Pelkie, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Pelkie is an unincorporated community
in Baraga County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The community is on the Sturgeon River
in the northeast part of Baraga Township
at 46°48′48"N 88°38′11"W.
Pelkie was settled by French Canadian
woodsmen in about 1885, and was first known as "King's Landing" and was renamed Pelkie after an early settler. Finns who settled there initially called the place Kyrö
, after the place they came from in Finland
. The name became Kuro after a railroad was built through the area. The precise name of the early settler is unknown. Because many Finns settled in the area, the Finnish name Pelkinen has been suggested as the original. However, the name may also have been derived from a former French-Canadian settler. It was a station on the Michigan Central Railroad
, and a post office was established on April 30, 1903. The Pelkie ZIP code
49958 serves areas in the north and northwest of Baraga Township
in Baraga County, as well as an area of northeast Laird Township, southwest Elm River Township, and southern Portage Township
in Houghton County
.
on July 19, 1984.
The Historic Pelkie Grade School museum, constructed in 1909, is the only one-room schoolhouse still standing in Baraga County, and is listed on the State Register of Historic Sites on June 10, 1980. The building was used as a school until 1932, then as a town hall, and underwent restoration beginning in 1979. The museum also houses a horse-drawn school bus.
Today, Pelkie is home to the Baraga County Fair, which is held every year on the second weekend in August. The community's primary economic activity is dairy farming, and most of the milk is shipped to processors in Wisconsin.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Baraga County
Baraga County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 8,746 people, 3,353 households, and 2,223 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 4,631 housing units...
in 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 community is on the Sturgeon River
Sturgeon River (Michigan)
Sturgeon River may refer to any of the following streams in the U.S. state of Michigan:* Sturgeon River — The Sturgeon River rises as outflow of Sixteenmile Lake in Alger County at and flows primarily southward into the Big Bay de Noc at .** The West Branch Sturgeon River rises at and flows...
in the northeast part of Baraga Township
Baraga Township, Michigan
Baraga Township is a civil township of Baraga County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,542. The village of Baraga is located in the southeast corner of the township.-Communities:...
at 46°48′48"N 88°38′11"W.
Pelkie was settled by French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
woodsmen in about 1885, and was first known as "King's Landing" and was renamed Pelkie after an early settler. Finns who settled there initially called the place Kyrö
Kyro
Kyro may refer to:* Karinainen* KYRO, a series of graphics chips made by PowerVR* KYRO , a radio station licensed to Potosi, Missouri, United States...
, after the place they came from in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The name became Kuro after a railroad was built through the area. The precise name of the early settler is unknown. Because many Finns settled in the area, the Finnish name Pelkinen has been suggested as the original. However, the name may also have been derived from a former French-Canadian settler. It was a station on the Michigan Central Railroad
Michigan Central Railroad
The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...
, and a post office was established on April 30, 1903. The Pelkie ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
49958 serves areas in the north and northwest of Baraga Township
Baraga Township, Michigan
Baraga Township is a civil township of Baraga County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,542. The village of Baraga is located in the southeast corner of the township.-Communities:...
in Baraga County, as well as an area of northeast Laird Township, southwest Elm River Township, and southern Portage Township
Portage Township, Houghton County, Michigan
Portage Township is a charter township of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,156. The city of Houghton is adjacent to the north side of the township...
in Houghton County
Houghton County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,016 people, 13,793 households, and 8,137 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 17,748 housing...
.
Historic sites
The Hanka Homestead Museum, located north of town, is a 400 acres (1.6 km²) farm which depicts rural Finnish-American life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on July 19, 1984.
The Historic Pelkie Grade School museum, constructed in 1909, is the only one-room schoolhouse still standing in Baraga County, and is listed on the State Register of Historic Sites on June 10, 1980. The building was used as a school until 1932, then as a town hall, and underwent restoration beginning in 1979. The museum also houses a horse-drawn school bus.
Today, Pelkie is home to the Baraga County Fair, which is held every year on the second weekend in August. The community's primary economic activity is dairy farming, and most of the milk is shipped to processors in Wisconsin.