Gladstone is a city in Delta County in the

Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula b ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. First settled in 1877, Gladstone's original name was Minnewasca. The population was 5,257 according to the 2020 census, The U.S. Highways 2 and 41 run concurrently through the city, connecting it to various other communities in the Upper Peninsula of

. The city of

Escanaba Escanaba ( ), commonly shortened to Esky, is a port city and the county seat of Delta County, Michigan, Delta County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on Little Bay de Noc in the state's Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsula. The popu ...

lies roughly 14 km (9 mi) to the south.

History

Initial settlement

The first people to occupy the Upper Peninsula of Michigan were Algonquin speaking peoples. Gladstone was first settled by European descendants in 1859 when the Hamilton Corporation of Fayette began using it as a shipping port for selling and transporting iron ore. The earliest development was located along Saunder's Point, a small peninsula extending into

Little Bay De Noc Little Bay de Noc is a bay in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The bay opens into Lake Michigan's Green Bay. The bay, consisting of approximately 30,000 acres (120 km2), is enclosed by Delta County. The cities of Esca ...

. The peninsula was named for Captain Nate Saunders who headquartered there while fishing at various points along the bay.

Change from shipping port to rail hub

Throughout the 1860s and early 1870s, Gladstone expanded to become a shipping point for lumber, coal, and copper, in addition to iron ore. In 1876, the mine operated by the Hamilton Corporation was depleted, and the company moved their operations to a new mine further south. As a result, more ore began to be shipped out of Escanaba. Gladstone's role shifted to that of a rail hub, as Arthur Delano, the president of Soo Line Railroad, had commissioned a train depot built in Saunder's Point during the previous winter to start land shipping for the Hamilton Corporation. Gladstone was incorporated as a village in 1887 and as a city in 1889.

Name change

The town was originally named Minnewasca by the Soo Line Railroad, an Ojibwa word meaning "white water." When the name was filed with the county and Secretary of State in Lansing, however, Senator W. D. Washburn, who had an interest in building the railroad, persuaded officials to change the name to Gladstone in honor of British Premier

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

Geography

The city is located on a small projection into the

Little Bay de Noc Little Bay de Noc is a bay in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The bay opens into Lake Michigan's Green Bay. The bay, consisting of approximately 30,000 acres (120 km2), is enclosed by Delta County. The cities of Esca ...

, which opens onto Green Bay on

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Neighborhoods

Although Gladstone is a relatively small city, it has several distinct sections: Downtown (which hosts most of the local businesses), the Buckeye (located on the western side of the city, bordering the Brampton, MI township), and the Bluff (which hosts most of the new residential expansion, as well as Gladstone High School). Gladstone High School sports teams are referred to as the Braves, which along with the Escanaba Eskymos give Delta County two schools bearing indigenous symbols.

Climate

Gladstone has a humid continental climate, with cold winters and warm summers. The average temperature in January is around 16 °F (-9 °C). Gladstone receives an average of 36 inches of snow and 33 inches of rainfall per year. According to the National Weather Service, Gladstone's record low was -60 °F on January 7, 1896. To this day, this storm is referred to by Gladstone residents as "les morte a doigts," since so many of the city's residents lost fingers due to

frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when someone is exposed to extremely low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occ ...

. On July 19, 1992, Gladstone experienced a rare

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

which caused moderate damage throughout the city.

Culture

Tourism and parks

Gladstone is often referred to as "The Year Round Playground" because of its myriad of parks and activities. Van Cleve Park hosts a playground (Kid's Kingdom), a skateboarding park, baseball field, basketball court, fitness trail, a white sand beach with a water slide, boardwalk, as well as a harbor with boat ramps and a fish cleaning station. Gladstone also offers The Gladstone Golf Course which winds through the Upper Peninsula Forest, crossing water on 6 of 18 holes. Another Gladstone attraction is the Gladstone Sports Park, which hosts several baseball fields, skiing and snowboarding runs and a tubing facility. The Park itself is often rented out for other activities, including wedding receptions, and high school graduation parties. Gladstone hosts the Days River Trails, which are hiked and biked in the spring, summer, and fall. In the winter, these trails are used primarily for cross-country skiing.

Media

Gladstone was featured in the 2010 documentary film ''

Catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

''.

Transportation

* exists in two discontinuous segments, with the western portion running from Everett, Washington and through Gladstone before ending at

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...

in St. Ignace, Michigan. The eastern portion runs from Rouses Point, New York to Houlton, Maine, with a total of 2,571 miles between the two segments. * runs 2,000 miles from east of Copper Harbor, Michigan, at a modest cul-de-sac near Fort Wilkins Historic State Park at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, through Gladstone, and on to the Brickell neighborhood of Downtown Miami. * * Indian Trails provides daily intercity bus service between St. Ignace and

Ironwood, Michigan Ironwood is a city in Gogebic County, Michigan, Gogebic County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, about south of Lake Superior. The city is on U.S. Route 2 in Michigan, US Highway 2 across the Montreal River (Wisconsin-Michig ...

and between Hancock and

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

with a stop in Gladstone.

Notable people

Terry Ahola Terry Ahola is a former member of the U.S. Ski Team. A native of Gladstone, Michigan, he spent three seasons on the U.S. Ski Team from 1982-84 before having his career shortened by a serious knee injury.

, professional ski racer, member of US Ski Team * Robert John Cornell, former member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, and a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

priest * Becky Iverson, professional golfer * Frank Smith, cartoon animator and film director * Bart Stupak, former member of the

Upper Peninsula of Michigan The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula of ...

* Kevin Tapani, professional baseball pitcher

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there are 5,257 people, 1,880 households, and 1,272 families residing in the city. The population density 1,037.70 inhabitants per square mile (400.67/km²). There were 2,157 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.8% white, 0.1% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% other races, and 5.9% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population. Of the 1,880 households, 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 45.5% of them were married couples living together, 19.5% were males living with no spouse or partner, 23.7% were females living with no spouse or partner. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.20.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 4,973 people, 2,182 households, and 1,374 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 2,431 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.9% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population. There were 2,182 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.0% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 43.6 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 27.5% were from 45 to 64; and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 5,032 people, 2,126 households, and 1,392 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,289 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.76%

, 0.14%

, 1.47% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.08%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.04% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population. 14.3% were of French, 14.0% German, 12.2% Swedish, 10.3%

French Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...

, 6.1% English, 5.2% Irish and 5.0% Belgian ancestry according to Census 2000. 99.5% spoke English as their first language. There were 2,126 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were

living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 87.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,328, and the median income for a family was $47,899. Males had a median income of $43,400 versus $25,662 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $17,973. About 7.8% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Gladstone, Michigan website
{{Coord, 45, 51, 10, N, 87, 01, 18, W, type:city_region:US-MI, display=title Cities in Delta County, Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Michigan 1887 establishments in Michigan