Iron Mountain, Michigan
Encyclopedia
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
.
Iron Mountain is the principal city of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI
Micropolitan Statistical Area
, which includes all of Dickinson County, Michigan and Florence County
in Wisconsin.
Iron Mountain hosts a few points of interest such as the Millie Hill bat
cave, The Cornish Pump, and is located adjacent to Pine Mountain ski jump
/ski resort, one of the largest artificial ski jumps in the world. It shares Woodward Avenue with the neighboring town, Kingsford
. In addition, Iron Mountain is known for its pasties
, Bocce Ball Tournaments, World Cup Ski Jumps
, and Italian cuisine
. Iron Mountain was also named a "Michigan Main Street" community by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm
in 2006. It is one of only thirteen such communities in the State of Michigan in 2008. It is also the hometown of Michigan State University
men's basketball coach Tom Izzo
and former football coach Steve Mariucci
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.8 square miles (20.2 km²), of which, 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (7.69%) is water.
Iron Mountain is located at 45°49′12.87"N 88°04′00"W
, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines
.
of 2000, there were 8,154 people, 3,458 households, and 2,147 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,132.6 per square mile (437.3/km²). There were 3,819 housing units at an average density of 530.5 per square mile (204.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.67% White, 0.20% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races
, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population. 20.6% were of Italian, 14.0% German
, 9.0% Swedish, 8.8% English
, 8.8% French
, 5.8% Finnish and 5.5% Irish
ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.2% spoke English
and 1.4% Italian
as their first language.
There were 3,458 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples
living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,526, and the median income for a family was $43,687. Males had a median income of $38,309 versus $22,533 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,918. About 9.4% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
hibernacula
in the Midwest
. Roughly 25,000-50,000 bats make their winter home there.
Iron Mountain is home of the largest steam-driven pumping engine in the United States. The Chapin Mine Pumping Engine (Cornish Pump) was patterned after the ones used in Cornwall
in the deep tin mines.
Edwin Reynolds, chief engineer for the E.P. Allis Company (now the Allis-Chalmers Co.) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, designed the steam engine in 1890. The engine's high pressure cylinder has a 50 inches (1,270 mm) bore, and the low pressure cylinder is 100 inches (2,540 mm) in diameter. The flywheel is 40 feet (12.2 m) in diameter, weighs 160 tons, and had an average speed of only 10 revolutions per minute. The drive shaft to the flywheel is 24 inches (609.6 mm) in diameter. The engine itself rises 54 feet (16.5 m) above the floor of the room. The designers estimate the weight to be 725 tons over all.
The pumping equipment utilized a reciprocating motion to a line of steel rods extending 1500 feet (457.2 m) down into the mine, with eight pumps attached at intervals of 170 to 192 feet (58.5 m) along the rods. Each of the pumps forced the water to the next higher pump and finally out to the surface of the mine.
As the engine was designed to run slowly, the pumps had a capacity of over 300 gallons per stroke of the pistons. At ten revolutions per minute, this meant over 3,000 gallons of water poured out through a 28 inches (711.2 mm) pipe every minute. A total of 5,000,000 gallons of water could be removed from the mine each day. At that time the pump's estimated cost was nearly $250,000.
After only a few years of successful operation, the giant pumping facility was moved from the "D" shaft of the Chapin Mine. More than a million tons of the best grade ore found in the entire mine was discovered directly below the pump, so it was essential that it be moved for excavation. In 1898 the pump was dismantled and stored away until 1907 when it was reassembled on the "C" shaft of the Chapin Mine. The pump operated here until 1932 when the Chapin Mine permanently closed its doors. In 1934 the pumping engine was offered to the County of Dickinson as a relic for sightseers to visit. The pump remained exposed to the elements for nearly 50 years, and in 1982 a building was constructed around the pump by the Menominee Range Historical Foundation. Today the Cornish Pumping Engine & Mining Museum exists on the site.
The Chapin Mine Pumping Engine (Cornish Pump) was designated as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Monument by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers on June 6, 1987 and has been featured in the History Channel's Modern Marvels Series on the World's Biggest Machines.
