Dollar Bay, Michigan is an unincorporated community in southwestern Osceola Township, extending west into Franklin Township as far as Goat Hill Road, and south into Torch Lake Township.
Recently included as a census-designated place, Dollar Bay has defined borders, although the Dollar Bay post office serves a larger area.
Situated in Houghton County, Dollar Bay gets its name from the small inlet of Portage Lake, the body of water that separates the Keweenaw Peninsula from the remainder of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is across the bay from the City of Houghton and Michigan Technological University.
M-26 (Royce Road) is the chief route through the community. Others include Airport Park Road, Coal Dock Road, Engman's Road, Goat Hill Road, and Upper Port Mills Road. Incorporated municipalities nearby include Hancock, Houghton, Lake Linden, Calumet, and Laurium, and the surrounding unincorporated communities include Ripley, Mason, Quincy Mill, Franklin, Paavola, Point Mills, Tamarack City, Hubbell, Pilgrim, Osceola, Tamarack, West Tamarack, Bootjack, and Dreamland.
The community is centered along the northern shores of the bay, with Portage Lake to the south, and Torch Lake to the northeast. As it is on the southern Keweenaw Peninsula, portions of Lake Superior are to the northwest and the southeast. Originally known as Clark, Dollar Bay began as a lumbering town, although fur trading and copper mining were conducted nearby as early as 1846. These industries brought immigrants from Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Slovenia, and Sweden.
Beginning around 1846, timber surveyors acquired large tracts of virgin timber along Portage Lake. However, mining was also a part of the settlement's beginnings. The Dollar Bay Land and Improvement Company was created by officials of the Tamarack and Osceola Mines. Originally, the mining company built ten log houses, some of which are still standing, although they have been added to and changed substantially. These ten homes were occupied by settlers in July of 1887. The Hancock & Calumet Railroad extended its line to Dollar Bay to serve the mining operations, establishing a station there. This later became the Mineral Range Railroad. A copper rolling mill was built in 1887 by the Tamarack-Osceola Manufacturing Company, but the manufacture of sheet copper was unsuccessful as a business venture. A post office was established at A.M. Schulte & Company, a grocery, meat market, and dry goods store, at Dollar Bay on February 2, 1888, with Frank Naun as postmaster.
Soon, a sawmill was established, followed by a wire mill. A smelter was built and consolidated with one in Hancock as the Lake Superior Smelting Company. Other than the copper produced by the Calumet & Hecla mines, most of the copper smelted in the region for several years was smelted by the Lake Superior Smelting Company. During this period, Dollar Bay had a population of more than two thousand people.
Dollar Bay was platted in 1899 and named Village of Clark, in honor of Joseph Clark, president of the Clark Bigelow Syndicate, which was responsible for building the Tamarack & Osceola Mines. As there was a post office in Marquette County by the name of Clarkville, the post office's name was changed to Dollar Bay to avoid confusion.
Following World War I, the Calumet & Hecla Consolidated Copper Company acquired the property of the Lake Superior Smelting Company, and closed the smelter in Dollar Bay. The properties of the Dollar Bay Land and Improvement Company were acquired by John A. Roebling Sons of New Jersey, which operated the wire mill until its closure during the Great Depression. The sawmill was sold to the Dollar Bay Lumber Company, which operated it during the depression. In 1930, the Horner Flooring Company Mill was built, offering work for several people during the depression. It expanded, employing as many as a hundred and thirty people, while the wire mill also resumed operations under a new name, Essex Wire. In 1939, the Copper Country Cheese Co-operative was organized and established a factory in Dollar Bay. The first school in Dollar Bay was built by the Dollar Bay Land and Improvement Company in 1888. Originally two rooms, it was soon enlarged to eight rooms, and a high school was built in 1914.
Now that the timber and the mines are gone, due to its proximity to Lake Superior and several other lakes and bodies of water, Dollar Bay is popular as a summer resort and for year-round outdoor recreation. Although platted, the village has never been incorporated.
Recommended Resources
In business for more than thirty-five years, the third-generation family business manufactures products for those who are interested in building a do-it-yourself sauna, including the ILO sauna heater, the Mighty Mite workstation, and other components, as well as diagrams, instructions, and helpful hints for building a sauna. A profile of the Dollar Bay, Michigan company is featured, along with its postal address, telephone and fax numbers, and email.
http://www.alfabricating.com/
Offering full tree removal services, including hauling, stump grinding, and branch cleaning services, as well as emergency services, the company is based in Dollar Bay, Michigan. Its services and service areas are discussed, its office location is posted, along with a map. It's business hours, the office telephone number and a contact form are included. Other resources include client testimonials, and a blog discussing various topics related to arborist services.
http://anytreeremovalsvc.com/
The Dollar Bay, Michigan congregation meets at its facilities on Main Street. A schedule of weekly services and a full calendar of events are posted on the site, and information on what to expect at its services, a statement of beliefs, church membership policies, and its positions on baptism, communion, and the gospel are presented. Bible study and other educational opportunities are presented, and its leadership is introduced, with contact data.
https://bbcinchrist.org/
Maintained by the Dollar Bay Community Leaders Organization, the site features a profile of the community, a calendar of events, links to Houghton County government websites, and a directory of local schools, churches, medical facilities, and organizations. The history of Dollar Bay is told by Lydia I. Holmes, and a directory of hotels, motels, and other guest accommodations in the area, as well as restaurants, bakeries, and bars, is included.
http://dollarbaymi.weebly.com/
Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Area Schools
Headquartered in Dollar Bay, Michigan, DB-TC is a public school system that offers a PK-12th-grade curriculum on one campus. Contacts for its elementary, middle school and high school faculty and support staff are posted, along with a school calendar, employment opportunities, and announcements. Other resources include a parent-student handbook, an overview of its academic and athletics programs, announcements, and alumni programs.
http://www.dollarbay.k12.mi.us/
Headquartered in Dollar Bay, Michigan, Horner Flooring has been in business since 1891, the year that the game of basketball was created by Dr. James Naismith, and is the oldest member of the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association. The company designs and builds sport floor systems that are used in school gymnasiums, NBA teams, and Olympic competitions, including wood and synthetic systems. Its site features product support and educational material.
http://www.hornerflooring.com/
Situated on State Highway M-26, the Dollar Bay, Michigan congregation is congregational and independent in its local church government, governed by elders who are locally selected, and served by deacons who are approved by the congregation. A statement of beliefs and practices is put forth, and its Sunday worship schedules and adult Sunday School programs are featured, along with contacts and a map showing the location of the church.
http://www.peninsulachristianchurch.org/
Ward’s Outdoor Equipment & Repair
The family-owned business in Dollar Bay, Michigan carries chainsaws and other outdoor power products, parts, and services, catering to homeowners, farmers, and commercial companies. Directions and a map show the location of the business, its hours of operation, and contacts are put forth. New models and inventory are highlighted, with photos and details of each, and quotes may be requested by phone or online. A parts finder is featured, and its services are outlined.
https://www.wardspower.com/
