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Hunts' Guide to Michigan's UPPER PENINSULA
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IRONWOOD
POINTS
OF INTEREST

Little Girl's Point and vicinity. On a high Lake Superior bluff, a tucked-away park with swimming beach, camping, boat launch, and long views to the Porcupine Mountains and Apostle Islands. ... more

Bald Mountain and Lake Superior Overlooks. Little-known spots with nice views for motorists and mountain bikers ... more

Little Girl's Point Honey and gardens. At two Dutch immigrants' honey shop, paths wind through colorful gardens to a duck pond. Chat with nonfiction author Amy Van Oyen and hear stories about moving from Grand Rapids with nine children. ... more

Superior Falls. Little publicized, this thundering 40-foot waterfall in a deep gorge of the Montreal River settles into a quiet pool ... more

Interstate Falls. A couple miles northwest of Ironwood the wide Montreal River plunges 25 feet ... more

Saxon Falls. One of Gogebic's outstanding waterfalls 12 miles north of Ironwood ... more

Guided Kayak Excursions along Lake Superior. Interesting shoreline trips for beginners and experienced kayakers alike give a fresh perspective of the region ... more

Ottawa National Forest Supervisor's Office and Book Shop. The place to get good individualized info on this vast forest (almost one million acres) dotted with lakes, rivers, wonderful waterfalls, stretching Champion, Baraga, and Iron River west to Ironwood. ... more

Mount Zion Scenic Overlook. This rock overlook close to Ironwood gives a fine view of surrounding hills, forests, and farms ... more

Depot Antiques & Gifts. In an old railroad warehouse, this unusually appealing shop offer a variety of items old and new, from gourmet foods to vintage toys ... more

Nature's Picks Rock Shop. Owned and run by a seasoned local rockhound, this shop carries rocks and minerals from all over. And you can get advice on where to look locally for interesting rocks ... more

Black Bear Sports. A veteran guide runs this well-stocked outdoors shop, with fishing gear and good advice ... more

Central Ironwood. Downtown is a shadow of itself during the mining and lumber booms. But visitors can find interesting spots, including the fabulous 1928 Ironwood Theater; the depot museum; a good quilt shop, antiques mall, and food co-op; impressive churches and Victorian homes; and good pizza, pasties, and Italian food. ... more

Ironwood Memorial Building. A lavish Beaux Arts civic building, recently restored, features stained glass, murals, original light fixtures, and interesting local history exhibits ... more

Scenic back road to Ramsay. A pleasant ride on a country lane through hills and overarching trees and a fine vista ... more

World's Tallest Indian. What did they do to pump up the economy when the mines gave out in the 1960s? Attract tourists by building an 8-ton, 53-foot-high Indian chief and calling him Hiawatha, the "World's Tallest Indian" (actually Maine has a taller one) ... more

Norrie Park. Picturesque 1920s park along the Montreal River with paths through wooded areas and meadows, a fine picnic spot with playground ... more

Mountain biking in Gogebic and Iron counties. One of the country's great mountain biking regions, here's an overview of the vast number of trails in the area ... more

ABR Trails (Active Backwoods Retreat). 600 acres of meticulously groomed ski trails with lodgings, a warming cabin, sauna, and ski shop ... more

Wolverine Nordic Trails. Loops for serious cross-country skiers and mountain bikers from 3k to 7k ... more

 

 
 
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IRONWOOD
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World's Tallest Indian

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World's Tallest Indian
There's little or no tie-in between this 53-foot-high fiberglass Indian and local Native American life. The statue was built to promote tourism as the area grappled with its iron mines' closing. .
This fiberglass-covered Hiawatha was part of the area's energetic campaign to promote tourism as the iron mines were closing. The huge eight-ton statue, 53 feet high, takes the form of the stereotypical Indian chief. The giant statue has just been repainted and refurbished, with new illumination. Hiawatha offers some good photo-ops for connoisseurs of roadside Americana. Pose the family in front of one of his giant moccasins!
Hiawatha stands in a hillside neighborhood in the Norrie location, site of the Gogebic Range's most productive mine. He surveys a long, undeveloped east-west valley that divides Ironwood. A cave-in area separates the location from downtown. A ball field today is near the mine shaft site. Next to it is Manny's, a restaurant with good home -made pasta.

The Norrie Mine, the area's most productive, formed a dramatic episode in the Oliver Mining Company's consolidation of the mining interests of Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. Carnegie wanted only to lease mining properties. He was interested in making steel, not developing and managing mines. But he really needed the Norrie Mine. The 300 stockholders of the Norrie Mine, however, only wanted to sell because their equipment was becoming obsolete. Charles Schwab, the president of Carnegie Steel, favored making an exception; chairman Henry Frick did not. Henry Oliver, dealmaker extraordinaire who had little money to invest personally, finally convinced Carnegie to buy the mine outright. "The purchase made Carnegie Steel 'self-sufficient,'" wrote one mining historian. "Never again 'would it have to buy a ton of Bessemer ore on the open market. Oliver's victory was complete, but never did a man have to work as hard to present a fortune to others.'"
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From downtown Ironwood, go south on Suffolk/Bus. Route 2 up the hill about 1/4 mile. Wheelchair-accessible.


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