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"....
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the city population was 8,154. It is the county seat
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 Dickinson County
Dickinson County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 27,472 people, 11,386 households, and 7,583 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 13,702 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
, in the state's 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...
.
Iron Mountain is the principal city of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI
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...
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Iron Mountain micropolitan area
The Iron Mountain Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties – one in Michigan and one in Wisconsin – anchored by the city of Iron Mountain, Michigan...
, which includes all of Dickinson County, Michigan and Florence County
Florence County, Wisconsin
Florence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 5,088. Its county seat is Florence.Florence County is part of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
in Wisconsin.
Iron Mountain hosts a few points of interest such as the Millie Hill bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
cave, The Cornish Pump, and is located adjacent to Pine Mountain ski jump
Pine Mountain ski jump
The Pine Mountain Ski Jump is one of the highest artificially created ski jumps in the world, located in Breitung Township Dickinson County, Iron Mountain, Michigan. It is part of the Kiwanis Ski Club and hosts annual FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup competitions...
/ski resort, one of the largest artificial ski jumps in the world. It shares Woodward Avenue with the neighboring town, Kingsford
Kingsford, Michigan
Kingsford is a city in Dickinson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,549 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI Micropolitan Statistical Area....
. In addition, Iron Mountain is known for its pasties
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...
, Bocce Ball Tournaments, World Cup Ski Jumps
Ski jumping World Cup
The FIS Ski Jumping World Cup is a ski jumping tournament held yearly by the International Ski Federation since 1979–80 season.- World Cup points :...
, and Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
. Iron Mountain was also named a "Michigan Main Street" community by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer Mulhern Granholm is a Canadian-born American politician, educator, and author who served as Attorney General and 47th Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. A member of the Democratic Party, Granholm became Michigan's first female governor on January 1, 2003, when she succeeded Governor...
in 2006. It is one of only thirteen such communities in the State of Michigan in 2008. It is also the hometown of Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
men's basketball coach Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo is an American college basketball coach. Since 1995, he has been the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, presiding over a prolonged period of success....
and former football coach Steve Mariucci
Steve Mariucci
Stephen Ray "Steve" Mariucci is a former National Football League coach. He coached for the San Francisco 49ers and most recently for the Detroit Lions.-Early career:...
.
Geography
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 7.8 square miles (20.2 km²), of which, 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (7.69%) is water.
Iron Mountain is located at 45°49′12.87"N 88°04′00"W
Air Travel
The Iron Mountain area is served by Ford Airport (airport code: IMT). Air travel is provide by Pinnacle AirlinesPinnacle Airlines
Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. is an American regional airline, which is a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp., and operates as Delta Connection for Delta Air Lines...
, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
.
Highways
US 2U.S. Route 2U.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...
routes east to EscanabaEscanaba, MichiganEscanaba is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, located in the banana belt on the state's Upper Peninsula. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 13,140, making it the third-largest city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie...
and west to IronwoodIronwood, MichiganIronwood 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...
.
US 8U.S. Route 8U.S. Highway 8 is a United States Highway that runs primarily east–west for , mostly within the state of Wisconsin. It runs from Interstate 35 in Forest Lake, Minnesota to US 2 at Norway in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan near the border with Wisconsin. Except for the short freeway...
eastbound US 8 ends in nearby NorwayNorway, MichiganNorway is a city in Dickinson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,959 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI Micropolitan Statistical Area....
at US 2 & US 141. Westbound US 8 heads RhinelanderRhinelander, WisconsinRhinelander is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 7,735 at the 2000 census.-Claim to fame:...
, WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin 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...
.
US 141U.S. Route 141U.S. Route 141 is a north–south highway in the U.S. states of Michigan and Wisconsin. US 41 is its parent route. Its northern terminus, on US 41, is near Covington, Michigan; its southern terminus, with I-43 near Bellevue, Wisconsin; it remains in existence in Green Bay, Wisconsin as a...
