Calumet, Michigan

Coordinates: 47°14′50″N 88°27′16″W / 47.24722°N 88.45444°W / 47.24722; -88.45444
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Calumet, Michigan
FIPS code
26-12580[3]
GNIS feature ID0622468[2]

Calumet (/ˌkæljuˈmɛt/ KAL-yuu-MET or locally /ˌkæljəˈmɛt/ KAL-yə-MET) is a village in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The village is located within Calumet Township, Houghton County, and had a population of 621 at the 2020 census.

Calumet was once the center of Michigan's copper mining industry. The village is home to a unit of Keweenaw National Historical Park, and also includes the Calumet Downtown Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Most of the village itself is also included within the Calumet Historic District, a larger area which is NRHP-listed and which is a National Historic Landmark District.

History

Fifth Street, looking north, Red Jacket circa 1910
View of Calumet & Hecla Company town circa 1910

What is now Calumet was settled in 1864, originally under the name of

Seneca tribe. Until 1895 the name "Calumet" was used by the nearby town of Laurium, Michigan; present-day Calumet was not legally named so until 1929.[4]

Red Jacket grew due to the copper mines in the area. It was incorporated as a town in 1867. The copper mines were particularly rich; the Boston-based

farming. Many immigrants (from Poland and other countries) settled there in the late 19th century.[6]

The victims in rough caskets, 1913

By 1900, Red Jacket had a population of 4,668, and

Italian Hall Disaster. Striking miners and their families were gathered on Christmas Eve for a party in Italian Hall, when the cry of "fire" precipitated a stampede that crushed or suffocated seventy-three victims, the majority of them children. The identity of the person(s) who started the stampede has never been determined. Folk singer Woody Guthrie's 1945 song, "1913 Massacre
", is based on this event.

Loss of wartime demand caused the copper price to drop following

automobile
industry was booming.

During the Great Depression, almost all mines were shut down. As a result, many miners and their families left to find work. In 1950, the population of Calumet was 1,256 people. Small-time mining continued in the area, particularly during World War II, until it was shut down completely by a labor strike in 1968.

In 1984, Calumet's name was borrowed by Hollywood. Calumet was moved from Michigan to Colorado, where it was invaded by Soviet paratroopers in the original Red Dawn film. Producer and screenwriter Kevin Reynolds was seasonal resident in the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Calumet c. 1900 from east (Oak Street in foreground; note the twin steeples of St. Paul's in right center)

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.20 square miles (0.52 km2), all of it land.[7]

Calumet is at an elevation of 1,209 feet (369 m) above sea level. The village of Calumet sits on 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of underground mine shafts, drifts and stopes, empty for many decades. Large portions of the Keweenaw National Historical Park are located inside the village limits, mostly covering the intricate complex of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company's main operations.

Transportation

Major highways

  • US 41 passes just outside village limits, and serves as a primarily southwest–northeast route on Copper Island. The highway can be used to access Hancock and Houghton about 10 miles (16 km) to the southwest, and further on to cities like Marquette and Escanaba. Immediately southeast of Calumet is an intersection with M-26, which can be used to access Laurium and Lake Linden.
  • M-203 passes immediately north of the village. The route is a primarily recreational route, providing access to McLain State Park and the Keweenaw Waterway between Calumet and Hancock.

Airport

Houghton County Memorial Airport (KCMX), largely in nearby Oneco, serves Calumet, Houghton County and the surrounding communities.

Train

Calumet was host to a number of railroad routes, including:

People and culture

Food

One of the biggest parts of the food culture of not only Calumet, but the entire Copper Country, is the pasty. This was a main part of copper miners' diets. A pasty is a mixture of meat, potatoes, rutabaga, carrots and onions wrapped in a crust made of flour and lard. Traditionally Cornish, they have even sparked local events such as the Pasty Fest, where there are eating contests (with consumption of pasties, of course), games, events, and even a tug of war event where the losers take a dive into an inflatable pool filled with ketchup.

Theatre

The historic Calumet Theatre, opened on March 20, 1900.

The

public radio stations including Interlochen Public Radio and WNMU Public Radio 90.[12]

Summer activities

Every two years there is an all-school reunion for the graduates of Calumet High School. Many activities occur at this time, including a classic car show and parade.[13]

Classic cars seen in a parade in Calumet Township.

Pasty Fest is a one-day event that takes place every summer downtown Calumet. The event celebrates the pasty, which was brought over by Cornish miners in the mid 1800s. The meat and vegetable "pie" became a staple for miners throughout the Upper Peninsula. The event includes a parade, street fair, live music, a pasty eating contest and a competition among restaurants for the best pasty.[14][15]

Public education

Public education in Calumet is served by Public Schools of Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw.[16] High school education is served by Calumet High School, whose teams are known as the "Copper Kings".[17][18]

Churches

St. Paul the Apostle Church

St. Paul the Apostle Church

St. Paul the Apostle Church, formerly known as St. Joseph's Catholic Church, was formed in 1889 by Slovenian immigrants who came to the Calumet area to work in the booming copper mines. The first church that they built burnt down in 1902, but the church was rebuilt in sandstone by 1908.

Jacobsville sandstone, and features beautiful stained glass windows, a custom-built 19’ by 18’ pipe organ, and a beautifully painted interior. The interior of the church remains virtually unchanged architecturally.[22] In 1966, four of the five Catholic churches in the Calumet area were forced to merge because of the low number of parishioners and economic constraints. This included St. Anne's (the French church), St. John's (the Croatian church), St. Mary's (the Italian church), and St. Joseph's. The combined parish is housed in the old St. Joseph's building, and has changed its name to St. Paul the Apostle Church.[23] Today, they have a large and active congregation, which pays for the upkeep of the church.[24]

Protestant churches

The city, at one time, Calumet had six active Lutheran churches (two of which were

Laestadian
), three Methodist churches, as well as an Episcopal, Congregationalist, Baptist and Presbyterian church.

