National Register of Historic Places listings in Keweenaw County, Michigan facts for kids
Keweenaw County is a special place in Michigan, known for its rich history. Many of its important places are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are officially recognized for their historical value. These sites tell us stories about the county's past, from early mining days to busy shipping routes and the rise of tourism.
Contents
Early Days in Keweenaw County
People found copper in the Keweenaw area in the 1830s. Soon after, the U.S. government built Fort Wilkins near Copper Harbor. This fort helped keep order as more people arrived.
Keweenaw County became its own county in 1861. Its main town was Eagle River. Many of the old government and business buildings in Eagle River are now part of a Historic District. Isle Royale, a large island in Lake Superior, became part of Keweenaw County in 1885 and still is today.
Mining for Copper
Just like its neighbor, Houghton County, Keweenaw County has a strong connection to copper mining. One of the oldest mines here is the Minong Mine on Isle Royale. It's a historic district because people mined copper there even before recorded history!
Another important mining site is the Central Mine. Its old buildings and the Methodist Church are also listed as historic places.
Busy Waterways and Roads
Keweenaw County is surrounded by Lake Superior, the biggest of the Great Lakes. This means shipping and transportation have always been very important. More than half of the listed historic places are linked to Great Lakes shipping.
These include nine lighthouses that guided ships safely:
- Copper Harbor Light
- Eagle Harbor Light
- Gull Rock Light Station
- Isle Royale Light
- Manitou Island Light Station
- Passage Island Light
- Rock Harbor Light
- Rock of Ages Light
- Sand Hills Light
There are also ten shipwrecks around Isle Royale that are on the Register. These include the SS Algoma, SS America, Chester A. Congdon, Cumberland, Emperor, George M. Cox, Glenlyon, Henry Chisholm, Kamloops, and the Monarch. Each wreck tells a dramatic story of the past.
The area also has three historic road bridges built in the 1930s: the M-26–Cedar Creek Culvert, the M-26–Silver River Culvert, and the US 41–Fanny Hooe Creek Bridge. The Houghton County Traction Company Ahmeek Streetcar Station shows how people traveled locally by streetcar long ago.
Growing Tourism
As copper mining slowed down, more people started visiting the Keweenaw area for fun. This led to more passenger ships, like the SS America, bringing visitors. New hotels and summer cabins were built, such as the Johns Hotel on Isle Royale, which was the first resort there. The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and Golf Course Complex, built in the 1930s, is another example of this growth. Roads were also improved in the 1930s, making it easier for tourists to explore.
Historic Places List
| Name on the Register | Image | Date listed | Location | City or town | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algoma |
 |
(#84001699) |
Southeast shore of Mott Island 48°06′41″N 88°31′55″W / 48.111389°N 88.531944°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The Algoma was a passenger ship built in 1883. In 1885, it crashed in a snowstorm near Isle Royale. Forty-six people died, making it the worst loss of life in Lake Superior shipping history. |
| 2 | America |
 |
(#84001708) |
North Gap of Washington Harbor 47°53′39″N 89°13′15″W / 47.894167°N 89.220833°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The America connected communities on western Lake Superior in the early 1900s. It sailed between Duluth, Minnesota, Isle Royale, and Thunder Bay. In 1928, it ran aground near Washington Harbor. You can still see its front part in shallow water. |
| 3 | Central Mine Historic District |
 |
(#74000991) |
US 41 47°24′21″N 88°11′58″W / 47.405833°N 88.199444°W |
Central | Central Mine was a busy copper mine from 1856 to 1898. The company built 130 buildings for the mine and its workers. About 20 buildings, mostly houses, are still standing today. |
| 4 | Central Mine Methodist Church |
 |
(#70000278) |
Old Stage Rd. 47°24′25″N 88°12′13″W / 47.406944°N 88.203611°W |
Central | This church, finished in 1869, was a key place for the mining town of Central. After the mine closed in 1898, former residents and their families started an annual reunion here. This tradition continues even now. |
| 5 | Chester A. Congdon |
 |
(#84001716) |
Congdon Shoals on northeast end of Isle Royale 48°11′36″N 88°30′52″W / 48.193333°N 88.514444°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The Chester A. Congdon was a large steel cargo ship built in 1907. It sank near Isle Royale in Lake Superior in 1918. It was the first shipwreck in Lake Superior to be worth over a million dollars. |
| 6 | Church of the Assumption |
 |
(#00000220) |
US 41, east of M-26 47°23′22″N 88°16′34″W / 47.389444°N 88.276111°W |
