The City of Negaunee, Michigan is in Marquette County, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Negaunee borders on the city of Ishpeming to the west, by Ishpeming Township to the northwest, Negaunee Township to the north and east, and by both Tilden Township and Richmond Township to the south. Most of the city is in Negaunee Township, although it is administered autonomously.
US Highway 41 is the primary route to and from the city, and M-28 runs concurrently with US-41 as it passes through Negaunee. Other routes include Buffalo Road, Forge Road, Makinens Road, and County Road MA, each of which connects with M-35, which runs south and east of the city, providing an alternate route to Escanaba, as well as access to K.I. Sawyer. M-28 runs west toward Wakefield and east to Marquette, while Bus. M-28 passes through the downtown districts of both Negaunee and Ishpeming.
The adjacent city of Ishpeming, and the city of Marquette, eleven miles east-northeast, are the only incorporated cities or villages within twenty-five miles of Negaunee. The unincorporated communities of Eagle Mills, National Mine, and North Lake are within ten miles.
Teal Lake, along with some smaller bodies of water, are within the city limits of Negaunee, and several lakes are in the surrounding region. Situated immediately north of Highway 41/28, Teal Lake is a 466-acre walleye, yellow perch, and smallmouth bass fishery, which also has crappie and a large population of white suckers. The use of gasoline engines is prohibited in the lake.
Lake Miller and Gunpowder Lake are mostly within the city limits, in the southwest.
Like many other Upper Peninsula communities, Negaunee had its origins as a mining town. European-American settlement of the area began when the Jackson Iron Company brought workers to work the Jackson Mine.
The Jackson Mine was an open-pit iron mine, and the first iron mine in the Lake Superior region. Situated in what is now Negaunee, the Jackson Mine was designated as a Michigan State Historic Site in 1956 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
The Jackson Iron Company established an iron forge in Negaunee, constructing the Carp River Forge in 1847. However, after several problems, the company ceased operating the forge on the Carp River and leased it out, utilizing the Marquette Forge. In 1857, the company built the Pioneer Furnace on its property, and the furnace operations brought an additional influx of workers to the area.
The town arose mostly around the furnace site, with many of the early settlers being immigrants. A post office was established on January 21, 1858, with Edward C. Hunderford as postmaster. Originally spelled Neganee, the spelling was changed to Negaunee on February 11, 1858.
Two townsites were platted in 1865, both by J.P. Pendill and the Pioneer Company. The first townsite was platted as Iron, while the second was called Negaunee. Together these two plats, along with part of the Jackson Mining Company land, were incorporated as the village of Negaunee in 1865, and as a city in 1873. The name is an Ojibwa word that loosely translates as "pioneer."
Due to the extensive underground mining operations, about half of the city was abandoned in the early 1900s due to an increased risk of a cave-in. The city's trolley system was closed in 1927, and all mining operations within the city limits were stopped in the 1940s.
With the exception of 1940, Negaunee's population has declined each census year since 1910. With a peak population of 8,460 in 1910, the city's current population is just over 4,500. In recent years, the city has strived to regain its viability by reopening the "caving grounds" to the public, renaming it Old Towne, and allowing people to tour the sites of historic family homes and view mining artifacts. These efforts have slowed the rate of decline.
Interestingly, Negaunee is the smallest city to have ever hosted one of the four major North American professional sports when an NBA game was held in Negaunee on January 16, 1952. The Milwaukee Hawks beat the Baltimore Bullets 77 to 71.
The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is situated near the Carp River, and the city hosts Pioneer Days each year during the week following July 4.
Negaunee is also home to the only full-length, natural-track luge course in the United States. Operated by the Upper Peninsula Luge Club, the track features twenty curves along its 88-meter vertical drop. A section near the finish line is open to public sliding in the winter, using club equipment.
Suicide Hill Ski Jump, a ski jump training facility for the Ishpeming Ski Club, is located in Negaunee.
Heritage Trail passes through the city, providing a place for visitors to walk, hike, and snowmobile through Old Town Negaunee, and around some of the collapsed mines. The Negaunee section of the trail also includes a disc golf course.
Recommended Resources
Bethany Lutheran Church / Emanuel Lutheran Church
The site features two cooperating congregations, the former in Negaunee and the latter in Skandia, Michigan, both of which are affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Photos of each are provided, along with worship schedules, the history of each of the churches, an introduction to its group ministries, photo galleries, addresses, maps, office telephone numbers, email addresses, and contacts for the pastor. Video presentations are also provided.
https://www.be-lutheran.org/
The independent Baptist congregation meets at its facilities on Iroquois Drive in Negaunee, Michigan. Featured is a statement of beliefs, mission statement, and an introduction to the pastor and staff, as well as service times, and a calendar of upcoming programs and events. A sermon archive requires a login to the private portion of the site. The church's address, telephone number, email address, and a contact form are included. Bible verses and announcements are posted on the site.
https://www.cbcnegaunee.com/
A product of the Marquette Iron Range, Negaunee became a city in 1873. The official municipal website features a municipal calendar, notices of city projects, council meeting agendas and minutes, ordinances, bylaws, plans, and various applications. Election information and an overview of city services, programs, and facilities are included, along with a guide to local civic organizations, attractions, and events. A guide to city organizations and businesses is included.
https://www.cityofnegaunee.com/
Located south of the Iron Ore Mining Museum on County Road 492, the site includes a history of the cemetery, demographics, a cemetery map, and an overview of the site's recognition and support. Instructions on how to read a burial location are provided, and the database table of persons interred in the cemetery may be downloaded. It loads in alphabetical order but can be sorted by other variables, as well. The personal history of the site's creation is also provided on the site.
https://negauneeburialrecords.com/
The non-profit organization operates the Negaunee Historical Society Museum on East Main Street, Negaunee, Michigan, which is housed in a home built for Antoine Barabe in the late 1870s, on land that was once the site of the Catholic cemetery. The building passed through several hands, including the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company and American Legion Post #66, before being acquired by the Historical Society, which opened the museum in 1990. Directions, hours, and tour information are included.
https://negauneehistory.org/
Founded in 1955, the Negaunee, Michigan Lions Club is part of Lions Clubs International, a worldwide organization whose members volunteer their time and energy toward local and world humanitarian causes. Meeting at the VFW Hall in Negaunee, a map shows the location of its meeting place, meeting schedules are provided, and a membership list is included. The club's projects are highlighted, a photo gallery is displayed, and contact data is provided, along with a contact form.
https://www.negauneelions.com/
Offering a K-12th-grade curriculum, the public school district operates Lakeview Elementary School (K-4), Negaunee Middle School (5-8), Negaunee High School (9-12), and Irontown Virtual School (6-12), each of which is featured here, including school schedules, bulletins, staff and faculty contacts, and student handbooks, as well as bus schedules, registration dates and online services, school profiles, and various parent resources. Information about Schools of Choice applications is included.
https://negaunee.k12.mi.us/
