Keweenaw County Historical Society

Keweenaw County Historical Society in Eagle Harbor, MI.

NPS Photo - Nathan Miller

Quick Facts

Location:

Keweenaw County, MI.

Significance:

Keweenaw NHP Heritage Site

MANAGED BY:

Keweenaw County Historical Society

Amenities

5 listed

Benches/Seating, Cellular Signal, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Restroom - Seasonal

The Keweenaw County Historical Society was established in 1981 by a group of volunteers. The Historical Society maintains 11 sites located in 5 towns in Keweenaw County. Online: www.keweenawhistory.org 

The Keweenaw Heritage Sites are official partners of Keweenaw National Historical Park, but are privately owned. Each site interprets and preserves an important aspect of the area's copper mining history and provides a unique visitor experience. Please contact individual sites for more information.

#12 in The Keweenaw Guide park newspaper.

Eagle Harbor, MI

• Eagle Harbor Lighthouse
• Keweenaw History Museum
• Commercial Fishing Museum
• Maritime Museum
• Eagle Harbor Lifesaving Station
• Rathbone School
• The copper mining industry began on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the 1840s. Lake Superior’s unreliable disposition meant that passing ships needed navigational assistance, and in 1851 the original lighthouse was built. The wooden tower which supported a fourth-order Fresnel lens illuminated by an oil lamp soon deteriorated, and in 1871 it was replaced by the present red brick structure. In 1895 a fog signal was added. Since 1982 the Keweenaw County Historical Society has maintained four museums at the light station.
• Location: 670 Lighthouse Road, Eagle Harbor.
• Fees: $8 Adults; children under 16 free.
• Operating Season: Open mid-June to early October.
• Operating Hours: 12 pm - 5 pm, daily.
• Summer Hours in July & Aug: 10 am - 5 pm, Mon - Sat; 12 pm - 5pm on Sunday.

Central, MI

• Central Mine and community buildings
  • One of the most noteworthy historical sites in Keweenaw County is Central, or Central Mine. Central is a village that once was the home for over 1,200 people, and the site of one Keweenaw's most successful mines. The mine, opened in 1854, produced nearly 52 million pounds of copper by the time it closed in 1898.
  • Location: 7143 Central Road, Phoenix; 5 miles northeast of Phoenix, just north of the intersection with US 41.
  • Fees: Free admission, donations appreciated.
  • Operating Season: Open mid-June through mid-October.
  • Hours: 9 am- 5 pm, daily.

Phoenix, MI

• Phoenix Church
  • St. Mary’s Church was built in 1858 to serve the Catholic residents in the nearby mining community of Cliff, scene of the area’s first major copper discovery in 1844. Services continued until 1899 when the church was dismantled and reassembled in Phoenix, where it was renamed The Church of the Assumption and served the local community until 1957.
  • Location: 5581 US Highway 41, Phoenix.
  • Fees: Free admission, donations appreciated.
  • Operating Season: Open mid-June through mid-October.
  • Hours: 8 am - 6 pm, daily.
• Bammert Blacksmith Shop
  • Location: The Bammert Blacksmith Shop is located just north of Phoenix, along M26 towards Eagle River.
  • Fees: Free admission, donations appreciated.
  • Operating Season: 2025 schedule TBD.
  • Hours: 8 am - 6 pm, daily.

Eagle River, MI

• Eagle River Museum
  • The Keweenaw County Historical Society, Keweenaw National Historical Park, and the community of Eagle River have worked together to develop The Eagle River Museum.
    • The museum focuses on four major themes:
      • 1.) The Cliff Mine,
      • 2.) the town of Eagle River;
      • 3.) the neighboring town and mine of Phoenix, and
      • 4.) the amusement area known as Crestview which was located between Phoenix and Eagle River.
  • Location: 5059 4th Street, Eagle River.
  • Fees: Free admission, donations appreciated.
  • Operating Season: Open mid-June through mid-October.
  • Hours: 12 pm - 4 pm on Wed, Fri & Sat.

Gay, MI

• Historic School Museum
  • The town of Gay was named for Joseph E. Gay, one of the founders of the nearby Mohawk and Wolverine Mining Companies. The historic school building was built in 1927 and served the local community until it closed in 1961.
  • Location: The museum is located at the intersection of Lake Street and 2nd Street in the town of Gay, Michigan, about 13 miles east of Lake Linden, MI.
  • Fees: Free admission, donations appreciated.
  • Operating Season: Open mid-June through mid-October.
  • Hours: 1 pm - 4 pm on Wed & Sat.