Houghton Township | This church was built in 1858 in Cliff. In 1899, it was taken apart and rebuilt in its current spot in Phoenix. Services were held here until 1957. It is also called the Phoenix Church. |
| 7 | Copper Harbor Light Station |
 |
(#12000305) |
9879 Woodland Rd. 47°28′28″N 87°51′37″W / 47.474374°N 87.860334°W |
Grant Township | The first Copper Harbor lighthouse was built in 1848. A new one was built in 1866 using parts of the old one. The light was turned off in 1933 and moved to a steel tower nearby. The lighthouse is now a museum. |
| 8 | Cumberland |
 |
(#84001732) |
Near Rock of Ages Light 47°51′28″N 89°19′32″W / 47.857778°N 89.325556°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The Cumberland was a wooden paddlewheel ship built in 1871. In 1877, it hit a reef near the Rock of Ages Light. Everyone on board was saved. Parts of the Cumberland wreck are mixed with the Henry Chisholm, which sank later. |
| 9 | Eagle Harbor Coast Guard Station Boathouse |
 |
(#12000306) |
9282 Marina Rd. 47°27′32″N 88°08′58″W / 47.458998°N 88.149365°W |
Eagle Harbor | This boathouse is the only building left from a lifesaving station built in 1910-1912. It now holds a Life-Saving Station Museum. |
| 10 | Eagle Harbor Light Station |
 |
(#84001745) |
Eagle Harbor 47°27′36″N 88°09′33″W / 47.46°N 88.159167°W |
Eagle Harbor | The first Eagle Harbor Light was built in 1851. The current lighthouse and keeper's house were built in 1871. In 1999, ownership went to the Keweenaw County Historical Society, but the Coast Guard still operates the light. |
| 11 | Eagle Harbor Schoolhouse |
 |
(#72000628) |
Third and Center 47°27′24″N 88°09′46″W / 47.456667°N 88.162778°W |
Eagle Harbor | The Eagle Harbor Schoolhouse is where Justus H. Rathbone got the idea for the ritual that started the Order of the Knights of Pythias. |
| 12 | Eagle River Historic District |
 |
(#84001746) |
Roughly Front, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and Main Sts. 47°24′48″N 88°17′48″W / 47.413333°N 88.296667°W |
Eagle River | The town of Eagle River was founded in 1843. This district includes most of the old buildings from the town's early days, such as factories, county buildings, shops, and homes. |
| 13 | Edisen Fishery |
 |
(#77000152) |
Rock Harbor 48°05′22″N 88°34′57″W / 48.089444°N 88.5825°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The Edisen Fishery has seven buildings that make up a commercial fishing business. They were built between 1895 and 1934 by local fishermen using materials found nearby. |
| 14 | Emperor |
 |
(#84001748) |
North side of Canoe Rocks, on the northeast end of Isle Royale 48°12′02″N 88°29′30″W / 48.200556°N 88.491667°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The Emperor was a large cargo ship built in 1910. In 1947, it ran aground near Canoe Rocks while carrying iron ore. The ship sank in 30 minutes, and twelve crew members died. |
| 15 | Fort Wilkins |
 |
(#70000279) |
Fort Wilkins State Park 47°28′26″N 87°52′05″W / 47.473889°N 87.868056°W |
Copper Harbor | The U.S. Army first used Fort Wilkins in 1844. It helped keep peace between miners and the local Ojibwa people. The fort was left empty in 1846, then used again for a short time from 1867-1870. It is now a Michigan state park. |
| 16 | George M. Cox |
.jpg) |
(#84001749) |
Near Rock of Ages Light 47°51′28″N 89°19′32″W / 47.857778°N 89.325556°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The George M. Cox was first launched in 1901 as the USS Puritan. It was a civilian transport ship. It sank in 1933 near the Rock of Ages Light off Isle Royale in Lake Superior. |
| 17 | Glenlyon |
 |
(#84001750) |
Glenlyon Shoals off Menagerie Island in Siskiwit Bay 47°57′08″N 88°44′53″W / 47.952222°N 88.748056°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The Glenlyon was a cargo ship built in 1893. It carried both goods and passengers. In 1924, the ship ran aground while trying to find shelter in Siskiwit Bay. |
| 18 | Gull Rock Light Station |
 |
(#84001751) |
Gull Rock 47°25′02″N 87°39′49″W / 47.417222°N 87.663611°W |
Copper Harbor | The Gull Rock Light Station is a lighthouse on Gull Rock, east of Manitou Island. It was built in 1867 and became automated in 1913. It is still an active light for ships. |
| 19 | Henry Chisholm |
 |
(#84001752) |
Near Rock of Ages Light 47°51′28″N 89°19′32″W / 47.857778°N 89.325556°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The Henry Chisholm was a large wooden cargo ship built in 1880. In 1898, it hit a reef near the Rock of Ages Light while looking for another ship. Parts of its hull are mixed with the wreck of the SS Cumberland. |
| 20 | Holy Redeemer Church |
 |
(#72000629) |
Western end of Center St. 47°27′24″N 88°09′54″W / 47.456667°N 88.165°W |
Eagle Harbor | Built in 1854, this is the oldest surviving Roman Catholic church in the Marquette Diocese. It was empty for many years after mining declined. But in recent times, it has been fixed up and used for summer services. |
