrial Landscapes The cultural landscapes associated with Quincy and Calumet units, part of Keweenaw National Historical Park, reflect how the 19th century industrial history is present in the landscape character of the living community today. The landscape illustrates the impacts of copper mining, refining, and production. It provides localized evidence of the national technological and social changes occurring around the early 1900s. Historic photo of a person and chunks of rock on a railroad car, in an open landscape Quincy Unit Cultural Landscapes The Quincy Mining Company was incorporated in 1848, when the Portage Mining Company and Northwestern Mining Company merged into a single entity. The mine was located on a bluff overlooking the Portage Waterway, while its stamp mills and smelter were built along the shoreline below. The layout demonstrated a prioritization of functionality over aesthetics. Development in the area expanded to support both extraction and the lives and employees. The Quincy Mine Hoist Association Property includes a tall red brick building and smokestack Calumet Unit Cultural Landscapes The Calumet and Hecla Mining Company (C&H) officially formed in 1871. As the industrial landscape was shaped to access the copper lode, the commercial and housing districts also expanded. Today, the landscape of the Calumet Unit includes an industrial core, the adjacent civic and commercial district of the Village of Calumet, and several housing areas. Low sunlight casts a golden glow on a street low brick buildings, with a stone tower at front Copper Connections Introduction Isle Royale and the Keweenaw Peninsula may appear unrelated, two distinct landmasses separated by the great expanse of Lake Superior. Yet this fresh, cold water connects them across the distance, while obscuring another way the two places are connected: a distinctive copper-rich geology, and the people who have mined the metal over time. close-up view of a gentle stream flowing over pebbles including a piece of float copper. Why Copper? What was it that first attracted people to become makers with copper? A display of modern copper and brass industrial products. Indigenous Mining Research has indicated that Indigenous people may have been mining the Keweenaw’s copper deposits as early as 8,000 years ago and on Isle Royale as early as 6,500 years ago, making these two land masses home to some of the western hemisphere’s oldest mines. A shallow crevasse cuts through moss covered hard rock. History Guides Archaeology History and archaeology go hand in hand. An archaeologist carefully excavating a site in an opening within a coniferous forest. Lake Superior Geology The copper of the Great Lakes formed during a spectacular period in Earth's history. Leafless autumn image of a forested, gray rocky bluff. Industrial Mining Both the island and the peninsula have industrial copper mining pasts. Photo of the Quincy Mine industrial landscape. Copper Connections Conclusion Who knew all these connections existed between Isle Royale and the Keweenaw? Archaeologists and historians have helped to reveal them. With your help in preserving these sites, there are sure to be many more yet to be uncovered. Series: Copper Connections Isle Royale and the Keweenaw Peninsula may appear unrelated, two distinct landmasses separated by the great expanse of Lake Superior. Yet this fresh, cold water connects them across the distance, while obscuring another way the two places are connected: a distinctive copper-rich geology, and the people who have mined the metal over time. Archaeology helps us understand the connections and people who have occupied this region for thousands of years. Close-up view of a gentle stream flowing over pebbles including a piece of float copper.