Negaunee ( or ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of

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, ...

. The population was 4,627 at the 2020 census. The city is located at the southwest corner of Negaunee Township, which is administratively separate, 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 ...

. The city is home to a

luge A luge () is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds Supine position, supine (face-up) and feet-first. A luger begins seated, propelling themselves initially from handles on either side of the start ramp, then steers by using the Ca ...

track. The name "Negaunee" comes from an Anishinabemowin (

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

) word ', meaning "foremost, in advance, leading," which was determined to be the closest Ojibwe translation for "pioneer". Within the city limits is Teal Lake.

History

The city was built after the discovery of the

Marquette Iron Range The Marquette Iron Range is a deposit of iron ore located in Marquette County, Michigan in the United States. The towns of Ishpeming and Negaunee developed as a result of mining this deposit. A smaller counterpart of Minnesota's Mesabi Range, t ...

during the early 19th century. The

Jackson Mine The Jackson Mine is an open pit iron mine in Negaunee, Michigan, extracting resources from the Marquette Iron Range. The first iron mine in the Lake Superior region, Jackson Mine was designated as a Michigan State Historic Site in 1956 and listed ...

was established in 1845 to mine the ore for shipment to iron forges; the first such forge to operate in the

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

basin was set up in Negaunee during this period. In 1858, the community was given a post office. In 1865, Negaunee was incorporated as a village and reincorporated as a city in 1873. As mining operations expanded, many immigrants helped settle the area, bringing with them rich traditions that remain today. Due to extensive underground mining, roughly half the city was abandoned in the early 20th century due to risk of cave-in. The city closed its trolley system in 1927. The Jackson Mine ceased all operations within the city limits in the 1940s. On January 16, 1952, Negaunee became the smallest city to ever host an

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

game. The Milwaukee Hawks beat the Baltimore Bullets 77–71. Baltimore's Don Barksdale led all scorers with 24 points. Negaunee is still the smallest city to ever host any of the four major North American professional sports.

Geography

Negaunee is in central Marquette County and is bordered to the west by the city of

Ishpeming Ishpeming ( ) is a city in Marquette County, Michigan, United States. Located in the Upper Peninsula, the population was 6,140 at the 2020 census, less than it was in the 1950s and 1960s when the Iron ore mines employed more workers. A statue ...

. Marquette, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

, is to the east. Negaunee sits on the eastern shore of Teal Lake, all of which is within the city borders. 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 are land and , or 6.24%, are water.

Attractions

The

Michigan Iron Industry Museum The Michigan Iron Industry Museum, a branch facility of the Michigan History Museum, is a community museum serving the heritage of the Marquette Iron Range on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The museum is located in Negaunee, a town built atop th ...

is located near the Carp River on the outskirts of Negaunee. Negaunee is home to Pioneer Days, a festival held every year the week following July 4. Negaunee is the home of the only full-length natural-track

course in the United States, maintained by the Upper Peninsula Luge Club. A section near the finish line is open to public sliding in the wintertime, using club equipment. The original track layout was over in length, featuring 29 curves along its vertical drop. Negaunee is also the home of Suicide Hill Ski Jump, a ski jump training facility where the Ishpeming Ski Club prepares skiers for classic cross country skiing, Nordic combined, and ski jumping competitions. The county's Heritage Trails pass through Negaunee where visitors can stroll, hike, bike, and snowmobile through Old Town Negaunee and around various collapsed underground mines from last century. The Negaunee portion of the trail also includes a new disc golf course.

Transportation

Highways

* passes through the northern portion of Negaunee, running westerly and northerly toward Houghton, easterly toward Marquette and thence southeast to

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 ...

. * travels concurrently with US 41 through the city, running westerly toward

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...

and east to Marquette. * Bus. M-28 serves the downtowns of both Negaunee and Ishpeming. * , passing east of the city limits, provides an alternate route to the Escanaba area and access to

Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport , previously named Sawyer International Airport, is a county-owned, public-use airport in Marquette County, Michigan, United States. It is located south of the central business district of the city of Marquet ...