North merges with US 2 just east of the city toward Crystal FallsCrystal Falls, Michigan-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,791 people, 795 households, and 470 families residing in the city. The population density was 530.6 per square mile . There were 913 housing units at an average density of 270.5 per square mile...
. South it continues on to Green BayGreen Bay, WisconsinGreen Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, Wisconsin.
M-95M-95 (Michigan highway)M-95, designated as the Leif Erickson Memorial Highway, is a state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. Running from Kingsford to near Champion in Humboldt Township, it is the main connection between Iron Mountain and Marquette along with US 41.M-95 was previously...
connects with KingsfordKingsford, MichiganKingsford is a city in Dickinson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,549 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI Micropolitan Statistical Area....
just to the south and with M-69 east at Randville about 14 miles (22.5 km) north.
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 8,154 people, 3,458 households, and 2,147 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 1,132.6 per square mile (437.3/km²). There were 3,819 housing units at an average density of 530.5 per square mile (204.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.67% White, 0.20% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population. 20.6% were of Italian, 14.0% 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....
, 9.0% Swedish, 8.8% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 8.8% French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, 5.8% Finnish and 5.5% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.2% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 1.4% Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
as their first language.
There were 3,458 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% 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, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,526, and the median income for a family was $43,687. Males had a median income of $38,309 versus $22,533 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 $19,918. About 9.4% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
Television
- W43AN (//WLUK-TVWLUK-TVWLUK-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Fox River Valley area and Northeastern Wisconsin. Licensed to Green Bay, Wisconsin, the station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11 from a transmitter on Scray's Hill in Ledgeview; the station also broadcasts in...
) - K47AF
- W56BF (//WGBAWGBAWGBA-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Northeastern Wisconsin's Fox River Valley licensed to Green Bay. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 41 from a transmitter in the Shirley section of De Pere. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable and...
, ch. 57 move possible and recorded carrying same station) - W59AQ
- K69BA (//WNMU-TV)
Iron Mountain aerial cable system
Iron Mountain has a network of encrypted low-powered UHF repeaters, similar in concept to the subscription television services implemented in larger markets in the 1970s and early-1980s. Channels offered include:- W63AW (TNTTurner Network TelevisionTurner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
) - W65BN (TNNTNN Motor Sports/TNN SportsTNN Sports was a unit of The Nashville Network, and later as The National Network . TNN Sports aired Motorsports events from 1983–2003, the XFL in 2001, and Arena Football League games from 2000–2003-History:It all began when the network launched in 1983...
) - W67AO (MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
/Disney ChannelDisney ChannelDisney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
)
Radio
Radio stations that are located within listening range of Iron Mountain include:- WNMU-FMWNMU-FMWNMU-FM is a radio station in the United States, broadcasting at FM 90.1 in Marquette, Michigan. The station, owned by Northern Michigan University, is a National Public Radio member station, airing a large amount of classical and jazz music along with a variety of other local programming...
90.1 FM Northern Michigan UniversityNorthern Michigan UniversityNorthern Michigan University is a four-year college public university established in 1899 located in Marquette, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. With a population of nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Northern Michigan University is the Upper Peninsula's largest...
MarquetteMarquette, MichiganMarquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
, Phone National Public Radio - WMVM-FM 90.7 FM Goodman-Armstrong Creek, Wisconsin, Gospel
- WVCMWVCMWVCM is a radio station broadcasting a religious format and owned by VCY America. Licensed to Iron Mountain, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 2002....
91.5 FM VCY AmericaVCY AmericaVoice of Christian Youth America, aka, the VCY America Radio Network, is a traditional, evangelical Christian ministry based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin which maintains a format of sacred music and spirituals through all of its broadcast outlets.-History:...
Iron Mountain, Religious - WIMK 93.1 FM Iron Mountain, Phone Classic Rock
- WZNLWZNLWZNL is a radio station licensed to Norway, Michigan, USA, and serving the Norway, Iron Mountain, and Kingsford areas of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The station broadcasts a hot adult contemporary music format. The station is currently owned by Northern Star Broadcasting, with a sale pending to...
