Gogebic County, Michigan

Gogebic County ( or ) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,380. The county seat is Bessemer. Gogebic County is the westernmost county in Michigan, and is one of four Michigan counties within the Central Time Zone. Gogebic County borders Wisconsin to the south, and has a shoreline on Lake Superior to the north.

Gogebic County has long been territory of the Lake Superior Chippewa. The Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation is located within Gogebic County.

History

Gogebic County was organized in 1887, partitioned from Ontonagon County. The county's name derives from a lake of the same name, which was originally rendered ''Agogebic''. Sources agree that the name is from Ojibwe, but differ on the original meaning. The county's website suggests it meant "body of water hanging on high," but an 1884 military annal said it meant "water-mold lake" (''Agogibing''). (See also: List of place names of Native American origin in Michigan)

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (25%) is water.

Water features

* Lake Superior – forms the county's northern land border.
* Lake Gogebic – the largest lake in the Upper Peninsula.
* Montreal River – forms the county's western border, as well as the state's border with Wisconsin in this area.

Adjacent counties

* Ontonagon County – north, northeast (Eastern Time)
* Iron County – east (Central Time)
* Vilas County, Wisconsin – south
* Iron County, Wisconsin – southwest
* Ashland County, Wisconsin – northwest

National protected area

* Ottawa National Forest (part)

State protected area

* Lake Gogebic State Park

Communities

Cities

* Bessemer (county seat)
* Ironwood
* Wakefield

Charter township

* Ironwood Charter Township

Civil townships

* Bessemer Township
* Erwin Township
* Marenisco Township
* Wakefield Township
* Watersmeet Township

Census-designated places

* Marenisco
* Watersmeet

Other unincorporated communities

* Anvil
* Connorville
* Dunham
* Harley
* Puritan
* Ramsay
* Siemens
* Tamarack
* Thayer
* Thomaston
* Tula
* Wellington

Indian reservations

* Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation

Demographics

The 2010 United States census indicated Gogebic County had a population of 16,427. This decrease of 943 people from the 2000 United States census was a -5.4% change in population. In 2010, there were 7,037 households and 4,171 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 10,795 housing units at an average density of . Among them, 91.7% of the population were White, 4.1% Black or African American, 2.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% of some other race and 1.4% of two or more races. 0.9% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 17.4% were of Finnish, 12.8% German, 11.2% American, 10.0% Italian, 6.8% Polish, 6.7% English and 5.1% Irish ancestry.

By the 2020 census, its population was 14,380. Its population remained predominantly non-Hispanic white, and the largest ancestries as of 2022's American Community Survey were German (16.5%), Italian (13.6%), English (9.5%), and Polish (7.9%).

In 2010, were 7,037 households, out of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.69. Its county population was 16.9% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.8 years. 53.3% of the population was male, and 46.7% of the population was female.

As of 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $34,917, and the median income for a family was $47,219. The per capita income for the county was $20,759. About 14.0% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Sports

Gogebic is the only known place in the Upper Peninsula to ever host a professional sports team, with Ironwood hosting the Northwest Football League's Gogebic Panthers in 1935 and 1936. Their 1935 campaign was immensely successful as the Panthers finished with a 6–1 record, their only loss coming to the eventual league champion La Crosse Old Style Lagers. Their 1936 campaign featured a 6–0 victory over the Madison Cardinals, who folded a few days after the Lagers defeated them 100–0 in an effort to kick them out of the league.

Politics

Gogebic County was reliably Republican at the beginning of the twentieth century. Roosevelt's New Deal changed the county's mood, which had voted for the Democratic candidate in all but 2 presidential elections since 1932 between 1932 and 2012. In 2016, Donald Trump became the first Republican to win the county since Richard Nixon did in 1972. Trump carried the county again in 2020, despite losing nationally, and again in 2024, by a larger margin each time.

The county is strongly liberal on economic issues and also tends to be somewhat liberal on cultural issues, voting in favor of Michigan Proposal 2 and Michigan Proposal 3, which loosened voter restrictions and codified abortion rights, respectively. Both referendums passed statewide but failed in most counties in the Upper Peninsula. However, the county's heavily unionized electorate is significantly more conservative on other issues, such as affirmative action, as over 70% of Gogebic County residents voted in favor of the Republican-led Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, which banned affirmative action.

Government

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, maintains vital records and property records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The 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.

Transportation

Major highways

*
* serves the city of Ironwood.
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*
*

Transit

* Indian Trails

Airport

* KIWD - Gogebic-Iron County Airport – NE of Ironwood. Commercial air service is available.

See also

* List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Gogebic County, Michigan
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Gogebic County, Michigan

References

External links

Gogebic County government

Gogebic County Profile, Sam M Cohodas Regional Economist, Tawni Hunt Ferrarini, Ph.D.
*

Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Region

{{Coord, 46.48, -89.79, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MI_source:UScensus1990

Michigan counties
1887 establishments in Michigan
Populated places established in 1887
Michigan placenames of Native American origin