Ishpeming, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Ishpeming is a city in Marquette County
in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 6,686 at the 2000 census
. This is down from a higher population in the 1950s and 1960s when the economically supportive iron ore mines had a much higher employment level. Ishpeming Township
is located to the northwest of the city but is administratively autonomous.
Ishpeming is considered the birthplace of organized skiing
in the United States and is the home to the National Ski Hall of Fame
. The city was also prominently featured in the 2010 documentary Catfish
.
The name Ishpeming comes from the Anishinaabe language ishpiming, meaning "on top" or "from above" or "upon high." Ishpeming, in the Ojibwa
dialect of the Anishinaabe language, also means "Heaven". A statue of a Native American figure has stood in the small town square since 1884 and is referred to as "Old Ish".
, the city has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.8 km²), of which, 8.7 square miles (22.5 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (6.16%) is water. Ishpeming's elevation is 1436 feet (437.7 m) above mean sea level, which is over 800 feet (243.8 m) higher than that of nearby Lake Superior. The highlands of Ishpeming and the surrounding area, including the city of Negaunee to its east, receive an unusually high yearly average of lake effect snow
.
of 2000, there were 6,686 people, 2,915 households, and 1,757 families residing in the city. The population density
was 769.8 per square mile (297.1/km²). There were 3,210 housing units at an average density of 369.6 per square mile (142.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.29% White, 0.06% Black, 1.20% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.27% from other races
, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population. 25.5% were of Finnish, 14.4% Italian
, 14.1% English
, 12.4% French
, 7.3% German
, 5.7% Swedish and 5.1% Irish
ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.8% spoke English
and 1.9% Finnish
as their first language.
There were 2,915 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,347, and the median income for a family was $38,924. Males had a median income of $36,310 versus $21,104 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,946. About 8.0% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line
, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
area, is served by Sawyer International Airport
with trips to Chicago
, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis.
Marquette has a bus system called the "MarqTran
" that runs through Ishpeming and also to nearby places such as Sawyer International Airport & Negaunee
.
Until 1971, the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad ran its Peninsula 400 to Ishpemiing from Chicago. In its last days, the train consisted of one engine and one bi-level passenger car.
, easterly toward Marquette
and southeast to Escanaba
. travels westerly toward Wakefield
and east to Marquette.
consisting of:
In the adjacent Ishpeming Township, the N.I.C.E. Community Schools
consists of
Marquette County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Hiawatha National Forest * Huron National Wildlife Refuge* Ottawa National Forest -University:Northern Michigan University is a four-year university, established in 1899, located in Marquette, Michigan, on Michigan's Upper Peninsula...
in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The population was 6,686 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. This is down from a higher population in the 1950s and 1960s when the economically supportive iron ore mines had a much higher employment level. Ishpeming Township
Ishpeming Township, Michigan
Ishpeming Township is a civil township of Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,522 at the 2000 census.- Communities :...
is located to the northwest of the city but is administratively autonomous.
Ishpeming is considered the birthplace of organized skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
in the United States and is the home to the National Ski Hall of Fame
National Ski Hall of Fame
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum is located in the City of Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States...
. The city was also prominently featured in the 2010 documentary Catfish
Catfish (film)
Catfish is a 2010 American documentary involving a young man being filmed by his brother and friend as he builds a romantic relationship with a young woman on the social networking website Facebook.-Plot:...
.
The name Ishpeming comes from the Anishinaabe language ishpiming, meaning "on top" or "from above" or "upon high." Ishpeming, in the Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
dialect of the Anishinaabe language, also means "Heaven". A statue of a Native American figure has stood in the small town square since 1884 and is referred to as "Old Ish".
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.8 km²), of which, 8.7 square miles (22.5 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (6.16%) is water. Ishpeming's elevation is 1436 feet (437.7 m) above mean sea level, which is over 800 feet (243.8 m) higher than that of nearby Lake Superior. The highlands of Ishpeming and the surrounding area, including the city of Negaunee to its east, receive an unusually high yearly average of lake effect snow
Lake effect snow
Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when cold winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, providing energy and picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the leeward shores...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,686 people, 2,915 households, and 1,757 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 769.8 per square mile (297.1/km²). There were 3,210 housing units at an average density of 369.6 per square mile (142.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.29% White, 0.06% Black, 1.20% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.27% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population. 25.5% were of Finnish, 14.4% Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, 14.1% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 12.4% French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, 7.3% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 5.7% Swedish and 5.1% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.8% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 1.9% Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
as their first language.
There were 2,915 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,347, and the median income for a family was $38,924. Males had a median income of $36,310 versus $21,104 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,946. About 8.0% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line
Poverty threshold
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country...
, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Ishpeming, which is part of the greater MarquetteMarquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
area, is served by Sawyer International Airport
Sawyer International Airport
Sawyer International Airport is a public airport located south of the central business district of Marquette, a city in Marquette County, Michigan, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Marquette County....
with trips to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis.
Marquette has a bus system called the "MarqTran
MarqTran
MarqTran is a public bus system operated out of Marquette, Michigan, USA. It provides basic transportation needs to people throughout Marquette County...
" that runs through Ishpeming and also to nearby places such as Sawyer International Airport & Negaunee
Negaunee, Michigan
Negaunee is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,576 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the southwest corner of Negaunee Township. The city is home to the Michigan Iron Industry Museum...
.
Until 1971, the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad ran its Peninsula 400 to Ishpemiing from Chicago. In its last days, the train consisted of one engine and one bi-level passenger car.
Highways
passes through the northern portion of Ishpeming, running westerly and northerly toward HoughtonHoughton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
, easterly toward Marquette
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
and southeast to Escanaba
Escanaba, Michigan
Escanaba is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, located in the banana belt on the state's Upper Peninsula. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 13,140, making it the third-largest city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie...
. travels westerly toward Wakefield
Wakefield, Michigan
Wakefield is a city in Gogebic County in the US state of Michigan. It is located in the western Upper Peninsula. The population was 1,851 at the 2010 census....
and east to Marquette.
-
BUS M-28M-28 Business (Ishpeming-Negaunee, Michigan)M-28 Business Route is a state trunkline highway serving as a business route that runs for through the downtown districts of Ishpeming and Negaunee in Michigan. The trunkline provides a marked route for traffic diverting from U.S. Highway 41 and M-28 through the two historic iron-mining...
serves the downtowns of both Negaunee and Ishpeming.
Historical events
- The movie Anatomy of a MurderAnatomy of a MurderAnatomy of a Murder is a 1959 American courtroom crime drama film. It was directed by Otto Preminger and adapted by Wendell Mayes from the best-selling novel of the same name written by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker under the pen name Robert Traver...
was filmed in Ishpeming and surrounding areas in 1959, based on the novel by Ishpeming native John D. VoelkerJohn D. VoelkerJohn D. Voelker , better known by his pen name Robert Traver, was an attorney, judge, and writer. He is best known as the author of the novel, Anatomy of a Murder published in 1958...
under the pen name Robert Traver. Extensive 50th Anniversary Celebrations are ongoing throughout 2009. - The Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
played their first ever road game in Ishpeming on Oct. 19, 1919. The Packers won 33-0. - At the end of the 19th century almost one third of the population of Åtvidaberg MunicipalityÅtvidaberg MunicipalityÅtvidaberg Municipality is a municipality in Östergötland County in southeastern Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Åtvidaberg, with some 7,000 inhabitants....
in SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
emigrated to Ishpeming, as copperCopperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mines in the Åtvidaberg area closed down. In 1994 this was commemorated by a plaquette at the Mormorsgruvan mine of Åtvidaberg. - The National Ski Association, the forerunner of the present-day United States Ski and Snowboard AssociationUnited States Ski and Snowboard AssociationThe U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association is the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding. Founded in 1905, the century-old organization provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders from over 400 member clubs who share an Olympic...
, was founded in Ishpeming on February 21, 1905. The founder and president was local banker and skier, Carl TellefsenCarl TellefsenCarl Tellefsen was a Norwegian-American skiing champion and the first leader of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. -Background:Carl Tellefsen was born in Trondheim, Norway...
.
Notable people
- Clarence "Kelly" JohnsonClarence JohnsonClarence Leonard "Kelly" Johnson was an aircraft engineer and aeronautical innovator. As a member and first team leader of the Lockheed Skunk Works, Johnson worked for more than four decades and is said to have been an "organizing genius"...
(born 1910), aviation engineer - Glenn T. SeaborgGlenn T. SeaborgGlenn Theodore Seaborg was an American scientist who won the 1951 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for "discoveries in the chemistry of the transuranium elements", contributed to the discovery and isolation of ten elements, and developed the actinide concept, which led to the current arrangement of the...
(born 1912), Nobel prizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winning chemist - John D. VoelkerJohn D. VoelkerJohn D. Voelker , better known by his pen name Robert Traver, was an attorney, judge, and writer. He is best known as the author of the novel, Anatomy of a Murder published in 1958...
author under the pen name Robert Traver, and Michigan state Supreme Court Justice. - Tom IzzoTom IzzoTom Izzo is an American college basketball coach. Since 1995, he has been the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, presiding over a prolonged period of success....
Head Coach, Michigan State University Basketball. Head Coach, 1977 Ishpeming High School. - Da YoopersDa YoopersDa Yoopers is a traveling comedy show and musical group from Ishpeming, Mich. They are known primarily for their humorous songs and skits, most of which center around life in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan...
