Hurley, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Hurley is a city in and the county seat
of Iron County
, Wisconsin
, United States
. The population was 1,818 at the 2000 census. It is directly across the Montreal River from Ironwood, Michigan
.
. It was founded to serve the interest of both lumbermen and miners. Hurley and adjacent Gile were lumber towns, while nearby mining towns included Montreal
, Ironwood, Michigan
, Bessemer, Michigan
and Wakefield, Michigan
.
Hurley took its name from M. A. Hurley, a prominent attorney of Wausau
who won a lawsuit for the Northern Chief Iron Company in 1884. The compensation for winning the suit was that he asked for no fee, but only requested that the town involved in the case be named after him. The full name "Glen Hurley" was used for one year, but in 1885, the first name was dropped and the community became known as Hurley.
Henry Meade was the first mayor of Hurley, Wisconsin. John Ankers opened Hurley’s first saloon, and served as Hurley’s first town clerk, first justice of the peace, and first fire chief.
The Gogebic Range Directory of 1888 states: "During the past summer, Hurley was twice visited by terrible fires. The first occurred of June 28 and the second on July 9. These destroyed almost the entire business portion of the city, and at first it was thought that they would prove a crushing blow to its prosperity, but later events have proven that they were blessings in disguise. The wonderful pluck and energy of its businessmen were fully demonstrated when they at once began the erection of fine brick buildings in the place of the wooden ones destroyed. The result has been that the burned portion has been rebuilt with brick and stone, making them nearly fireproof. And Silver Street is one that a much larger city could well be proud of."
Hurley was also the permanent home of Delia Zarzyski, where she lived the entirety of her 89 years with her husband Leonard Zarzyski. They lived on Poplar Street their entire lives where they started their family of three sons. One of these sons, is renowned cowboy poet Paul Zarzyski who performs across the country and has written hundreds of poems and multiple books.
]
The Iron Exchange Bank of Hurley, was the oldest bank
of the Gogebic Range
. It was organized November 26, 1885. Dr. J.C. Reynolds, the bank’s first president, and his brother, W. S. Reynolds, the bank’s first cashier, were the prime movers in the organization of the institution. Associated with them in the organization were John E. Burton, Alvin E. Tyler, Edward Ryan, Nathaniel J. Moore, James A. Wood, and Shepherd Homans, all men prominent in the mining industry in the area in the early days. By 1925, when it celebrated its 40th anniversary, it had withstood all financial depressions.
The first meat market in Hurley was kept by Ilsey and Knox and was opened in 1885.
The first newspaper in Hurley was the Montreal River Miner which was first published on October 8, 1885. After absorbing the Iron County News in 1950 the two papers names were merged to form the Iron County Miner which is still published as a weekly.
The first hotel was located at the corner of Second Avenue and Silver Street in a log building, with James Guest as the first landlord. It was far from a pretentious affair but answered the purpose and furnished food and shelter for many a pioneer and miner in its day.
The Burton House was an immense four-story frame hostelry, which was a famous gathering place in the latter part of the 19th century. John E. Burton erected the building in 1865. A mining speculator, his original wealth came from the iron range. Later he established offices in New York City and bought up other vast mining interests in Mexico and South America. The Burton Hotel contained 100 rooms, a ballroom, dining room, café, and clubrooms, all highly decorated and furnished with the best of the wood workers’ art of the time, and equipped with the best furniture. The Burton Hotel cost $35,000 to construct, and the furniture cost Burton $10,000. Many noteworthy people stayed at the Burton House. Grover Cleveland
registered at the Burton House Saturday, October 5, 1889. By that time he had already served one term as president of the United States. In 1889 when he was in Hurley, he was a New York lawyer. He was elected to the presidency again in 1892.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km²), of which, 3.2 square miles (8.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (4.83%) is water.
It is just across the state border and the Montreal River
from Ironwood, Michigan
.
of 2000, there were 1,818 people, 830 households, and 458 families residing in the city. The population density
was 577.3 people per square mile (222.8/km²). There were 1,025 housing units at an average density of 325.5 per square mile (125.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.36% Caucasian, 0.06% African American, 1.38% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population. 30.3% were of Italian, 20.4% Finnish, 9.7% German
and 9.3% Polish
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 830 households out of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples
living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.8% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.72.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 26.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,821, and the median income for a family was $33,000. Males had a median income of $27,717 versus $17,750 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,554. About 11.0% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.
