Image provided by Steve Lehto

From the portait of Douglass Houghton by Alvah Bradish

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Date: June 22, 2009
Contact: Kathleen Harter, Chief of Interpretation and Education, (906) 337-1104, ext 230

Join author Steve Lehto as he describes the life and times of a near-mythic figure in Michigan's history, the geologist Douglass Houghton. As Lehto recounts in his latest publication, Michigan's Columbus: the Life of Douglass Houghton, Houghton is a particularly important figure in the Keweenaw's history: after all, his report about the Keweenaw's rich copper deposits drew serious attention to the region and spurred one of the nation's first mining booms in the early 1840s. A charismatic and accomplished person, Houghton was also a practicing physician as well as one-time mayor of Detroit. Yet his interest in geology and the natural world drew him back to the Keweenaw repeatedly. His last trip, in 1845, would earn him another important, yet tragic, place in the Keweenaw's history. Lehto will discuss these and other aspects of Houghton’s life that he researched in writing his book.

This event will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday June 25th, 2009 at the Keweenaw County Courthouse, which is located at 5095 Fourth Street in Eagle River, Michigan. It is part of the Fourth Thursday in History speaker series, sponsored by Keweenaw National Historical Park. Attendees will be able to purchase copies of Lehto's books from the Isle Royale & Keweenaw Parks Association.

The Fourth Thursday in History series arranges public presentations on important aspects of Copper Country and regional history, including techniques for historic preservation. Presentations are scheduled in venues throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula, particularly at historic sites associated with specific topics. They are free and open to the public. For further information, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at (906) 337-3168.