| 21 | Houghton County Traction Company Ahmeek Streetcar Station |
 |
(#00000221) |
US 41/M-26 and Hubbell St. 47°17′48″N 88°23′42″W / 47.296667°N 88.395°W |
Ahmeek | The Houghton County Traction Company started in 1900 as a streetcar line in the Keweenaw Peninsula. It reached communities like Ahmeek. The company stopped running in 1932. |
| 22 | Isle Royale Light Station |
 |
(#83000880) |
Managerie Island 47°56′29″N 88°46′01″W / 47.941389°N 88.766944°W |
Isle Royale | The Isle Royale Light, also called the Menagerie Island Light, is on Managerie Island. It's at the entrance to Siskiwit Bay near Isle Royale in Lake Superior. It was built in 1875. |
| 23 | Johns Hotel |
 |
(#97000877) |
Washington Harbor, on Barnum Island 47°52′43″N 89°13′58″W / 47.878611°N 89.232778°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The Johns Hotel opened in 1892. It was the very first summer resort on Isle Royale. There were once 16 buildings here, but now only the main hotel and one cabin remain. |
| 24 | Kamloops |
 |
(#84001769) |
Kamloops Point 48°05′06″N 88°45′53″W / 48.085°N 88.764722°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The SS Kamloops was a cargo ship that sank with everyone on board near Isle Royale in Lake Superior around December 1927. It was launched in 1924. |
| 25 | Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and Golf Course Complex |
 |
(#80001878) |
Southwest of Copper Harbor on US 41 47°27′28″N 87°54′27″W / 47.457778°N 87.9075°W |
Copper Harbor | This lodge was built in 1933-1934 using money from the Civil Works Administration. Logs from the property were used to build the buildings. |
| 26 | M 26-Cedar Creek Culvert |
 |
(#99001526) |
M-26 over Cedar Creek 47°27′20″N 88°09′00″W / 47.455556°N 88.15°W |
Eagle Harbor Township | The M 26-Cedar Creek Culvert is a highway bridge on M-26 over Cedar Creek. The Keweenaw County Road Commission built it in 1930. |
| 27 | M26-Silver River Culvert |
 |
(#99001527) |
M-26 over Silver River 47°27′47″N 88°04′20″W / 47.463056°N 88.072222°W |
Eagle Harbor Township | The M 26-Silver River Culvert is a highway bridge on M-26 over the Silver River. The Keweenaw County Road Commission built it in 1930. |
| 28 | Manitou Island Light Station |
 |
(#84001773) |
Manitou Island 47°25′12″N 87°35′14″W / 47.42°N 87.587222°W |
Copper Harbor | The Manitou Island Light Station is a lighthouse on Manitou Island, off the tip of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. The steel light tower and keeper's house were built in 1861. |
| 29 | Minong Mine Historic District |
 |
(#77000153) |
West of McCargoe Cove campground 48°04′58″N 88°43′35″W / 48.082778°N 88.726389°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The Minong Mine site has ancient copper mining pits, possibly 4500 years old. It also has remains of the Minong Mine, a 19th-century copper mine that produced a lot of copper. |
| 30 | Monarch |
 |
(#84001779) |
Palisade area on the north side of Blake Point 48°11′20″N 88°26′03″W / 48.188889°N 88.434167°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The Monarch was a passenger and cargo ship built in 1890. In 1906, it crashed into Blake Point on Isle Royale during a snowstorm. Amazingly, almost all the crew and passengers made it to shore safely. |
| 31 | Passage Island Light Station |
 |
(#06000632) |
Southwestern end of Passage Island, 3.25 mi (5.23 km) northeast of Isle Royale in northwestern Lake Superior 48°13′27″N 88°21′57″W / 48.224167°N 88.365833°W |
Houghton Township | The Passage Island Light Station is a lighthouse about 3.25 miles northeast of Isle Royale in Lake Superior. It was built in 1882. |
| 32 | Rock Harbor Lighthouse |
 |
(#77000154) |
Rock Harbor 48°05′21″N 88°34′45″W / 48.089167°N 88.579167°W |
Isle Royale National Park | The Rock Harbor Lighthouse is in Rock Harbor on Isle Royale in Lake Superior. It was built in 1855-1856 but was permanently turned off in 1879. |
| 33 | Rock of Ages Light Station |
.jpg) |
(#83000881) |
Southwest of Isle Royale 47°51′34″N 89°19′30″W / 47.859444°N 89.325°W |
Isle Royale | The Rock of Ages Light is an active lighthouse on a small rock about 5 miles west of Isle Royale in Lake Superior. It was built in 1908. |
| 34 | Sand Hills Light Station |
 |
(#94000746) |
Five Mile Point Rd., north of Mohawk, Allouez Township 47°23′29″N 88°22′00″W / 47.391389°N 88.366667°W |
Mohawk | Sand Hills is a former lighthouse on the shore of Lake Superior. It was built in 1919 and stopped being used in 1954. The building is now a bed and breakfast. |
| 35 | US 41 – Fanny Hooe Creek Bridge |
 |
(#99001525) |
US 41 over Fanny Hooe Creek 47°28′01″N 87°52′18″W / 47.466944°N 87.871667°W |
Grant Township | The US 41 – Fanny Hooe Creek Bridge is a highway bridge on US 41 over Fanny Hooe Creek. It's next to Fort Wilkins State Park. The Keweenaw County Road Commission built it in 1928. |
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Keweenaw County, Michigan Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.