Hurley Rally held on Memorial Day weekend, a Pumpkin ATV rally held the second weekend of October, and the Red Light Snowmobile
Rally. Both attract thousands of visitors to the area each year. At the 2005 ATV rally, a new Guinness World Record was set for the largest ATV parade, with 687 participants.
's 1934 novel Come and Get It
. Ferber did most of her research for the novel while staying at Hurley's Burton House hotel.
Ralph Capone
, the older brother of famed Chicago
mobster Al Capone
, died in Hurley in 1974.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Iron County
Iron County, Wisconsin
Iron County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 6,861. Its county seat is Hurley.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,818 at the 2000 census. It is directly across the Montreal River from Ironwood, Michigan
Ironwood, Michigan
Ironwood is a city in Gogebic County in the U.S. state of Michigan, about south of Lake Superior. The population was 6,293 at the 2000 census. The city is on US 2 and is situated opposite the Montreal River from Hurley, Wisconsin. It is the westernmost city in Michigan, situated on the same line...
.
History
Hurley is located on the Montreal River, the border between Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of MichiganMichigan
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 was founded to serve the interest of both lumbermen and miners. Hurley and adjacent Gile were lumber towns, while nearby mining towns included Montreal
Montreal, Wisconsin
Montreal is a city in Iron County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 838 at the 2000 census. The neighborhood of Gile is part of the city; however, it still has its own post office and ZIP code: 54525.-History:...
, Ironwood, Michigan
Ironwood, Michigan
Ironwood is a city in Gogebic County in the U.S. state of Michigan, about south of Lake Superior. The population was 6,293 at the 2000 census. The city is on US 2 and is situated opposite the Montreal River from Hurley, Wisconsin. It is the westernmost city in Michigan, situated on the same line...
, Bessemer, Michigan
Bessemer, Michigan
Bessemer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,914. It is the county seat of Gogebic County....
and Wakefield, Michigan
Wakefield, Michigan
Wakefield is a city in Gogebic County in the US state of Michigan. It is located in the western Upper Peninsula. The population was 1,851 at the 2010 census....
.
Hurley took its name from M. A. Hurley, a prominent attorney of Wausau
Wausau, Wisconsin
Wausau is a city in and the county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. The Wisconsin River divides the city. The city is adjacent to the town of Wausau.According to the 2000 census, Wausau had a population of 38,426 people...
who won a lawsuit for the Northern Chief Iron Company in 1884. The compensation for winning the suit was that he asked for no fee, but only requested that the town involved in the case be named after him. The full name "Glen Hurley" was used for one year, but in 1885, the first name was dropped and the community became known as Hurley.
Henry Meade was the first mayor of Hurley, Wisconsin. John Ankers opened Hurley’s first saloon, and served as Hurley’s first town clerk, first justice of the peace, and first fire chief.
The Gogebic Range Directory of 1888 states: "During the past summer, Hurley was twice visited by terrible fires. The first occurred of June 28 and the second on July 9. These destroyed almost the entire business portion of the city, and at first it was thought that they would prove a crushing blow to its prosperity, but later events have proven that they were blessings in disguise. The wonderful pluck and energy of its businessmen were fully demonstrated when they at once began the erection of fine brick buildings in the place of the wooden ones destroyed. The result has been that the burned portion has been rebuilt with brick and stone, making them nearly fireproof. And Silver Street is one that a much larger city could well be proud of."
Hurley was also the permanent home of Delia Zarzyski, where she lived the entirety of her 89 years with her husband Leonard Zarzyski. They lived on Poplar Street their entire lives where they started their family of three sons. One of these sons, is renowned cowboy poet Paul Zarzyski who performs across the country and has written hundreds of poems and multiple books.
Historic locations
The Iron Exchange Bank of Hurley, was the oldest bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
of the Gogebic Range
Gogebic Range
The Gogebic Range extends from Lake Gogebic to the Wisconsin border in the east. It is located at the far western tip of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the south shore of Lake Superior. It refers both to the range of mountains that runs along the route and to the surrounding communities that...
. It was organized November 26, 1885. Dr. J.C. Reynolds, the bank’s first president, and his brother, W. S. Reynolds, the bank’s first cashier, were the prime movers in the organization of the institution. Associated with them in the organization were John E. Burton, Alvin E. Tyler, Edward Ryan, Nathaniel J. Moore, James A. Wood, and Shepherd Homans, all men prominent in the mining industry in the area in the early days. By 1925, when it celebrated its 40th anniversary, it had withstood all financial depressions.
