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Attractions: Ghost Towns
The Keweenaw once had a population of close to 100,000 people in thriving communities from Houghton to Copper Harbor. These remaining locations are called ghost towns if no residents exist, or historic townsites if a small fraction of the once booming population still lives there. Many other once thriving towns, from "Corktown" to "Incline" to "Snoshoe", exist only in memory. Additional information on these locations can be found in area museums and in the many books available on local history. Sometimes buildings in these old communities are still in use and in private hands......please respect private property!
Bete Grise
Calumet
Central
Chassell
Copper Harbor
Delaware
Dollar Bay
Eagle Harbor
Freda
Gay
Jacobsville
Lac La Belle
Lake Linden
Phoenix
South Range
Bete Grise
Bete Grise
Address: Bete Grise Road, Keweenaw County
Bete Grise (French for Grey Beast) is located 3 miles east of Lac La Belle on what is now mostly private property. It was once a mining and fishing village with 10 residents still remaining in 1940.
Calumet
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Osceola/Opeechee
Address: Store Street, Houghton County
About 1 mile south of Calumet, turn west onto Store Street. Osceola was located in the area between Store and Millionaire Streets. The area across Store Street was known as Tecumseh. Residential location of the Osceola Mining Company, it had a population of 1,400 in 1877. The photo shows the Osceola/Opeechee shaft #6, circa 1910.
Central
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Central
Address: US-41, Keweenaw County
When: Visitor Center open daily from 9 am to 5 pm early June to mid-October.
Located just north of US-41 approximately 4 miles north of Phoenix. The community, now a part of the Keweenaw County Historic Society Museum Complex, was settled around the Central Mining Company in 1854. It's population went from 1,300 in 1887 to 100 in 1905.
Chassell
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Craig
Address: Portage Entry Road, Houghton County
Take the Portage Entry Road east off US-41 south of Chassell. Now known as Portage Entry, it had one of the first post offices in the Lake Superior region. In 1893 it had a population of 200.
Copper Harbor
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Mandan
Address: US-41, Keweenaw County
A sign on US-41, approximately 4 miles north of Delaware, marks the trail road that leads to the once thriving community of Mandan. In 1910 there was a population of 300 with a Keweenaw Central Railroad depot,a post office, general store, physician's office and schoolhouse. By 1915 the population fell to 26.
Delaware
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Delaware
Address: US-41, Keweenaw County
Located along US-41 approximately 10 miles south of Copper Harbor. The town was settled in 1846 by the Delaware Mining Company. Its population went from 1,150 in 1877 to 25 in 1893.
Wyoming
Address: Lac La Belle Road, Keweenaw County
Take the Lac La Belle road off US-41 just north of Delaware to the Wyoming sign approximately 1 1/2 miles down on the right. About a mile down this gravel road is the vacant field where the village of Wyoming once stood. Located on the banks of the Montreal River, Wyoming was the site of a stamping mill and the old Wyoming Mine. With 4 saloons running wide open the town was the hang-out for miners from area locations and...
Dollar Bay
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Point Mills
Address: Lower Point Mills Road, Houghton County
From Dollar Bay, take the Upper Point Mills road for approximately 3 miles. This was the site of two stamp mills for the Arcadian and Franklin Mining Companies. In 1905 it had a population of 300.
Eagle Harbor
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Copper Falls
Address: Eagle Harbor Cut-Off Road, Keweenaw County
Located on the Eagle Harbor Cut-Off Road, between Eagle Harbor and US-41. Copper Falls was settled about 1845 around the Copper Falls Mine. Its population went from 500 in 1877 to 30 in 1920.
Freda
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Beacon Hill
Address: Freda Road, Houghton County
6 miles northwest of Houghton - take the Houghton Canal Road west off M-26 to the Coles Creek Road to the Freda Road. This was a mining community of the Trimountain Mining Company. Population in 1905 was 260. The photo shows the Trimountain Stamp Mill, located at Beacon Hill.
Freda
Address: Freda Road, Houghton County
Take the Houghton Canal Road west of Houghton to the Coles Creek Road to the Freda Road, then left to the end. This was the home of the Champion Mine mill. Settled in 1910, it had a population of 500.
Redridge
Address: Freda Road, Houghton County
Approximately 13 miles west of Houghton. Take the Houghton Canal Road west off M-26 to the Coles Creek Road to the Freda Road, then left to Redridge. Settled in 1905, it was the site of the Atlantic & Baltic stamp mills. Population here in 1910 was 500.
Gay
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Gay
Address: Gay-Lac La Belle Road, Keweenaw County
Located on the south shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula approximately 12 miles southeast of Mohawk, Gay was settled in 1904 around the stamp mills of the Mohawk & Wolverine Mining Companies. Population peak was 800 in 1903. The photo shows the Mohawk & Wolverine Stamp Mill.
Jacobsville
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Jacobsville
Address: Jacobsville Road, Houghton County
Take the Bootjack Road southeast out of Lake Linden to the Jacobsville Road to Jacobsville. It was started in 1887 as a fishing village at the mouth of the Portage River. It was the site of the sandstone quarry that provided the building material for many of the Copper Country's businesses and churches. Jacobsville sandstone also made its way to many cities in the eastern United States. In 1900 it had a population of 800.
Lac La Belle
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Lac La Belle
Address: Lac La Belle Road, Keweenaw County
Take the Lac La Belle Road south off US-41 approximately 10 miles south of Copper Harbor. This was the site of the stamp mills for the Delaware Mining Company and an important shipping point for area mines. The lake was also used as a port of refuge by Great Lakes ships caught in storms on Lake Superior. The photo shows the old stamp mill, some remains of which can be found along the road near Haven Park.
Lake Linden
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Gregoryville
Address: Bootjack Road, Houghton County
Gregoryville was located opposite Lake Linden across Torch Lake in the approximate area of the current Maple Leaf Bar. Settled in 1867, it was a mill and lumber camp that furnished lumber to local mining companies. It even had its own 1/2 mile long race track.
White City
Address: Jacobsville Road, Houghton County
Take the Bootjack Road south from Lake Linden to the Jacobsville Road, follow to White City. In the early 1900's White City was a premiere summer resort with hotel-restaurant-saloon, amusement park with roller coaster and merry-go-round, rental cottages, dance pavilion, bandstand and a 75 foot steamer dock. Excursion boats ran several times a day from the Houghton/Hancock area.
Phoenix
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Cliff/Clifton
Address: Cliff Drive, Keweenaw County
The old Cliff Mine site is located just south of Phoenix, off US-41 on the Cliff Drive. The Cliff Mine was 1,080 feet deep and produced 825 tons of copper in 1875. The town was settled around 1844 & it's peak population was 700 in 1877.
Phoenix
Address: US-41, Keweenaw County
Approximately 6 miles north of Mohawk on US-41. Settled in 1845 by the Phoenix Copper Company of Boston, MA, its population had risen to 1,000 by 1877. Phoenix once housed churches, a schoolhouse, post office, saloons, wagon makers and blacksmith shops, grocery stores and hotels. It also had many farmers living in outlying areas. The Bammert Blacksmith Shop and the Phoenix Church have been restored by the Keweenaw County...
South Range
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Baltic
Address: Baltic Onkalos Corner Road, Houghton County
Located 6 miles southwest of Houghton off M-26, Baltic was the home of the Baltic Mining Company. In 1918 it had a population of 3,000.
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