, band.
Points of interest
- Al Quaal Recreation Center
- Cliffs Shaft Mine MuseumCliffs Shaft Mine MuseumThe Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum is a former iron mine, now a heritage museum, located on Euclid Street between Lakeshore Drive and Spruce Street in Ishpeming, Michigan. The museum, operated by "Marquette Range Iron Mining Heritage Theme Park Inc.", celebrates the history of the Marquette Iron Range...
, commemorating the history of mining on the Marquette Iron RangeMarquette Iron RangeThe Marquette Iron Range is a deposit of iron ore located in Marquette County, Michigan, largely in and around the towns of Ishpeming and Negaunee. It is a smaller counterpart of Minnesota's Mesabi Range. The iron ore of the Marquette Range has been mined continuously from 1847 until the present... - Jasper Knob, a bald topped hill composed entirely of jaspilite; a geological formation of the Marquette Iron RangeMarquette Iron RangeThe Marquette Iron Range is a deposit of iron ore located in Marquette County, Michigan, largely in and around the towns of Ishpeming and Negaunee. It is a smaller counterpart of Minnesota's Mesabi Range. The iron ore of the Marquette Range has been mined continuously from 1847 until the present...
. - The Mather InnMather InnThe Mather Inn is a hotel in Ishpeming, Michigan. The inn served as housing for the cast of the classic 1959 movie Anatomy of a Murder, and was where Duke Ellington composed the movie's score. "Marquette, Michigan remembers 'Anatomy of a Murder,'" Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Nov. 7, 2008...
- National Ski Hall of FameNational Ski Hall of FameThe U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum is located in the City of Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States...
- Old Ish Statue
- Suicide Hill Ski JumpSuicide Hill Ski JumpSuicide Hill Ski Jump is located in Negaunee, Michigan, and is part of the Ishpeming Ski Club.- HS 96 :*Scaffold Height: 140 ft*Hill Size: HS 96*K-point: 90 meters*Angle of take-off: 11.5 degrees*Landing angle: 36.5 degrees...
Education
Ishpeming Public School District No. 1Ishpeming Public School District No. 1
Ishpeming Public School District is a public school district located in Ishpeming, Michigan The district is composed of two elementary schools , one middle school Ishpeming Public School District is a public school district located in Ishpeming, Michigan The district is composed of two elementary...
consisting of:
- Ishpeming High School: The school nickname is the HematiteHematiteHematite, also spelled as haematite, is the mineral form of iron oxide , one of several iron oxides. Hematite crystallizes in the rhombohedral system, and it has the same crystal structure as ilmenite and corundum...
s, after the iron ore mined in the city. - Ishpeming Middle School (Formally C.L. Phelps)
- Birchview Elementary School
In the adjacent Ishpeming Township, the N.I.C.E. Community Schools
N.I.C.E. Community Schools
NICE Community School District is a public school district located in Ishpeming, Michigan; the acronym "NICE" stands for the communities they serve -- National Mine, Ishpeming Township, Champion – Humboldt – Spurr Townships and Ely Township.The district is currently composed of one elementary...
consists of
- Westwood High School: Mascot - Patriots
- Aspen Ridge Middle School: Mascot - Patriots
- Aspen Ridge Elemetary School: Mascot - Patriots
Places of worship
- Bethany Lutheran Church
- Bethel Lutheran Church
- Bible Baptist Church
- Good News Assembly of God
- Grace Episcopal Church
- Hope Free Evangelical Lutheran Church
- St. John the Evangelist Catholic ChurchSt. John the Evangelist Catholic ChurchSt. John the Evangelist Church is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette and was the first Catholic Church to be built in Ishpeming, Michigan.-History:...
- St. Joseph Catholic Church
- Trinity Lutheran Church
- United Evangelical Covenant Church
- Wesley United Methodist Church
- The Salvation Army
- Temple Beth Sholom (ReformReform JudaismReform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
synagogueSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
)
Festivals and events
- Noquemanon Ski Marathon, January
- Ski jumpingSki jumpingSki jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
competition at Suicide Hill, February and March - National Ski Hall of FameNational Ski Hall of FameThe U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum is located in the City of Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States...
membership induction ceremonies - St. Rocco and St. Anthony Society of Ishpeming annual "Italian Fest", July
See also
- Iron OreIron Ore (newspaper)Iron Ore was a weekly newspaper published in Ishpeming, Michigan starting in 1886. Formed from the merger of two smaller papers, it lasted until 1951 when it merged with another local paper, the Reflector.- References :*...
, the city's weekly newspaper from 1886 to 1951.
Other sources
- Boyum, Burt and Jamie LaFreniere The Ishpeming Ski Club: Over a Century of Skiing (US National Ski and Hall of Fame Museum, 2003)