The first meat market in Hurley was kept by Ilsey and Knox and was opened in 1885.
The first newspaper in Hurley was the Montreal River Miner which was first published on October 8, 1885. After absorbing the Iron County News in 1950 the two papers names were merged to form the Iron County Miner which is still published as a weekly.
The first hotel was located at the corner of Second Avenue and Silver Street in a log building, with James Guest as the first landlord. It was far from a pretentious affair but answered the purpose and furnished food and shelter for many a pioneer and miner in its day.
The Burton House was an immense four-story frame hostelry, which was a famous gathering place in the latter part of the 19th century. John E. Burton erected the building in 1865. A mining speculator, his original wealth came from the iron range. Later he established offices in New York City and bought up other vast mining interests in Mexico and South America. The Burton Hotel contained 100 rooms, a ballroom, dining room, café, and clubrooms, all highly decorated and furnished with the best of the wood workers’ art of the time, and equipped with the best furniture. The Burton Hotel cost $35,000 to construct, and the furniture cost Burton $10,000. Many noteworthy people stayed at the Burton House. Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
registered at the Burton House Saturday, October 5, 1889. By that time he had already served one term as president of the United States. In 1889 when he was in Hurley, he was a New York lawyer. He was elected to the presidency again in 1892.
Geography
Hurley is located at 46°27′1"N 90°11′23"W (46.450361, -90.189802).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km²), of which, 3.2 square miles (8.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (4.83%) is water.
It is just across the state border and the Montreal River
Montreal River (Wisconsin-Michigan)
The Montreal River is a river flowing to Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. It is approximately 40 miles long and drains approximately 270 square miles in a forested region. For most of its length, the river's course is used to define a...
from Ironwood, Michigan
Ironwood, Michigan
Ironwood is a city in Gogebic County in the U.S. state of Michigan, about south of Lake Superior. The population was 6,293 at the 2000 census. The city is on US 2 and is situated opposite the Montreal River from Hurley, Wisconsin. It is the westernmost city in Michigan, situated on the same line...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,818 people, 830 households, and 458 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 577.3 people per square mile (222.8/km²). There were 1,025 housing units at an average density of 325.5 per square mile (125.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.36% Caucasian, 0.06% African American, 1.38% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population. 30.3% were of Italian, 20.4% Finnish, 9.7% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and 9.3% Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 830 households out of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.8% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.72.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 26.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,821, and the median income for a family was $33,000. Males had a median income of $27,717 versus $17,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,554. About 11.0% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
 |
U.S. 2 U.S. Route 2 U.S. Route 2 is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada... runs west to Ashland, Wisconsin Ashland, Wisconsin Ashland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is a port on Lake Superior, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 8,695 at the 2010 census.... and Duluth, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,... , intersecting U.S. 51 U.S. Route 51 U.S. Route 51 is a north–south United States highway that runs for 1,286 miles from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana to within of the Wisconsin-Michigan border. Much of the highway in Illinois and southern Wisconsin runs parallel to or overlaps Interstate 39... at the Michigan/Wisconsin border at Ironwood Ironwood, Michigan Ironwood is a city in Gogebic County in the U.S. state of Michigan, about south of Lake Superior. The population was 6,293 at the 2000 census. The city is on US 2 and is situated opposite the Montreal River from Hurley, Wisconsin. It is the westernmost city in Michigan, situated on the same line... and then goes east to Iron Mountain Iron Mountain, Michigan Iron Mountain is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,154. It is the county seat of Dickinson County, in the state's Upper Peninsula.... . |
 |
U.S. 51 U.S. Route 51 U.S. Route 51 is a north–south United States highway that runs for 1,286 miles from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana to within of the Wisconsin-Michigan border. Much of the highway in Illinois and southern Wisconsin runs parallel to or overlaps Interstate 39... northbound US 51 terminates at Hurley. Southbound, US 51 routes to Wausau, Wisconsin Wausau, Wisconsin Wausau is a city in and the county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. The Wisconsin River divides the city. The city is adjacent to the town of Wausau.According to the 2000 census, Wausau had a population of 38,426 people... ; where it intersects with Interstate 39 Interstate 39 Interstate 39 is a highway in the midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois at Interstate 55 to Highway 29 in Rothschild, Wisconsin, approximately six miles south of Wausau. I-39 was designed to replace US Highway 51, which in the early 1980s was one of the busiest two-lane... . |
 |
WIS 77 starts just at the state line in Hurley and travels southwest. |
Recreation
Hurley is known for its ATVAll-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
Hurley Rally held on Memorial Day weekend, a Pumpkin ATV rally held the second weekend of October, and the Red Light Snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
Rally. Both attract thousands of visitors to the area each year. At the 2005 ATV rally, a new Guinness World Record was set for the largest ATV parade, with 687 participants.