Today, only one Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, and Episcopal church remain open. Additionally, another Baptist church has opened. Two of the former Lutheran churches and the Presbyterian church are still standing today but are not in use.[25]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18802,140—
18903,07343.6%
19004,66851.9%
19104,211−9.8%
19202,390−43.2%
19301,557−34.9%
19401,400−10.1%
19501,256−10.3%
19601,139−9.3%
19701,007−11.6%
19801,0130.6%
1990830−18.1%
20008795.9%
2010726−17.4%
2020621−14.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[26]

2010 census

As of the

Latino
of any race were 2.5% of the population.

There were 376 households, out of which 21.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.4% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 57.2% were non-families. 48.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93 and the average family size was 2.78.

The median age in the village was 40.4 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

Census 2000. 95.7% spoke English, 3.0% Spanish and 1.2% Finnish
as their first language.

There were 387 households, out of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 19.9% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.6% were non-families. 58.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 20.0% under the age of 18, 24.8% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $17,404, and the median income for a family was $22,750. Males had a median income of $21,667 versus $18,125 for females. The

poverty line
, including 50.5% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.

Elections

Presidential Elections Results[28]
Year Republican Democratic
Third Parties
2016 53.31% 137 36.96% 95 9.73% 25
2012 48.46% 110 49.34% 112 2.2% 5
2008 44% 110 52.8% 132 3.2% 8

Attractions

Some of the notable attractions in the village include:

Notable people

Gallery

  • Looking down historic Fifth Street within the Village of Calumet in 2017
    Looking down historic Fifth Street within the Village of Calumet in 2017
  • The Calumet Theater on 6th Street in 2004.
    The Calumet Theater on 6th Street in 2004.
  • Downtown Calumet, including one of the historic wooden churches
    Downtown Calumet, including one of the historic wooden churches
  • The site of the now-razed Italian Hall. This was the site of the Italian Hall disaster, one of the most tragic events in American labour history and the climax of a bloody, tense strike. The event changed the Keweenaw forever.
    The site of the now-razed
    a bloody, tense strike. The event changed the Keweenaw
    forever.
  • The Village of Calumet in 2016.
    The Village of Calumet in 2016.
  • The Miscowaubik Club of Calumet in 2011.
    The Miscowaubik Club of Calumet in 2011.
  • Calumet Colosseum, the world's oldest operating indoor ice arena.
    Calumet Colosseum, the world's oldest operating indoor ice arena.
  • Christmas window display at the Keweenaw Storytelling Center, Calumet, Michigan
    Christmas window display at the Keweenaw Storytelling Center, Calumet, Michigan
  • Keweenaw Storytelling Center located on 5th Street in Calumet, Michigan (2020)
    Keweenaw Storytelling Center located on 5th Street in Calumet, Michigan (2020)
  • 6th Street Calumet looking North.
    6th Street Calumet looking North.
  • Interior of the Calumet Theatre on 6th street.
    Interior of the Calumet Theatre on 6th street.

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Calumet, Michigan
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "MTU Digital Archive".
  5. ^ Horace J. Stevens (1902) The Copper Handbook, v.2, Houghton, Mich.: Horace J. Stevens, p.1457,1466.
  6. ^ "The Polish Pioneers of Calumet, Michigan". calumetmi.blogspot.com.
  7. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 20, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  8. ^
    ISBN 0-9722292-0-5
    .
  9. ^
    ISBN 978-0-979-1772-1-7
    .
  10. ^ "History of the Calumet Theatre". Archived from the original on June 22, 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2007.
  11. ^ Michigan Single Properties Finding Aid. File Unit: National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: Michigan, 1964 - 2013.
  12. ^ "RED JACKET JAMBOREE".
  13. ^ "all school reunion". Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
  14. ^ "Copper Country Festival Weekend: Pasty rules in Calumet | News, Sports, Jobs - The Mining Gazette". www.mininggazette.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2018.
  15. ISBN 978-1-4930-2635-7
    .
  16. ^ "CLK Schools". www.clkschools.org. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  17. ^ "CLK Schools". www.clkschools.org. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  18. ^ "Calumet High School". calumetathletics.org. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  19. ^ St. Joseph’s Church of Calumet, Michigan. (1965). "Diamond Jubilee St. Joseph's Church Calumet, Michigan". History of St. Joseph's Parish. pp. 16–18.
  20. ^ "St. Joseph's Golden Jubilee - Calumet, Michigan". Copper Country Online Files. 1940. pp. 16–28. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  21. ISBN 978-0-19-509379-7
    .
  22. ^ St. Paul the Apostle Church pamphlet Taken from the information center in the back of St. Paul the Apostle church.
  23. ^ "Diocese of Marquette". www.dioceseofmarquette.org.
  24. ^ Yarbrough, Edward (1996). Church Architecture in the Calumet – Laurium Settlement Area, MI: A study of ethno-religious forms, regional building material, social history, and preservation issues (Thesis). University of Oregon. p. 49.
  25. ^ "The Churches of Copper Country". Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  26. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  27. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  28. ^ "Creating a National Precinct Map – Decision Desk HQ". Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  29. ^ "Copper Country Associated Artists – Fine Art Gallery, Studio, Workshop located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the historic village of Calumet". Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  30. ^ "Copper Country Firefighters History Museum". www.keweenawheritagesites.org. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  31. ^ "National Historic Landmarks Program (NHL)". October 29, 2011. Archived from the original on October 29, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2019.

External links

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