94.3 FM NorwayNorway, MichiganNorway is a city in Dickinson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,959 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, Phone Adult Contemporary - WEUL 98.1 FM Gospel Opportunities Radio NetworkGospel Opportunities Radio Network- Sources :***...
KingsfordKingsford, MichiganKingsford is a city in Dickinson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,549 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, Phone Religious - WIKB-FMWIKB-FMWIKB-FM is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Iron River, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1981....
99.1 FM Iron RiverIron River, MichiganIron River is a city in Iron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,929. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 population estimate for this city was 3,122....
, Phone Oldies - WOBEWOBEWOBE is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Crystal Falls, Michigan, with studios in Iron Mountain, it first began broadcasting in 1999, carrying the Oldies Radio package from ABC Radio Networks. The station is now affiliated with Jones Radio Networks' Classic Hits...
100.7 FM Crystal FallsCrystal Falls, Michigan-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,791 people, 795 households, and 470 families residing in the city. The population density was 530.6 per square mile . There were 913 housing units at an average density of 270.5 per square mile...
, Oldies - WJNR 101.5 FM Iron Mountain, Frog Country
- WMXGWMXGWMXG is an FM radio station located in Stephenson, Michigan broadcasting a classic hits format during the day and a rock format during the evening. The station's studios are located in Escanaba, Michigan....
106.3 FM StephensonStephenson, MichiganStephenson is a city in Menominee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 875 at the 2000 census. The city is located within Stephenson Township and is part of the Marinette, WI–MI Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Phone Top-40 - WHTOWHTOWHTO is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Iron Mountain, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 2003. The station's programming is delivered via satellite from Dial Global's Kool Gold network....
106.7 FM Iron Mountain, 80's Rock - WFER 1230 AM Iron River, Phone Oldies
- WMIQWMIQWMIQ is an AM radio station located in Iron Mountain, Michigan. WMIQ is the Detroit Lions radio affiliate for Iron Mountain and the surrounding areas....
1450 AM Iron Mountain, Phone Talk
Environmental importance
Iron Mountain's abandoned Millie Hill mine is home to one of the largest batBat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
hibernacula
Hibernaculum (zoology)
Hibernaculum plural form: hibernacula is a word used in zoology to refer to a place of abode in which a creature seeks refuge, such as a bear using a cave to overwinter. Insects may hibernate to survive the winter. The word can be used to describe a variety of shelters used by various kinds of...
in the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. Roughly 25,000-50,000 bats make their winter home there.
Historical Importance
Iron Mountain was once a mining city when the Chapin Mine was up and running. The land that the Chapin Mine was formed on was discovered in 1879. It was discovered by two men, James John Hagerman and Dr. Nelson Powell Hulst. They had leased the land from a man from Niles, Michigan, Henry Chapin, hence the name of the mine. They began to sink shafts on the slope of Millie Hill. Then on July 5, 1879, Captain John Wicks and seven other men were sent into the forest with a wagon filled with tools to search for a place to set up camp. After numerous unsuccessful shafts the company was ready to shut down operation. Hagerman and Hulst had faith in the land and tried one more shaft. The shaft was 90 feet (27.4 m) deep and many months later, there was a successful hit that was at the heart of the iron ore. The original land was very swampy and filled with trees. To get rid of all this water the Chapin Mine Pumping Engine was created.Iron Mountain is home of the largest steam-driven pumping engine in the United States. The Chapin Mine Pumping Engine (Cornish Pump) was patterned after the ones used in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
in the deep tin mines.
Edwin Reynolds, chief engineer for the E.P. Allis Company (now the Allis-Chalmers Co.) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, designed the steam engine in 1890. The engine's high pressure cylinder has a 50 inches (1,270 mm) bore, and the low pressure cylinder is 100 inches (2,540 mm) in diameter. The flywheel is 40 feet (12.2 m) in diameter, weighs 160 tons, and had an average speed of only 10 revolutions per minute. The drive shaft to the flywheel is 24 inches (609.6 mm) in diameter. The engine itself rises 54 feet (16.5 m) above the floor of the room. The designers estimate the weight to be 725 tons over all.
