Cross-section of the Lake Superior basin showing the tilted strata of volcanic rock that form both the Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale
The oldest and largest lava flow known on Earth is located on the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan. This volcanic activity produced the only strata on Earth where large scale economically recoverable 97 percent pure native copper is found.
Much of the Native copper found in the Keweenaw comes in either the form of "Native" Copper, which has a lacy consistency, or "Float" Copper, which is found as a solid chunk. The Float copper was created from the glacial movements through the Great Lakes region compacting the naturally forming Native Copper into heavy nuggets. Some of these nuggets can be found in the size of weighing many tons. Copper Ore is then conglomerate stone which copper is laced though out, filling any voids that had once existed.
The Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale, formed by the Midcontinent Rift System, are the only sites in the country where prehistoric aboriginal mining of copper occurred. Artifacts made from this copper by these ancient Indians were traded as far south as present day Alabama.
History
The Keweenaw's rich deposits of copper (and some silver) were extracted on an industrial scale beginning around the middle of the 19th century. The industry grew through the latter part of the century and employed thousands of people well into the 20th century. Hard rock mining in the region ceased in 1967 though copper sulfide deposits continued for some time after in Ontonogan. This vigorous industry created a need for educated mining professionals and directly led in 1885 to the founding of the Michigan Mining School (now Michigan Technological University) in Houghton. Although MTU discontinued its undergraduate mining engineering program in 2006, the university continues to offer engineering degrees in a variety of other disciplines.
Running concurrently with the mining boom in the Keweenaw was the white pine lumber boom. Trees were cut for timbers for mine shafts, to heat the communities around the large copper mines, and to help build a growing nation. Much of the logging at the time was done in winter due to the ease of operability with the snow. Due to the indiscriminant logging practices at that time, the forest of the Keweenaw looks much different today than 100 years ago.
For detailed information on the region's mineralogical history, see the virtual tour of the peninsula written by the Mineralogical Society of America, found in exterior links on this page. Information on the geological formations of the region are also detailed.
From 1964-1971, the University of Michigan cooperated with NASA and the U.S. Navy to run the Keweenaw Rocket launch site.
Communities
A partial list of towns in the Keweenaw Peninsula:
Ahmeek
Atlantic Mine
Bete Grise
Calumet
Chassell
Copper Harbor
Delaware
Dodgeville
Dollar Bay
Dreamland
Eagle Harbor
Eagle River
Freda
Gay
Hancock
Houghton
Hubbell
Hurontown
Lac La Belle
Lake Linden
Lake Medora, Michigan
Laurium
Little Betsy
Mandan
Mason
Mohawk
Osceola
Painesdale
Pelkie
Phoenix
Quincy
Redridge
Ripley
South Range
Tapiola
Toivola
Wyoming (Helltown)
See also
Keweenaw National Historical Park
Thimbleberry
References
^ Exploring the North page on Houghton
^ Public Law 102-543 (Oct. 27, 1992); 106 STAT. 3569
Further reading
Burt, Williams A., and Hubbard, Bela Reports on the Mineral Region of Lake Superior (Buffalo: L. Danforth, 1846), 113 pages.*
Krause, David J. The Making of a Mining District: Keweenaw Native Copper 1500-1870 (1992).
Thurner, Arthur W. Strangers and Sojourners - A History of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula (Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.: Wayne State University Press, 1994) ISBN 0814323960.
External links
Keweenaw Convention & Visitors Bureau
Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
Home of Pasty Central
Keweenaw Rocket Site
Keweenaw Rocket Site history
Copper Country Explorer
Keweenaw Free Guide
vde
State of Michigan
Lansing (capital)
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Categories: Copper | Peninsulas of Michigan | Regions of Michigan | Upper Peninsula of Michigan | Houghton County, Michigan | Keweenaw County, Michigan | Volcanism of Michigan | Rift volcanism | Extinct volcanism
