THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
 
 
 
 
 
 
31 entries match your criteria.  

 
 

Historical Markers in Houghton County

 
Clickable Map of Houghton County, Michigan and Immediately Adjacent Jurisdictions image/svg+xml 2019-10-06 U.S. Census Bureau, Abe.suleiman; Lokal_Profil; HMdb.org; J.J.Prats/dc:title> https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Usa_counties_large.svg Houghton County, MI (31) Baraga County, MI (18) Iron County, MI (26) Keweenaw County, MI (39) Marquette County, MI (42) Ontonagon County, MI (5)  HoughtonCounty(31) Houghton County (31)  BaragaCounty(18) Baraga County (18)  IronCounty(26) Iron County (26)  KeweenawCounty(39) Keweenaw County (39)  MarquetteCounty(42) Marquette County (42)  OntonagonCounty(5) Ontonagon County (5)
Houghton is the county seat for Houghton County
Adjacent to Houghton County, Michigan
Baraga County (18)  ►
Iron County (26)  ►
Keweenaw County (39)  ►
Marquette County (42)  ►
Ontonagon County (5)  ►
 
Touch name above to highlight map location.
Touch blue arrow, or on map, to go there.
1 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Calumet — L0112 — Calumet Theater —
On 6th Street at Elm Street, on the right when traveling north on 6th Street.
One of the first municipal theaters in America, the Calumet opened on March 20, 1900, "the greatest social event ever known in copperdom's metropolis." The theater contained a magnificent stage and elegant interior decorations, including an . . . — — Map (db m76299) HM
2 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Calumet — Clearing the Way —
On Red Jacket Road 0.1 miles east of 4th Street, on the right when traveling east.
The Calumet and Hecla Mining Company couldn't allow winter to derail its operation. In a remote region that can receive upwards of 300 inches (762 cm) of snow each year, snow removal was serious business. Clear rail lines were essential for moving . . . — — Map (db m122496) HM
3 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Calumet — Float Copper —
On Calumet Avenue (U.S. 41) at Red Jacket Drive on Calumet Avenue.
a mass of native copper weighing 9,392 lbs. found in 1970, buried under three ft. of soil, (glacial till), about 4½ miles southwest of Calumet. Float copper such as this, was torn loose from fissures and lodes by glacial action and together . . . — — Map (db m76304) HM
4 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Calumet — L1089 — St. Paul the Apostle Church —
On Eighth Street at Oak Street, on the right when traveling south on Eighth Street.
St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church was established in 1889 by Slovenian immigrants who came to the area to work in the mines of the Copper Country. The wood frame church erected by the parish in 1890 was destroyed by fire in 1902. The following year . . . — — Map (db m76302) HM
5 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Calumet — L1714 — Suomi Synod —
On Depot Street at Hecla Street, on the right when traveling west on Depot Street.
On March 25, 1890, nine Lutheran congregations, representing 1200 Finnish immigrants, assembled at Trinity Lutheran Church in Calumet and organized the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church In America-Suomi Synod. Four pastors and seventeen laymen . . . — — Map (db m201425) HM
6 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Calumet — 30 — The Copper Country —
Near U.S. 41 0.5 miles north of Airport Park Road, on the right when traveling north.
Long before Columbus reached America, Indians extracted native copper in the Lake Superior region and worked it into articles which were used by tribes throughout the continent. French explorers learned of the vast copper deposits but were not able . . . — — Map (db m201426) HM
7 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Calumet — L1337 — The Italian Hall / Italian Hall Tragedy —
On Seventh Street at Elm Street, on the right when traveling south on Seventh Street.
The Italian Hall. The building that stood on this site was called the Italian Hall, and was home to the Societa Mutua Beneficenza Italiana, which aided immigrants and others in need. Built in 1908, the hall housed a saloon and an . . . — — Map (db m76300) HM
8 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Calumet, Calumet Township — C & H: The Copper Giant —
On Red Jacket Road.
The Calumet & Hecla Mining Company extracted copper from the rich Calumet conglomerate from 1866 to 1968. As early as 1870, C & H already produced over half of Michigan's copper and Michigan accounted for 87% of copper mined in America. Between . . . — — Map (db m279370) HM
Paid Advertisement
9 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Hancock — 321 Quincy Street —
On Quincy Street (U.S. 41) east of North Montezuma Boulevard, on the right when traveling west.
Site of the childhood home of photographer Edward Steichen (1879-1973) and Lilian Steichen Sandburg (1883-1977), wife of writer Carl Sandburg. At this site in the 1880s the seed was sown that later grew into Steichen’s signature . . . — — Map (db m122590) HM
