Surrounded by Crystal Falls Township, except for a small area that borders on Mastodon Township to the south, the City of Crystal Falls, Michigan is the seat of Iron County.
US-141 and US-2 meet on the west side of Crystal Falls, running concurrently along Crystal Avenue, then turning south onto 5th Street, meeting the eastern terminus of M-69 at the intersection of 5th Street and Superior Avenue, continuing south out of the city. The center of Alpha is 5.3 miles south-southwest of Crystal Falls, while Iron River is 15.5 miles west, Gaastra is 16.0 miles west-southwest, and Iron Mountain is 27.9 miles southeast.
With origins in the timber and mining industries, Crystal Falls has experienced declining populations every census year since 1910 and is currently a residential community with some light industry and commercial businesses serving its year-round population, as well as seasonal tourists and visitors seeking outdoor recreation.
The city owns and operates its own hydroelectric plant that provides a portion of the electricity used by its residents, and has operated its own cable television system since 1958. The city also has a 9-hole municipal golf course and a park on Runkle Lake, with a sandy beach, playground, picnic areas, and camping facilities.
The falls, for which the city was named, was eradicated with a power plant was built in the 1890s, backing water up into a reservoir and rerouting it through the power turbines. Today, the power plant supplies about one-third of the city's electricity needs, the remainder purchased from the Wisconsin Electric Power Company.
Founded by George Runkel, Solomon D. Hollister, and William Morrison in 1880, the town was platted for George Runkel and James H. Howe by John Pumpelly in 1881, and named for a picturesque falls on the Paint River, which flows through Crystal Falls, emptying into the Brule River. A post office was established on September 28, 1881, with Julia Runkel as the first postmaster. Originally in Marquette County, it became part of Iron County when it was set off in 1884, at which time Crystal Falls was designated the county seat. Incorporated as a village in 1889, Crystal Falls became a city in 1899.
By the early 1880s, Crystal Falls was one of the most significant iron mining towns in the Upper Peninsula. Hollister and Runkel were partners in the Crystal Falls Iron Company. By the time the Chicago and North Western Railroad came through Crystal Falls in 1882, there were six active mines.
The first mine in the Iron County area was either the Fairbanks Iron Mine or the Paint River Mine in Crystal Falls. Opened in 1882, the Paint River Mine operated until 1913. The Great Western Mine was active from 1882 to 1910, while the Youngstown Mine was in operation from 1882 to 1897, and was reopened as the Bristol-Youngstown Mine in 1949. The Bristol Mine opened in 1892 and was the last operating mine in the area when it closed in 1969. The Dunn Mine opened in 1887 and closed in 1901. Other mines in the Crystal Falls region included the Armenia, Carpenter, Cayla, Columbia, Fortune Lake, Genesee, Hagerman, Hilltop, Hollister, Hope, Lawrence, Kimball, Lamont, Lee Peck, Lincoln, McDonald, Monongahela, Odgers, Ravenna-Prickett, Richards, and Victoria.
Logging has always been an important part of the Crystal Falls economy, and remains so today, although the job is not as labor-intensive as it once was. While lumber is transported to market by truck today, in the early lumber era, they were driven downriver to a sawmill and moved to the rivers by horse-drawn sleighs. The Paint, Net, Fence, Brule, Deer, Hemlock, and Michigamme Rivers all served as highways for the transport of logs.
The focus of this category is on the City of Crystal Falls, Michigan. As such, online resources representing the city itself, or any individuals, businesses, industries, organizations, churches, schools, attractions, and events within the city are appropriate for this guide.
