Keweenaw County (, ; , ) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, the state's northernmost county. As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, the population was 2,046, making it Michigan's least populous county. It is also the state's largest county by total area, when the waters of Lake Superior are included in the total. The county seat is Eagle River. The county was set off and organized in 1861. It is believed "Keweenaw" is a corruption of an Ojibwe word that means "portage" or "place where portage is made"; compare the names of the nearby Portage Lake and Portage River which together make up the

Keweenaw Waterway The Keweenaw Waterway is a partly natural, partly artificial waterway which cuts across the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan; it separates Copper Island from the mainland. Parts of the waterway are variously known as the Keweenaw Waterway, Portage ...

. Keweenaw County is part of the Houghton, Michigan, Micropolitan Statistical Area. Isle Royale, a

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

which no longer has year-round inhabitants, was a separate county that was incorporated into Keweenaw County in 1897.

Geography

Two land masses comprise most of the land portion of the county: Isle Royale and the northeastern half of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The county also includes the waters of Lake Superior between the two, extending to the state's water borders with Ontario and Minnesota. It is thus the largest county in Michigan by total area, at , of which just is land and (91%) is water. Of all counties (or equivalents) in the United States, Keweenaw County has the highest proportion of water area to total area. The largest lake entirely within the county is Gratiot Lake at , located at the base of the county's two highest peaks: Mt. Horace Greeley at and Mt. Gratiot at . Other lakes include Lac La Belle (Michigan), Lac La Belle near Bete Grise Bay, Lake Medora (Michigan), Lake Medora, Lake Fanny Hooe near Copper Harbor, Michigan, Copper Harbor, Lake Bailey at the base of Mt. Baldy, and Schlatter Lake at the tip of the peninsula.

National protected area

*Isle Royale National Park *Keweenaw National Historical Park (part)

Major highways

* runs northeast–southwest through the upper center part of the mainland portion of the county. It enters the southern area of the county at Bumbletown, Michigan, Bumbletown passes Phoenix, Michigan, Phoenix, Delaware, Michigan, Delaware, Mandan, Michigan, Mandan, Copper Harbor and terminates north of Lake Fanny Hooe. * loops from Phoenix to the shoreline of Lake Superior, then runs northeasterly along the shoreline to the intersection with US 41 at Copper Harbor.

Adjacent counties and district

Keweenaw County is the only county in Michigan to connect to the U.S. state of Minnesota via ferry service from Grand Portage, Minnesota, Grand Portage to Windigo, Michigan, Windigo and Rock Harbor, Michigan, Rock Harbor on Isle Royale. * Thunder Bay District, Ontario, north * Alger County, Michigan, east * Marquette County, Michigan, southeast * Houghton County, Michigan, south (only land border) * Ontonagon County, Michigan, southwest * Cook County, Minnesota, northwest

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census indicates Keweenaw County had a population of 2,156. This decrease of 145 people from the 2000 United States Census represents a -6.3% change in population. In 2010 there were 1013 households and 614 families in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 2,467 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (2/km²). 98.5% of the population were White American, White, 0.1% African American, Black or African American, 0.1% Native Americans in the United States, Native American and 1.2% Multiracial American, of two or more races. 0.7% were Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 38.8% were of Finnish American, Finnish, 14.0% German American, German, 9.0% English American, English, 6.6% French American, French, French Canadian American, French Canadian or Cajun and 5.7% Irish American, Irish ancestry. There were 1013 households, out of which 16.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were Marriage, married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.71. The county population contained 17.9% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 20.0% from 25 to 44, 36.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.6 years. The population is 51.3% male and 48.7% female. The median income for a household in the county was $39,821, and the median income for a family was $48,563. The per capita income for the county was $21,218. About 16.6% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.2% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Keweenaw County was solidly Republican after the American Civil War, and until the Franklin Delano Roosevelt era. In 1900, 1904 and 1908 it stood as the ''nation'' most Republican county. In his last election of 1944, Roosevelt became the first Democrat to win the county since Horatio Seymour in 1868. However, from 1964 to 1996 Keweenaw voted Democratic in every election except 1972 and 1980, thus standing as one of only six counties nationwide to support both Alf Landon and Walter Mondale, who suffered the two worst electoral vote losses since 1824. Since 2000, the county has become solidly Republican again.

