Christmas, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Christmas is an unincorporated community in Au Train Township
of Alger County
in the Upper Peninsula
of the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is located on M-28
a few miles northwest of Munising
at 46°26′13"N 86°42′05"W. Christmas is located near the Bay Furnace campgrounds on Lake Superior
in the Hiawatha National Forest
. The ZIP code
is 49862.
From 1869 to 1877, the campground was the site of Onota, an iron smelting town with a population of 517. The town was destroyed by fire in 1877 and only the iron kiln ruins remain. While in operation, Bay Furnace produced 20 tons of pig iron a day. Ships came to the 1200 foot dock bringing supplies and taking out pig iron. Bay Furnace is on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Today, the primary industry in Christmas is tourism, including the Kewadin Casino
. Companies in Christmas also produce various popular tourist items, such as "pasty
sauce" which are sold in the Upper Peninsula.
During the Christmas season, many people send their Christmas cards to Christmas' Post Office, to be postmarked.
Grand Island and the Grand Island National Recreation Area
are nearby, accessible via a ten-minute ferry ride that departs from just east of Christmas.
Au Train Township, Michigan
Au Train Township is a civil township of Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 1,172.-Communities:...
of Alger County
Alger County, Michigan
Alger County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,601. Its county seat is Munising. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located within the county.-History:...
in the Upper Peninsula
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is located on M-28
M-28 (Michigan highway)
M-28 is an east–west state trunkline highway that almost completely traverses the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan, from Wakefield to near Sault Ste. Marie in Bruce Township...
a few miles northwest of Munising
Munising, Michigan
Munising is a city on the southern shore of Lake Superior on the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,539. It is the county seat of Alger County...
at 46°26′13"N 86°42′05"W. Christmas is located near the Bay Furnace campgrounds on Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
in the Hiawatha National Forest
Hiawatha National Forest
Hiawatha National Forest is a National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan in the United States. Commercial logging is conducted in some areas. The United States Forest Service administers this National Forest; it is physically divided into two subunits, commonly called the...
. The ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 49862.
From 1869 to 1877, the campground was the site of Onota, an iron smelting town with a population of 517. The town was destroyed by fire in 1877 and only the iron kiln ruins remain. While in operation, Bay Furnace produced 20 tons of pig iron a day. Ships came to the 1200 foot dock bringing supplies and taking out pig iron. Bay Furnace is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Today, the primary industry in Christmas is tourism, including the Kewadin Casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
. Companies in Christmas also produce various popular tourist items, such as "pasty
Pasty
A pasty , sometimes known as a pastie or British pasty in the United States, is a filled pastry case, associated in particular with Cornwall in Great Britain. It is made by placing the uncooked filling on a flat pastry circle, and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge at the side or top...
sauce" which are sold in the Upper Peninsula.
During the Christmas season, many people send their Christmas cards to Christmas' Post Office, to be postmarked.
Grand Island and the Grand Island National Recreation Area
Grand Island National Recreation Area
The Grand Island National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service. It is part of the Hiawatha National Forest. Located on Grand Island, Michigan offshore from Munising, Michigan, the Grand Island National Recreation Area covers approximately ...
are nearby, accessible via a ten-minute ferry ride that departs from just east of Christmas.
Attractions
- Christmas Motel
- Christmas Family Shops
- Kewadin Casino
- Hiawatha National Forest campground
- Santa's Workshop
- North Pole, for photos
- Yule Log cabins
- Marco's Cove Resort
- White Pine Lodge
- Foggy's Restaurant
- Trail's Inn