Houghton, Michigan
Houghton, Michigan
Gakiiwe-onigamiing (Ojibwe) | ||
---|---|---|
City of Houghton | ||
FIPS code 26-39360[3] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 0628661[2] | |
Website | Official website |
Houghton (
The city of Houghton was named for
History
Native Americans
Many
The last nearby mines closed in the late 1960s, but a school founded in 1885 by the
The first known European settler of Houghton was named
William W. Henderson was appointed the first postmaster of Houghton in 1852.[citation needed]
In 1854, Ernest F. Pletschke platted Houghton, and was incorporated as a village in 1861.[12][13] In Houghton's first days it was said that "only thieves, crooks, murderers and Indians" lived there.[citation needed] The postwar boom and increasing demand for copper wiring fueled the development of Houghton in the 1860s and 1870s.[13]
Houghton gained in importance as a port with the opening of the
1909 saw the founding of what would later become Portage Lake District Library.
During the bitter
Houghton was the birthplace of professional ice hockey in the United States when the
Houghton was incorporated as a city in 1970.[15]
In the winter of 2001, Houghton was the site of one of the first
Philatelic history
On October 28, 2002, the first day of issue ceremony was held in Houghton for the "snowman stamps" issued by the United States Postal Service.[17]
One of the 2006 United States Postal Service snowflake stamps ("photographed in Houghton by Caltech physicist
A
Geography
The city is located on the south shore of the
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.69 square miles (12.15 km2), of which 4.45 square miles (11.53 km2) is land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km2) is water.[20]
In the
The Portage Lift Bridge spans Portage Lake, which is part of the river and canal system that crosses the entire peninsula, connecting Hancock and Houghton. The bridge, which provides 100 feet (30 m) of vertical clearance for ships when open, is the world's heaviest and widest double-decked vertical lift bridge. Since rail traffic was discontinued in the Keweenaw, the lower deck is used to accommodate snowmobile traffic in the winter. The bridge provides the only link between the north and south sections of the Keweenaw peninsula.[24]
Climate
Houghton has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) but the (typically) long and snowy (due to lake-effect snow, with an average of 218 inches or 5.54 metres)[25] winters make the city feel as though it is in a climate much farther north. It holds the distinction of having the third-most (behind Duluth and International Falls in Minnesota) maxima below 32 °F (0 °C) of any incorporated city in the contiguous US, with the top temperature failing to rise above freezing an average of 100.9 days per year.[26] It is sometimes said that Houghton has "two seasons: winter’s here and winter’s coming".[27]
While Houghton's winters may be the subject of humor, residents take the subject of snow and winter very seriously. Houghton is a Winter City—a community that accommodates winter, celebrates it, and whose residents generally enjoy the season by participating in a variety of outdoor activities. Among those activities are cross country skiing, snow-shoeing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, ice skating and outdoor ice hockey, among other activities. Houghton celebrates winter through the “Winter Carnival” organized by Michigan Tech every year in February.[28]
Houghton's summer climate tends to be especially pleasant, as hot temperatures are often moderated by the cool waters of nearby Lake Superior. The city's record high temperature of 102 °F (38.9 °C) was recorded July 7, 1988; this is the only day in the city's history with a temperature over 100 °F or 37.8 °C. Temperatures below 0 °F or −17.8 °C are also relatively infrequent due to the moderating effect of the lake, being reached only on 18.3 nights per year as against over fifty at International Falls. The coldest temperature on record is −30 °F (−34.4 °C), set on February 9, 1951. The heaviest monthly snow total was 119 inches (3.02 m) in December 1978; the winter of 1978–1979 saw 354.1 inches (8.99 m) of snow fall, making it the snowiest in 109 years of continuous records at the county airport (1891–2000). The greatest snow depth recorded was 73 inches (1.85 m) at the end of February 1937; in only two winters between 1891–1892 and 1999–2000 (1925–26 with 16 inches or 0.41 metres and 1932–33 with 19 inches or 0.48 metres) has the snow depth never reached at least two feet (24 inches or 0.61 metres).