Government

The county government operates the County jail, jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county commission, county board of commissioners controls the budget and has limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions—police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc.—are the responsibility of individual cities and townships. Haven Falls, Michigan

The Keweenaw County Courthouse and Sheriff's Residence and Jail in Eagle River faces Lake Superior. The courthouse was built in 1866, followed by the sheriff's residence and jail in 1886, and then remodeled in 1925. In her book ''Buildings of Michigan'', Eckert writes: : Population Change of Keweenaw County

“Like a meetinghouse on a New England public square, and enclosed by a high public wall on the east and south sides, ...transformed in 1925 into its present stark white classical appearance. The courthouse for this sparsely populated remote county is remarkable in its formality...These include the giant Doric columns with fillets and bases, a pediment forming a projecting portico, a modillioned cornice, and pedimented side dormers.” (p. 481) The courthouse still preserves its original appearance. Sparsely-populated Keweenaw County was a mining center in the latter 19th century but in the 20th century turned into a resort community. Because of this trend, Keweenaw County is also the only county in Michigan to have a lower population in the year 2000 than in 1900.

Elected officials

*Probate Judge: Keith DeForge * Prosecutor, Prosecuting Attorney: Charles (Chuck) Miller * Sheriff: Curt Pennala * County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Julie Carlson * Treasurer, County Treasurer: Eric Hermanson * Mine Inspector: John Cima (information as of January 2021)

Communities

Village

* Ahmeek, Michigan, Ahmeek

Census-designated places

*Copper Harbor, Michigan, Copper Harbor *Eagle Harbor, Michigan, Eagle Harbor * Eagle River (county seat)

Civil townships

* Allouez Township, Michigan, Allouez Township * Eagle Harbor Township, Michigan, Eagle Harbor Township * Grant Township, Keweenaw County, Michigan, Grant Township * Houghton Township, Michigan, Houghton Township * Sherman Township, Keweenaw County, Michigan, Sherman Township

Other unincorporated communities

* Allouez, Michigan, Allouez * Bete Grise, Michigan, Bete Grise * Betsy, Michigan, Betsy * Bumbletown, Michigan, Bumbletown * Central, Michigan, Central * Copper Falls, Michigan, Copper Falls * Delaware, Michigan, Delaware * Eagle Nest, Michigan, Eagle Nest * Fulton, Keweenaw County, Michigan, Fulton * Gay, Michigan, Gay * Hebards, Michigan, Hebards * Lac La Belle, Michigan, Lac La Belle * Mandan, Michigan, Mandan * Mohawk, Michigan, Mohawk * Nepco Camp Number 7, Michigan, Nepco Camp Number 7 * Ojibway, Michigan, Ojibway * Phoenix, Michigan, Phoenix * Rock Harbor Lodge, Michigan, Rock Harbor Lodge * Seneca, Keweenaw County, Michigan, Seneca * Snowshoe, Michigan, Snowshoe * Traverse, Michigan, Traverse * Vaughnsville, Michigan, Vaughnsville * Windigo, Michigan, Windigo * Wyoming, Keweenaw County, Michigan, Wyoming

Ghost towns

* Clifton, Michigan, Clifton

Notes

References

External links

Keweenaw Liberty LibraryKeweenaw County Profile, Sam M Cohodas Regional Economist, Tawni Hunt Ferrarini, Ph.D.CopperCountry.com
Tourism and Events Information for Keweenaw, Houghton and Ontonagon Counties.
CopperCountryExplorer.comKeweenaw County Chamber of CommerceKeweenaw County government website
*
Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Region
{{Coord, 47.48, -88.16, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MI_source:UScensus1990 Keweenaw County, Michigan, Michigan counties 1861 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1861