Calumet, August 15, 2018

We spent our final day in the Copper Country exploring history in Calumet at the Keweenaw National Historical Park, which is a unique national park. It’s a collaborative effort between public and private entities and includes historic sites around the Keweenaw. The main visitor center for the park is located in Calumet. For history buffs, it’s a fascinating place.

We spent two hours walking around and viewing exhibits, where I learned about the dark side of the Calumet & Hecla (C&H) copper mining company, which began in 1865. Mining brought rapid expansion to the area, and, by the end of the century, Calumet and its suburbs were home to over 30,000 people.

Unfortunately, C&H controlled all aspects of the life of the community, from the school’s curriculum to the community’s access to healthcare.

The workers were paid shockingly low wages, and the mines regulated nearly all aspects of their lives, leading Calumet to become the site of a famous strike effort in 1913. On Christmas Eve of that winter, the workers experienced the tragedy known as the Italian Hall Disaster, which many have speculated was orchestrated by allies of the mine managers.

Soon after this time, copper prices began to drop as mines in the western United States brought increased pressures to the market, and by the 1930’s, most mines had closed, and the population has been declining since. In 2016, Calumet’s population was 706, as listed by the US Census.

Calumet’s former greatness is obvious from the many beautiful historic buildings.

However, its decline is also obvious, as many unkempt buildings share downtown space alongside the beautifully restored gems.

Calumet, like so many other UP towns, desperately needs to make an economic recovery.