Iron Ore Heritage Trail LbNA #49852
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Sep 18, 2009 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Negaunee |
| County: | Marquette |
| State: | Michigan |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Planted by: | yooperann  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | cerealcityboxers |
| Last found: | Jun 19, 2011 |
| Status: | FFFFFFa |
| Last edited: | Sep 18, 2009 |
Although tourists and locals alike love the U.P. for its rugged beauty and small-town friendliness, the economic engine of the area has always been mining. Iron mining began in the central U.P. in the 1840's with pick-axes and shovels, and continues today in giant open pits.
Like so much else, mining's legacy is mixed. Good union jobs meant that many miners owned both a modest house in town and a simple fishing or deer camp nearby. Their children could go to college. They had health insurance and pensions. But the work was always hard and dangerous, and as the mines played out, cave-ins meant that whole communities had to be abandoned or moved and places that once had hills now had gullies and pits.
The communities along the Marquette range have begun to commemorate their history with the development of the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. Eventually the multi-use trail will run from Republic on the west--a town barely hanging on after it was literally cut in two by cave-ins--to Harvey on the east, now a prosperous and growing suburb of Marquette. For now, the trail is best developed in the Negaunee area, with numerous well-marked spurs leading to interesting historical artifacts and contemporary sculpture.
Start your search by the trail head across from the Negaunee Senior Center on the west side of downtown Negaunee. You'll quickly come into an open area with a picnic table and a large compass sculpture by our friend Dan Barrington. The main paved trail leads to your right from the sculpture, but to find the letterbox, take the dirt John Burt trail up the hill to the left of the compass.
The path momentarily levels off part-way up the hill. As you pause, you'll see a path going to your left, with paving just visible under the grasses and wildflowers that are reclaiming the area. Take that path until you reach a clump of birch trees on the left side of the path. As you turn to face the birch trees, you'll see another clump of three large beautiful birches about ten steps (one foot-fall equals one step) ahead of you. Walk to that clump of birches and stand, continuing to face in the same direction, so that you are looking between the first and second birches. Ahead of you will be a shaggy crab apple tree, with lots of crannies in which a letterbox might be hidden. Enjoy.
p.s. While you're in Negaunee, you must stop at the Mid-Town Bakery right downtown (only a few short blocks from the senior center). Everything is delicious, but are especially proud of their cheesecake and if you taste it, you'll know why.
Like so much else, mining's legacy is mixed. Good union jobs meant that many miners owned both a modest house in town and a simple fishing or deer camp nearby. Their children could go to college. They had health insurance and pensions. But the work was always hard and dangerous, and as the mines played out, cave-ins meant that whole communities had to be abandoned or moved and places that once had hills now had gullies and pits.
The communities along the Marquette range have begun to commemorate their history with the development of the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. Eventually the multi-use trail will run from Republic on the west--a town barely hanging on after it was literally cut in two by cave-ins--to Harvey on the east, now a prosperous and growing suburb of Marquette. For now, the trail is best developed in the Negaunee area, with numerous well-marked spurs leading to interesting historical artifacts and contemporary sculpture.
Start your search by the trail head across from the Negaunee Senior Center on the west side of downtown Negaunee. You'll quickly come into an open area with a picnic table and a large compass sculpture by our friend Dan Barrington. The main paved trail leads to your right from the sculpture, but to find the letterbox, take the dirt John Burt trail up the hill to the left of the compass.
The path momentarily levels off part-way up the hill. As you pause, you'll see a path going to your left, with paving just visible under the grasses and wildflowers that are reclaiming the area. Take that path until you reach a clump of birch trees on the left side of the path. As you turn to face the birch trees, you'll see another clump of three large beautiful birches about ten steps (one foot-fall equals one step) ahead of you. Walk to that clump of birches and stand, continuing to face in the same direction, so that you are looking between the first and second birches. Ahead of you will be a shaggy crab apple tree, with lots of crannies in which a letterbox might be hidden. Enjoy.
p.s. While you're in Negaunee, you must stop at the Mid-Town Bakery right downtown (only a few short blocks from the senior center). Everything is delicious, but are especially proud of their cheesecake and if you taste it, you'll know why.