Climate data for Houghton, Michigan (Houghton Co. Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1887–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 50 (10) |
60 (16) |
79 (26) |
88 (31) |
95 (35) |
99 (37) |
102 (39) |
98 (37) |
95 (35) |
86 (30) |
77 (25) |
64 (18) |
102 (39) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 37.8 (3.2) |
41.8 (5.4) |
53.7 (12.1) |
69.3 (20.7) |
83.1 (28.4) |
87.5 (30.8) |
88.4 (31.3) |
87.9 (31.1) |
82.4 (28.0) |
73.9 (23.3) |
56.2 (13.4) |
43.4 (6.3) |
91.5 (33.1) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 22.2 (−5.4) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
33.7 (0.9) |
45.7 (7.6) |
60.6 (15.9) |
70.5 (21.4) |
75.4 (24.1) |
74.1 (23.4) |
65.7 (18.7) |
51.5 (10.8) |
38.0 (3.3) |
27.7 (−2.4) |
49.1 (9.5) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.1 (−8.8) |
17.0 (−8.3) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
37.2 (2.9) |
50.2 (10.1) |
59.7 (15.4) |
65.0 (18.3) |
64.2 (17.9) |
56.4 (13.6) |
44.0 (6.7) |
32.0 (0.0) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
40.7 (4.8) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 10.0 (−12.2) |
9.3 (−12.6) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
39.7 (4.3) |
48.9 (9.4) |
54.7 (12.6) |
54.2 (12.3) |
47.2 (8.4) |
36.5 (2.5) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
16.2 (−8.8) |
32.3 (0.2) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −6.6 (−21.4) |
−8.8 (−22.7) |
−5.4 (−20.8) |
14.1 (−9.9) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
36.9 (2.7) |
44.4 (6.9) |
43.0 (6.1) |
32.3 (0.2) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
11.5 (−11.4) |
−1.6 (−18.7) |
−12.8 (−24.9) |
Record low °F (°C) | −29 (−34) |
−30 (−34) |
−23 (−31) |
−4 (−20) |
19 (−7) |
28 (−2) |
32 (0) |
34 (1) |
24 (−4) |
12 (−11) |
−7 (−22) |
−19 (−28) |
−30 (−34) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.61 (41) |
0.96 (24) |
1.23 (31) |
1.82 (46) |
2.69 (68) |
2.85 (72) |
2.85 (72) |
2.53 (64) |
3.39 (86) |
3.12 (79) |
1.94 (49) |
1.42 (36) |
26.41 (671) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 68.8 (175) |
30.9 (78) |
19.2 (49) |
7.8 (20) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
4.7 (12) |
22.2 (56) |
52.9 (134) |
207.7 (528) |
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 38 (97) |
37 (94) |
29 (74) |
14 (36) |
1 (2.5) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (2.5) |
9 (23) |
26 (66) |
41 (100) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 15.9 | 11.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 11.2 | 10.6 | 10.7 | 9.4 | 12.5 | 15.9 | 14.0 | 13.8 | 144.0 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 23.2 | 15.5 | 10.3 | 4.9 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.5 | 12.4 | 19.7 | 90.5 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
79.5 | 76.1 | 74.1 | 67.9 | 64.8 | 70.4 | 71.3 | 75.5 | 78.5 | 77.0 | 81.5 | 82.6 | 74.9 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 11.8 (−11.2) |
11.3 (−11.5) |
20.5 (−6.4) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
40.6 (4.8) |
52.2 (11.2) |
57.0 (13.9) |
57.0 (13.9) |
50.2 (10.1) |
39.0 (3.9) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
18.7 (−7.4) |
34.8 (1.6) |
Source: |
People and culture
Every summer, the city of Houghton hosts a festival known as "Bridgefest", to commemorate the building of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge; this is often held in conjunction with "Seafoodfest".[32] Every fall, the Parade of Nations takes place in downtown Houghton to commemorate the ethnic diversity of Michigan Technological University. "Strawberry Fest" is held in neighboring Chassell every summer, which not only celebrates the fruit, but also includes an art market with paintings, photos, sculptures, and crafts.