Bus

Indian Trails Indian Trails is an intercity bus operator primarily serving the U.S. state of Michigan, with routes also serving Wisconsin and Minnesota. Indian Trails is based in Owosso, Michigan, with offices in Romulus, East Lansing, and Kalamazoo. His ...

bus lines operates daily intercity bus service between

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New H ...

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 ...

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 ...

, with a stop in Negaunee.

Demographics

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 4,568 people, 1,940 households, and 1,219 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 2,119 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.6%

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 ...

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 1.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.7% 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 1.1% of the population. There were 1,940 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% 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, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.2% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age in the city was 39.7 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 to 44; 27.2% were from 45 to 64; and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,576 people, 1,946 households, and 1,218 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,088 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.63%

, 0.28%

, 1.29% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population. 28.8% were of Finnish, 14.5%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, 14.0%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

, 9.3%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 8.9%

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

and 5.8%

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.7% spoke

, 1.7%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

and 1.5% Finnish as their first language. There were 1,946 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were

living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.93. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,117, and the median income for a family was $39,750. Males had a median income of $36,026 versus $22,380 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 $16,889. About 6.3% of families and 9.4% 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 11.7% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Negaunee school system, Negaunee Public Schools, ranked in the top 20% of schools for the State of Michigan in 2008. It has since slightly decreased in rank in 2023. Negaunee Public Schools consists of three main buildings: Lakeview Elementary, which has K-4th grades; Negaunee Middle School, which has 5th through 8th grade; and Negaunee High School, which has 9th through 12th grade. Negaunee athletics have large, healthy rivalries with the Westwood Patriots (

Ishpeming Township, Michigan Ishpeming Township is a civil township of Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,392 at the 2020 census. The city of Ishpeming is to the south, but the two are administered autonomously. Communities * The city of ...

) and

Hematites. Other relevant rivalries exist with the Calumet Copper Kings and Iron Mountain Mountaineers. St. Paul's Catholic School was formerly in Negaunee. Closure was proposed in 1974.

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorolog ...

region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Negaunee has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from in January to in July. From 1981 to 2010, on average, there were only 3.6 days annually with a maximum of or higher, 97 days with a maximum remaining at or below freezing (including most days from December thru February), and 31 days with a minimum reaching or below. The average window for freezing temperatures is September 23 thru May 26, allowing a growing season of 120 days. Precipitation is moderate, averaging annually, with September and October being the wettest months, and the

meteorological winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Differe ...

months of December thru February being the driest in terms of normal total precipitation. Snowfall is extremely heavy due to the location in the

lake effect snow Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water. The lower layer of air, heated by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises through colde ...

belt of

, averaging per season, with the snowiest months of December and January each producing around of snow. On average, measurable () snow occurs between October 14 and April 28, with accumulating snow in May occurring around half of the time; accumulating snow in September is much rarer, occurring on average once per decade.

Notable people

* Mark Ayotte (born 1964), National Basketball Association referee * Edward Breitung (1831–1887), Michigan State House of Representatives member * Bob Chase (1926–2016), sports commentator *

Dominic Jacobetti Dominic J. Jacobetti (July 20, 1920 – November 28, 1994) was a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He holds the record as the longest-serving member of the Michigan House of Representatives, serving from 1955 until his deat ...

(1920–1994), Michigan State House of Representatives member * Joan LeQuia (born 1937), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player *

Sarah York Sarah York (born 1978) is an American woman who, at age 10, became the pen pal of Manuel Noriega, the then-''de facto'' ruler of Panama. York began correspondence with Noriega after her father suggested on a whim that she should write to him bec ...

, became penpal of

Manuel Noriega Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno ( , ; February 11, 1934 – May 29, 2017) was a Panamanian dictator and military officer who was the ''de facto'' List of heads of state of Panama, ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989. He never officially serv ...

at age 10

References

External links

*
Negaunee Public Schools
{{Authority control Cities in Marquette County, Michigan Populated places established in 1846 1846 establishments in Michigan