10 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Hancock — L519 — Hancock / Town Hall and Fire Hall — Registered Michigan Historic Site —
On Quincy Street (U.S. 41) at Montezuma Street, on the right when traveling west on Quincy Street.
Hancock The Quincy Mining Company platted Hancock in 1859, a decade after the company began mining Keweenaw copper. While many copper towns boomed and busted within a short period of time, Hancock remained stable, incorporating as a city in . . . — — Map (db m122367) HM
11 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Hancock — S211 — Old Main / Suomi College —
On Quincy Street (U.S. 41) at Dakota Street, on the right when traveling west on Quincy Street.
Old Main Suomi College was founded in 1896 by the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The cornerstone of Old Main, the first building erected at Suomi College, was laid on May 30, 1898. Jacobsville sandstone, quarried at the . . . — — Map (db m122387) HM
12 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Hancock — The Finnish American National Historical Archive & Museum — Mennyt, nykyinen ja tuleva (Past, Present and Future) —
On Quincy Street (U.S. 41) at Mesnard Street, on the right when traveling west on Quincy Street.
Finlandia University, founded in 1896 as Suomi College, established the Finnish American National Historical Archive and Museum (FANHAM) in 1990 to honor the past contributions of Finnish Americans, to link present visitors with Finnish America and . . . — — Map (db m122599) HM
13 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Hancock — The First Finnish Newspaper in America —
On Quincy Street at Reservation Street, on the right when traveling west on Quincy Street.
The first Finnish newspaper in America was the “Amerikan Suomalainen Lehti,” published by A. J. Muikku in Hancock on 14 April 1876. It was printed at the northwest corner of Quincy and Reservation Streets at the offices of the North . . . — — Map (db m122668) HM
14 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — Clubs and Associations — Historic Houghton —
On Shelden Avenue (U.S. 41) at Portage Street, on the left when traveling west on Shelden Avenue.
Residents of Houghton found many outlets for social interaction, including membership in a wide variety of clubs and organizations. Some relied on the community of large extended families, while others sought the camaraderie of those with shared . . . — — Map (db m153995) HM
15 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — Copper Range Railroad Depot 1899 — Historic Houghton —
On West Lakeshore Drive 0.2 miles west of Quincy Street, on the left when traveling west.
The Copper Range Company was a fully integrated industrial enterprise, operating the Champion, Baltic and Trimountain copper mines south of Houghton, a number of milling facilities, and a large smelting works along Portage Lake. It was a late . . . — — Map (db m153999) HM
16 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — L2162 — Grace Methodist Church —
On Isle Royale Street north of East Houghton Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
Methodism had considerable success in Cornwall, an important mining area in southwest England. Cornish miners migrating to the Keweenaw Peninsula during the copper boom of the mid-nineteenth century brought their devotion to Methodism with them. . . . — — Map (db m201429) HM
17 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — Growth and Change — Historic Houghton —
On Shelden Avenue (U.S. 41) at Quincy Street, on the right when traveling west on Shelden Avenue.
Houghton has grown dramatically since 1861, when its two thousand residents, wood frame commercial district and few industrial buildings were incorporated as a village. By the time of the copper district's peak production, 1900-1920, the population . . . — — Map (db m153994) HM
Paid Advertisement
18 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — Historic Houghton — Northwest corner of Shelden & Isle Royale streets — Shelden-Dee, Early 1900s —
On Shelden Street (U.S. 41) at Isle Royale Street, on the right when traveling west on Shelden Street.
Commissioned by prominent Houghton residents Mary Shelden and James R. Dee, the Shelden-Dee building is one of the key architectural landmarks of central Houghton. It was built in 1899-1900 for an estimated $75,000 and is on the National Register of . . . — — Map (db m201465) HM
19 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — Historic Houghton — Winter and Snow —
Near East Lakeshore Drive.
It is said that there are two seasons in the Copper Country: "winter's here" and "winter's coming." The region's northern latitude and unsheltered exposure to Lake Superior combine to guarantee heavy "lake effect" snowfall. The Keweenaw Peninsula . . . — — Map (db m286289) HM
20 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — L1936 — Hoar Family Mausoleum —
Near MacInnes Drive.
Built in 1895 — — Map (db m167452) HM
21 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — Hotels and Saloons — Historic Houghton —