The city houses two museums. The
Houghton is often the host of winter sporting events, due to its long winters and many ski hills. The 2006 cross-country skiing Junior Olympics took place in Houghton.[36] The US National Championships for Nordic skiing took place in Houghton in January 2007.[37] In addition, the International Frisbee Tournament (IFT) takes place every year in Houghton and the roll-out of the distance events of the Keweenaw Chain Drive bike races of Houghton and Hancock takes place in downtown Houghton.[38]
Other winter events focus around Michigan Technological University. Michigan Tech hosts a yearly Winter Carnival in which thousands of visitors come to see snow sculptures built by members of fraternities, sororities,[39] other student organizations,[40] as well as a few community groups, and participate in the week-long celebration. Students at the university also receive several days of vacation for Carnival. As part of Winter Carnival 2006, the city of Houghton and the university broke three world records: the largest snowball, the largest snowball fight, and the largest number of people making snow angels in one place. They currently still hold two of these records: largest snowball and largest snowball fight.[41]
The Daily Mining Gazette (formerly The Mining Gazette)[42] is a daily newspaper published in Houghton.
The town is sometimes referred to by locals as "Hoton" or "Ho-town." "Hoton" is even stenciled on city property. Since Houghton and
Tourism is a major industry in Houghton. Summer tourism is very popular, especially among those wishing to tour old mines, visit various historical sites, and camp. Winter tourism is also very active from November through April, for snowmobiling, skiing and other winter sports.
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 2,157 | — | |
1880 | 1,438 | — | |
1890 | 2,062 | 43.4% | |
1900 | 3,359 | 62.9% | |
1910 | 5,113 | 52.2% | |
1920 | 4,406 | −13.8% | |
1930 | 3,757 | −14.7% | |
1940 | 3,693 | −1.7% | |
1950 | 3,829 | 3.7% | |
1960 | 3,393 | −11.4% | |
1970 | 6,067 | 78.8% | |
1980 | 7,512 | 23.8% | |
1990 | 7,498 | −0.2% | |
2000 | 7,010 | −6.5% | |
2010 | 7,708 | 10.0% | |
2020 | 8,386 | 8.8% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[44] |
2020 census
As of the census[45] of 2020, there were 8,386 people residing in the city, living in 2,533 households with an average of 2.30 people per household.
2010 census
As of the
There were 2,380 households, of which 18.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.6% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 61.9% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.82.
The median age in the city was 22.1 years. 10.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 56.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.1% were from 25 to 44; 10.5% were from 45 to 64; and 7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 64.3% male and 35.7% female.
2000 census
As of the
as their first language.There were 2,114 households, out of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.6% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 58.5% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were one-person households, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 12.0% under the age of 18, 55.2% from 18 to 24, 15.3% from 25 to 44, 10.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 160.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 173.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,186, and the median income for a family was $41,779. Males had a median income of $36,161 versus $28,639 for females. The
Education
The local school district is Houghton-Portage Township Schools. Students K-12 are served by Houghton Elementary (K-5), Middle (6–8), and High (9–12) Schools. Houghton is also the home of Michigan Technological University.
Transportation
Highways
- US 41 courses north to Hancock and Copper Harbor. To the south and east US 41 routes to L'Anse and Marquette.
- M-26 connects Houghton southwest to US 45.
- M-203 provides a loop route from US 41 in neighboring Hancock to McLain State Park. and then back to US 41.
Bus
Houghton Motor Transit operates both a demand bus and a route bus throughout Houghton and in nearby parts of Portage Township; there are also night trips to Mont Ripley in Ripley.[48]
Ferry
Houghton is the port of departure for Isle Royale National Park.[49] Cruise ships on the great lakes formerly (in the 1950s) used to frequently stop in Houghton, but this is now an exceedingly rare occurrence.