The pumping equipment utilized a reciprocating motion to a line of steel rods extending 1500 feet (457.2 m) down into the mine, with eight pumps attached at intervals of 170 to 192 feet (58.5 m) along the rods. Each of the pumps forced the water to the next higher pump and finally out to the surface of the mine.
As the engine was designed to run slowly, the pumps had a capacity of over 300 gallons per stroke of the pistons. At ten revolutions per minute, this meant over 3,000 gallons of water poured out through a 28 inches (711.2 mm) pipe every minute. A total of 5,000,000 gallons of water could be removed from the mine each day. At that time the pump's estimated cost was nearly $250,000.
After only a few years of successful operation, the giant pumping facility was moved from the "D" shaft of the Chapin Mine. More than a million tons of the best grade ore found in the entire mine was discovered directly below the pump, so it was essential that it be moved for excavation. In 1898 the pump was dismantled and stored away until 1907 when it was reassembled on the "C" shaft of the Chapin Mine. The pump operated here until 1932 when the Chapin Mine permanently closed its doors. In 1934 the pumping engine was offered to the County of Dickinson as a relic for sightseers to visit. The pump remained exposed to the elements for nearly 50 years, and in 1982 a building was constructed around the pump by the Menominee Range Historical Foundation. Today the Cornish Pumping Engine & Mining Museum exists on the site.
The Chapin Mine Pumping Engine (Cornish Pump) was designated as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Monument by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers on June 6, 1987 and has been featured in the History Channel's Modern Marvels Series on the World's Biggest Machines.
Notable current and former residents of Iron Mountain
- John BioloJohn BioloJohn Robert Biolo Sr. was a guard in the National Football League.-Biography:Biolo was born on February 8, 1916 in Iron Mountain, Michigan.John died on Feb...
, former NFL player for the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... - Robert J. FlahertyRobert J. FlahertyRobert Joseph Flaherty, F.R.G.S. was an American filmmaker who directed and produced the first commercially successful feature length documentary film, Nanook of the North...
, a filmmaker who directed and produced the first commercially successful feature length documentary film, Nanook of the NorthNanook of the NorthNanook of the North is a 1922 silent documentary film by Robert J. Flaherty. In the tradition of what would later be called salvage ethnography, Flaherty captured the struggles of the Inuk Nanook and his family in the Canadian arctic...
, in 1922. - Walter S. Goodland, Governor of WisconsinGovernor of WisconsinThe Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
, practiced law and owned a newspaper. - Tom IzzoTom IzzoTom Izzo is an American college basketball coach. Since 1995, he has been the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, presiding over a prolonged period of success....
, the men's basketball head coach for Michigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
since 1995. - Steve MariucciSteve MariucciStephen Ray "Steve" Mariucci is a former National Football League coach. He coached for the San Francisco 49ers and most recently for the Detroit Lions.-Early career:...
, former NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
head coach for the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. - Thomas Lawrence NoaThomas Lawrence NoaThomas Lawrence Noa was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Marquette from 1947 to 1968.-Biography:...
, Roman Catholic bishop. - Gene RonzaniGene RonzaniGene Ronzani was the second head coach of the Green Bay Packers. He coached the Packers from 1951 until 1953. He resigned with two games remaining in the 1953 season and was replaced on an interim basis by the tandem of Hugh Devore and Ray Scooter McLean....
, former NFL head coach of the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... - Albert J. WilkeAlbert J. Wilke-Biography:Wilke was born on December 31, 1895 in Port Washington, Wisconsin. He passed away on July 29, 1977 in Iron Mountain, Michigan.-Career:Wilke was a member of the Senate from 1949 to 1950. Previously, he was Register of Deeds of Dickinson County, Michigan from 1935 to 1946 and a delegate to...
, Michigan State Senator - Leonard L. "Chick" LaPointe, writer and neuroscientist, born in Iron Mountain and raised in Channing, MI, who has written 10 books on brain-based communication disorders and lectured worldwide on the topic.