On Shelden Avenue (U.S. 41) at Isle Royale Street, on the right when traveling west on Shelden Avenue.
Although many families and businesses have called Houghton their permanent home, the city has also catered to a more transient population as well. Its growth as the center of the region's major transportation routes guaranteed a steady stream of . . . — — Map (db m153996) HM
22 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — 431 — Houghton County Courthouse / Houghton County —
On East Houghton Avenue just east of Dodge Street, on the right when traveling east.
Houghton County Courthouse. The opulent High Victorian design of the Houghton County Courthouse testifies to the prosperity that the copper boom brought to the area in the late nineteenth century. The building’s irregular form and . . . — — Map (db m254431) HM
23 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — Industry — Historic Houghton —
On West Lakeshore Drive 0.2 miles west of Quincy Street, on the right when traveling west.
Houghton wasn't merely a port for the pass-through of raw materials and wholesale goods. Throughout its history, the city's central waterfront location was attractive to manufacturing and industrial operations. As with the larger Keweenaw Peninsula, . . . — — Map (db m154076) HM
24 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — 93 — Michigan Tech —
On U.S. 41 at Macinnes Drive, on the left when traveling north on U.S. 41.
In 1885 the state established a mining school here in America’s first great metal mining region. As the Michigan College of Mines, it achieved world-wide renown as a center of education and research in mining, metallurgy, and geology. In 1927 . . . — — Map (db m254477) HM
25 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — Municipal and Cultural Activities — Historic Houghton —
On East Montezuma Avenue (U.S. 41) at Huron Street, on the left when traveling east on East Montezuma Avenue.
By the 1890s, Houghton had developed from a small lakeside village into a bustling regional hub for transportation and commerce. Its municipal services were designed to provide structure for the growing town, not only through ordinances and . . . — — Map (db m226704) HM
26 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — 568 — St. Ignatius Loyola Church —
On East Houghton Avenue just east of Portage Street, on the right when traveling east.
The roots of the Catholic Church in the Portage Lake area are associated with Bishop Frederic Baraga, the "Snowshoe Priest," who dedicated the original St. Ignatius Loyola Church on July 31, 1859. Before the erection of that building, . . . — — Map (db m254430) HM
Paid Advertisement
27 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — S0690 — The Amphidrome / The Birth of Professional Hockey —
On East Lakeshore Drive 0.1 miles east of Isle Royale Street, on the right when traveling west.
The Amphidrome. The Amphidrome stood on this site from 1902 until 1927, when it burned. The first hockey game was played in the arena on December 29, 1902, when Portage Lake beat the University of Toronto, 13-2. The Amphidrome was the home of . . . — — Map (db m76308) HM
28 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Houghton — L1319 — Trinity Episcopal Church —
On East Montezuma Avenue (U.S. 41) 0.1 miles west of Pewabic Street, on the right when traveling east.
Many of the Cornish miners, storekeepers and mining captains who immigrated to this area during the Copper Country mining boom (1842-1860) were Anglicans. On July 17, 1860, the Reverend Samuel A. McCoskry, Episcopal Bishop of Michigan, met with nine . . . — — Map (db m76306) HM
29 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Jacobsville, Torch Lake Township — 532 — Finnish Lutheran Church / Jacobsville —
Near Red Rock Road near Jacobsville Road (County Route T-641), on the right when traveling east.
Finnish Lutheran Church. In 1886 a group of Finnish immigrants banded together to organize the Jacobsville Finnish Lutheran congregation. Early worship services were held in various locations until 1888, when this simple frame structure . . . — — Map (db m254476) HM
30 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Kenton, Duncan Township — The Beginning of the Ottawa —
On Michigan Route 28 just west of Harrison Street, on the right when traveling west.
In 1911, the Weeks Act allowed for the purchase of units of land for public use. In 1931, the Ottawa National Forest was created through the purchase of such units. The stone monument before you was built in recognition of the forest as it . . . — — Map (db m278610) HM
31 ► Michigan, Houghton County, Laurium, Calumet Township — George Gipp Memorial —
On Lake Linden Avenue at Tamarack Street on Lake Linden Avenue.
This monument and park stands in honor of legendary Notre Dame athlete George Gipp, a native son of Laurium. It was dedicated on August 3, 1935, and restored in 1999. George Gipp was born on February 18, 1895 and attended Calumet High where he . . . — — Map (db m279373) HM
 
 
CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisement
Oct. 16, 2026