Airport
Houghton is served by the Houghton County Memorial Airport, which has limited commercial service.
Houghton was formerly served by airship.[50] A seaplane departs from Houghton to Isle Royale National Park.
Snowmobiling
Snowmobiling is a major winter activity in the area, both locally (snowmobiles are often the best available means of transportation after a blizzard) and as a tourist industry. The Bill Nichols Snowmobile Trail has a terminus in Houghton.[51]
Local radio
- WMPL AM 920
- WCCY (AM)1400
- WKMJ-FM FM 93.5
- WOLV 97.7
- WUPY FM 101.1
- WHKB FM 102.3
- WMTU-FM 91.9
- WGGL-FM 91.1
Neighborhoods
Houghton is generally said to be divided into East Houghton, the Central Houghton area (which includes the downtown) and West Houghton.
- East Houghton runs from Franklin Square to the eastern city limits. A principal street is College Avenue, characterized by Colonial Revival[11] homes, which formerly ran from urbanized Houghton "farms, villas and mining operations... and the Michigan School of Mines, now Michigan Technological University;"[52] today the main campus of MTU has taken over much of the College Avenue area and some of East Houghton generally,[52] though it remains a primarily residential neighborhood. (However, this has changed somewhat with construction of the Pearl Street Mall. The Chassell Sands, which are usually considered apart from it, are partially zoned "Industrial.") It is home to East Houghton Park. The park was established in 1974 and contains tennis courts and playground equipment. The Chassell sands may be technically said to be part of this neighborhood, but are usually considered as apart from it, as is Minoru Yamasaki-designed Daniell Heights, married-student housing at Tech.[53]
- Central Houghton is a relatively urbanized area of the town, generally considered as being roughly between Franklin Square and the Portage Lake Lift Bridge. The "heart of Houghton's commercial district" is characterized by dockyards, and older buildings alongside it. While Corktown is the area around St. Ignatius Catholic Church, this neighborhood is rarely spoken of today.
- West Houghton is the site of more recent construction compared to the other two neighborhoods. Therefore, the area has a more modern, suburban feel to it than the other areas. This includes larger middle-class houses built with large wooded lots between them. Most prominent in this area, however, are the retail stores which are becoming the new commercial heart of the city. These include Walmart and several recent strip malls, with numerous small stores housed under a single roof. Several prominent beach areas are located on this side of the city. It is often referred to by locals as "ShopKo Heights (Sho Hi)," the "neighborhood behind ShopKo," or "ShopKoville" as a ShopKo store had been located there prior to the company's closure.[55]
Micropolitan area
The
In popular culture
Houghton features in the novels A Superior Death and Winter Study by Nevada Barr and the Robin Hamilton mystery series by Nancy Barr.[56] Much of Ander Monson's Other Electricities takes place in Houghton.
Notable people
- Norm Breyfogle, American comic book artist
- George Brunet, Major League Baseball pitcher for nine teams
- Avis DeVoto, American culinary editor, book reviewer, and cook[57]
- Dolly Gray, baseball player, MLB and Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame
- Chuck Klingbeil, former National Football League player for the Miami Dolphins
- Nancy Harkness Love, World War II pilot
- William A. Longacre, archaeologist
- P.J. Olsson, rock singer
- Eugene Parker, solar astrophysicist and namesake of the Parker Solar Probe
- Percy Loomis Sperr, historical photographer
See also
Citations
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Houghton, Michigan
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Houghton, Michigan 49931". InfoMI.com. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
- ^ a b c Eckert (1993), p. 461
- ISBN 0-9703985-4-9.
- ^ "French-Canadian Genealogical Research in Houghton County, Michigan". habitant.org.
- ^ Taylor (2006), p. 11.
- ^ Taylor (2006), p. 40.