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Recommended Resources
In operation for four generations, the wooded camp is on the shores of Indian Lake, southwest of Crystal Falls, Michigan. Established in 1945, the camp specializes in youth summer camp programs and other camping experiences. Its history and profile of the camp are told and illustrated through photographs and videos, and camp schedules, photo archives of its Youth Camp, Band Camp, and Senior Days programs. Registration schedules and instructions may be viewed, and job opportunities are included.
https://www.campbatawagama.com/
Crystal Falls Business Association
Made up of locally owned, independent businesses in Crystal Falls, Alpha, and Amasa, Michigan, the CFBA is a non-profit organization charged with enhancing the development of the community. Memberships help to pay for periodic “shop local” ads in the local paper and radio stations, to host community events, to enhance downtown Crystal Falls by filling the planters with real and artificial plants, and to pay for the organization’s website. A membership form may be downloaded.
https://crystalfallsmi.com/
Crystal Falls Contemporary Center
The non-profit organization was founded in 1993, and offers art, fitness, cooking, pottery, and other classes to the Crystal Falls, Michigan community. Its board of directors, strategic plan, fundraising and contribution data, and administrative contacts are published on the site. A class calendar and calendar of events are presented, and students may register online. Open studio descriptions and schedules are included, and a project blog describes current activities.
http://www.cfcontemporarycenter.com/
The official municipal website presents a profile and history of the city, city revenue sharing reports, election data, a list of elected officials and staff, council agendas and minutes, and a guide to local schools, parks, and recreational facilities and programs. Municipal office hours, phone number, and email address are posted, and a calendar of events, city departments, and emergency services are included. Residential and business taxes and utilities may be paid online.
https://www.crystalfalls.org/
Headquartered in Crystal Falls, Michigan, the Forest Park School District covers a 640 square-mile area that includes the townships of Crystal Falls, Hematite, Mansfield, and Mastodon, as well as the villages of Amasa and Alpha, and the city of Crystal Falls. Its campuses include Forest Park Elementary School and Forest Park Middle/High School, both of which are featured here, along with an overview of the district, a district calendar, annual reports, and contacts.
http://www.fptrojans.org/
FLLC is a cooperative camp operated by the eighty congregations of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ECLA) and several other Lutheran congregations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Opened in 1930, the camp has been associated with several organizations during its history. The summer camp near Crystal Falls offers a traditional summer camp for youth, as well as inter-generational programs and year-round programming.
https://fortunelake.org/
Open daily, the bar and restaurant is located on Superior Avenue in Crystal Falls, Michigan. Its location is shown on a map, and its telephone number is posted on its site, along with a menu. The restaurant specializes in pizza, although it has several other food items on its menu, and has a fish fry special on Fridays. Customers may eat in or order take-out food. Other features include live music every Thursday, and other events that will be posted on its site, along with other news.
https://infield.bar/
Iron County Medical Care Facility
The county-owned, 200-bed, skilled care facility, rehabilitation therapy center, and assisted living complex has facilities in Crystal Falls and Iron River, Michigan. Its rehabilitation services facility is known as Skyway Rehab Services, while its assisted living housing is called Victorian Heights. Administrative contacts are posted, and an ICMCF newsletter, activity calendar, and menus are included. Headquartered on US Highway 2 in Crystal Falls, phone and fax numbers are posted.
http://www.ironcountymcf.com/
Located in downtown Crystal Falls, Michigan, Logan’s serves hand-dipped hard ice cream, burgers, and fries, deli sub sandwiches and wraps, breads, cookies, muffins, and other items that are listed on its menu, included here, along with special offers. Its address is posted and its location is shown on a map, as well as the hours of operation, contacts, and a profile of the business. Client testimonials are published, and customers can sign up for daily special offers.
https://logans.place/
With offices in Crystal Falls, Iron River, and Florence, Michigan, the independently owned and operated real estate agency is affiliated with RE/MAX, and offering real estate services to buyers and sellers in the Central Upper Peninsula and Northeast Wisconsin area. Available properties are displayed on an interactive map, featured properties are highlighted, and real estate listings may also be found through a search on the desired location or MLS number. Contacts are provided.
https://remaxnorthcountryup.com/
Situated along US Highway 2, the Crystal Falls, Michigan physical therapy clinic was founded by Nicki Price, who specializes in providing treatment for headaches, neck and lower back pain, and other orthopedic conditions, as well as concussion management and sports therapy. The location of the clinic, its hours of operation, office telephone and fax numbers, email address, and social media links are set forth, along with testimonials, patient forms, payment options, and insurances accepted.
https://xperiencephysicaltherapy.com/