Popular culture
A fictionalized version of Hurley was the subject of Edna FerberEdna Ferber
Edna Ferber was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels were especially popular and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big , Show Boat , and Giant .-Early years:Ferber was born August 15, 1885, in Kalamazoo, Michigan,...
's 1934 novel Come and Get It
Come and Get It (novel)
Come and Get It is a 1935 novel by American author Edna Ferber. A film version with the same title was produced in 1936....
. Ferber did most of her research for the novel while staying at Hurley's Burton House hotel.
Ralph Capone
Ralph Capone
Ralph "Bottles" Capone, Sr., was a Chicago mobster and an older brother of Al Capone. Ralph Capone got the nickname "Bottles" from the fact that he lobbied the Illinois Legislature to put into law that milk bottling companies had to stamp the date that the milk was bottled on the...
, the older brother of famed Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
mobster Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
, died in Hurley in 1974.
Notable residents
- Tony AveTony AveTony Ave is a race car driver born in Hurley, Wisconsin, U.S.. He competed in the Grand-Am Series from 2000 until 2002, in Formula Atlantic from 1996 until 2001, and in the Trans-Am in 2002. He also made three Indy Lights starts in 1993 and one Indy Pro Series start in 2003...
, racecar driver. - Len CalligaroLen CalligaroLen Calligaro is a former blocking back in the National Football League. He played with the New York Giants during the 1944 NFL season.-References:...
, NFL player - Meghan Chavalier, actress
- Chester P. EmunsonChester P. Emunson-Biography:Emunson was born on August 16, 1886 in Hurley, Wisconsin, and died in 1956. He was known to be a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.-Career:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan 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"....
State Representative - Everis A. HayesEveris A. HayesEveris Anson Hayes was a U.S. Representative from California.Born in Waterloo, Wisconsin, Hayes attended the public schools....
, U.S. Representative from CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - Alvin O'KonskiAlvin O'KonskiAlvin Edward O'Konski was a United States Representative from Wisconsin. Born on a farm near Kewaunee, he attended the local public schools and the University of Iowa. He graduated from State Teachers College in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1927 and from the University of Wisconsin in 1932...
, U.S. Representative - Frank RooneyFrank Rooney (baseball)Frank Rooney was an Austro-Hungarian Major League Baseball infielder. He played for the Indianapolis Hoosiers during the season.He is buried in Hurley, Wisconsin.-References:...
, MLB player - Emil Bernard StellaEmil Bernard StellaEmil Bernard Stella was an officer in the United States Naval Reserve during World War II. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.-Biography:Stella was born on December 18, 1914 in Hurley, Wisconsin...
, Navy CrossNavy CrossThe Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
recipient - Joseph SullivanJoseph Sullivan (FBI)Joseph Aloysius Sullivan was a Major Case Inspector for the FBI. Born in Montreal, Wisconsin, he grew up in Hurley, Wisconsin. He was involved in a number of highly publicized cases in the sixties and seventies including the Martin Luther King, Jr...
, an FBI major case inspector who led the investigation of the murders of three civil rights workersMississippi civil rights worker murdersThe Mississippi civil rights workers murders involved the lynching of three political activists in Neshoba County, Mississippi on June 21, 1964, during the American Civil Rights Movement....
in 1964, depicted in the movie Mississippi BurningMississippi BurningMississippi Burning is a 1988 American crime drama film loosely based on the FBI investigation into the real-life murders of three civil rights workers in the U.S. state of Mississippi in 1964. The film focuses on two fictional FBI agents who investigate the murders... - Thomas Kirby, an hydraulics engineer who helped develop the landing gear for jetliners and steering gear for ballistic missile submarines