- ^ a b c Eckert (1993), p. 409
- ^ History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Houghton County: Houghton: Western Historical Co. 1883. pp. 272–276. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ a b Taylor (2006), p. 39
- ^ Taylor (2006), p. 43.
- ^ "City of Houghton Master Plan 2014-2018" (PDF). City of Houghton. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 6, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ Coleman, Patrick J. "Building with Snow: Northern Michigan Towns to Construct Snow Houses". Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
- ^ "United States Postal Service Press Release: 'Four Whimsical Snowmen Figurines Featured On U.S. Postage Stamps'". Archived from the original on March 13, 2007. Retrieved September 26, 2007.
- ^ Schneider, Dan (February 12, 2007). "Houghton Puts Its Stamp on America". The Daily Mining Gazette. Houghton, MI. pp. 1, 10.
- ^ Monette, Clarence (1975). Some Copper Country Names and Places: Fifth of a Local History Series. Lake Linden, MI: Welden H. Curtin. pp. 22–23.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
- ^ a b "Art and Music Festival May 2005". Archived from the original on October 18, 2005. Retrieved June 26, 2005.
- ^ "RV Park - City of Houghton". Archived from the original on October 5, 2007.
- ^ http://usg.students.mtu.edu/usg/index.php?curpage=116 [dead link]
- ^ "Virtual Keweenaw Peninsula". Archived from the original on July 21, 2011.
- ^ "City of Houghton".
- ^ a b "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ISBN 0-7710-5769-5.
- ^ "Winter Carnival 2012 Theme: "From all over the state, what makes Michigan great" February 8 - 11". Blue Key Honor Society. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011.
- ^ "Station: Hancock Houghton CO AP, MI". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Hancock Houghton CO Airport, MI". U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1981-2010). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ "WMO climate normals for HOUGHTON LAKE, MI 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ Flat Broke Blues Band Archived June 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Regular Meeting - Houghton City Council" (PDF). September 27, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2006.
- ^ Gahagan, Kayla. "Mural in Motion". The Daily Mining Gazette. p. 1.
- ^ Creager, Ellen (January 8, 2012). "You haven't lived here until ... you've visited the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum at Michigan Tech". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on July 23, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
- ^ "2006 Junior Olympics site". Archived from the original on December 6, 2006. Retrieved December 3, 2006.
- ^ "Senior Nationals site". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
- ^ "2007 Portage Health Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival". Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival. Archived from the original on July 3, 2007.
- ISBN 978-1-59486-415-5.
- ISBN 978-1-55597-459-6.
- ^ "North Dakota Snow Angel Record Confirmed". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 23, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
- ^ "Mining Gazette". Archived from the original on October 30, 2007. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
- ^ Taylor (2006), p. 54.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
- ^ "HANCOCK-MARQUETTE-GREEN BAY-MILWAUKEE" (PDF). Indian Trails. January 15, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
- ^ [1] Archived April 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 1-55868-099-3.
- ^ Air ship, Houghton, near Amphidrome
- ^ "Exploring the North article on Bill Nichols Snowmobile Trail".
- ^ a b Eckert (1993), p. 411.
- ^ Eckert (1993), p. 468.
- ^ Eckert (1993), p. 409.
- ^ "Shopko's last day: Stores shut down amidst empty shelves, sadness". Post-Crescent Media. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ "New at the library". miningjournal.net.
- ^ Child, Julia & DeVoto, Avis (2010). Reardon, Joan (ed.). As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto, Food, Friendship, and the Making of a Masterpiece. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
General and cited references
- Eckert, Kathryn Bishop (1993). Buildings of Michigan. New York: ISBN 978-0-19-509379-7.
- Taylor, Richard E. (2006). Houghton County 1870–1920. Arcadia. ISBN 9780738540511.
Further reading
- Maki, Wilbert (January 27, 2001). "Hockey Finals Here?". The Daily Mining Gazette (Letter to the editor). Houghton, MI.
- Gray, Dick (November 5, 2007). Our Story. Keweenaw Brewing Company.[full citation needed]