Calumet ( / ˌ k æ l j uː ˈ m ɛ t / KAL -yoo- MET or locally / ˌ k æ lj ə ˈ m ɛ t / KAL -yə- MET ) is a village in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The village is in Calumet Township, Houghton County, and had 621 people at the 2020 census.

Calumet was once the main location for copper mining in Michigan. The village has a part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park. It also includes the Calumet Downtown Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Most of the village is part of the Calumet Historic District, a larger area that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark District.

History

Calumet was first settled in 1864 and was originally called Red Jacket, named after a Seneca tribe chief. Until 1895, the name "Calumet" was used by a nearby town in Michigan. The area that is now Calumet was not officially named Calumet until 1929.

Red Jacket grew because of copper mines nearby. It became an official town in 1867. The copper mines were very rich, and a company called Calumet and Hecla, based in Boston, produced more than half of the United States’ copper between 1871 and 1880. In addition to mining, the area had a dairy industry and farms that grew vegetables and raised animals for sale. Many people from Poland and other countries moved there in the late 1800s.

By 1900, Red Jacket had 4,668 people. The larger area, called Calumet Township, had 25,991 people. However, in 1913, Red Jacket was affected by the Copper Country Strike of 1913–1914, and its population began to drop. That same year, the town was the site of the Italian Hall Disaster. On Christmas Eve, striking miners and their families gathered for a party in Italian Hall. When someone shouted "fire," a crowd rushed to escape, causing a stampede that killed 73 people, more than half of them children under 10 years old. The person or people who started the stampede were never identified. A song called "1913 Massacre," written by folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1945, describes this event.

After World War I, the price of copper dropped because of reduced demand. This led thousands of people to leave Red Jacket in the 1920s, with many moving to Detroit, Michigan, where the automobile industry was growing.

During the Great Depression, most mines closed, and many miners and their families left to find work. In 1950, Calumet had a population of 1,256 people. Small-scale mining continued in the area, especially during World War II, until a labor strike in 1968 shut down mining completely.

By 1968, most of Calumet’s population from the early 1900s had already left. The closure of the Calumet and Hecla mine marked the town’s decline. In 1992, Keweenaw National Historic Park was created to help the region focus on tourism and preserving history. While tourism has grown, it has not fully replaced losses in other industries like construction and manufacturing. This is partly because tourism in the area is only busy from May to October. As of 2022, Calumet’s population of people who live there all year continues to decrease.

Geography

The village is bordered on the north by Calumet Township, on the south by the unincorporated towns of Newtown and Blue Jacket, on the east by Blue Jacket and Calumet Township, and on the west by Yellow Jacket and Calumet Township. According to the United States Census Bureau , the village has a total area of 0.20 square miles (0.52 km ), all of it land.

Calumet is located at an elevation of 1,209 feet (369 m) above sea level. The village is built above 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of underground mine shafts, drifts, and stopes, which have been empty for many years. Large parts of the Keweenaw National Historical Park are located within the village boundaries, mostly covering the complex of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company's main operations.

Transportation

• US 41 runs near the village and mainly goes from southwest to northeast on Copper Island. This highway connects to Hancock and Houghton, which are about 10 miles (16 km) southwest, and continues to cities like Marquette and Escanaba. Southeast of Calumet, US 41 crosses with M-26, which leads to Laurium and Lake Linden.

• M-203 runs just north of the village. This route is mainly used for recreation and connects to McLain State Park and the Keweenaw Waterway, which is between Calumet and Hancock.

Houghton County Memorial Airport (KCMX) is mainly located in Oneco, a nearby area. It serves Calumet, Houghton County, and nearby areas.

Calumet had several railroad routes, including:

• The Copper Range Railroad passed through Calumet and went northeast to Gay’s stamp mills.
• The Hecla & Torch Lake Railroad transported ore from the village’s mines to stamp mills in Lake Linden.
• The Mineral Range Railroad also operated in Calumet.

People and culture

An important part of the food culture in Calumet and the Copper Country is the pasty. This was a common food for copper miners. A pasty is made by wrapping meat, potatoes, rutabaga, carrots, and onions in a crust made of flour and lard. Traditionally from Cornwall, pasties have inspired local events like the Pasty Fest. This event includes eating contests, games, and a tug of war where the losing team jumps into an inflatable pool filled with ketchup.

The Calumet Theatre is a theater and opera house that opened in 1900. In 1898, the copper mining industry was growing rapidly, and the town had extra money in its treasury. The town council used some of this money to build a theater. The theater welcomed many famous actors, musicians, and opera singers. After the mines closed, the theater became a movie theater and fell into disrepair for many years. In 1975, the town began a project to restore the theater, which is now used for local and touring performances. The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 5, 1971, and is also a Michigan State Historic Site. It was the original recording location for the Red Jacket Jamboree, an old-time radio show broadcast on Michigan public radio stations like Interlochen Public Radio and WNMU Public Radio 90.

Every two years, Calumet High School graduates hold an all-school reunion. This event includes activities like a classic car show and parade.

Pasty Fest is a one-day event held every summer in downtown Calumet. It celebrates the pasty, which was introduced to the area by Cornish miners in the mid-1800s. The meat and vegetable "pie" became a regular food for miners in the Upper Peninsula. The event features a parade, street fair, live music, a pasty eating contest, and a competition for the best pasty among local restaurants.

Public education

Public education in Calumet is provided by the Public Schools of Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw. High school education is provided by Calumet High School, and the school's teams are called the "Copper Kings."

Media

Calumet is the city where the CW network station WBKP, channel 5, is based. This station shares a studio with the ABC network station WBUP, channel 10, which is licensed to Ishpeming. Both studios are located on Wright Street in west Marquette. The transmitter for WBKP is located on Tolonen Hill near the unincorporated area of Painesdale in Adams Township. Calumet is mainly covered by the Marquette media market.

Churches

St. Paul the Apostle Church, which was once called St. Joseph's Catholic Church, was started in 1889 by Slovenian immigrants who moved to the Calumet area to work in the growing copper mining industry. The first church they built was destroyed by fire in 1902, but a new church made of sandstone was completed by 1908. The church "stands tall over the village like a cathedral from medieval Europe." When it was finished, the cost of building it was $100,000, which was a very large amount of money at the time. The church is made of Jacobsville sandstone from the local area and includes stained glass windows, a custom-made pipe organ that is 19 feet by 18 feet, and an interior that is beautifully painted. The inside of the church has remained almost the same in terms of design. In 1966, four of the five Catholic churches in the Calumet area had to join together because there were not enough people attending church and there were financial problems. These churches included St. Anne's (the French church), St. John's (the Croatian church), St. Mary's (the Italian church), and St. Joseph's. The combined group now uses the old St. Joseph's building and is called St. Paul the Apostle Church. Today, the church has a large and active group of members who help pay for its maintenance.

At one time, Calumet had six active Lutheran churches (two of which were Laestadian), three Methodist churches, as well as one Episcopal, Congregationalist, Baptist, and Presbyterian church. Today, only one Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, and Episcopal church remain open. Another Baptist church has also opened recently. Two of the former Lutheran churches and the Presbyterian church still exist but are not currently used.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the village had 726 people, 376 households, and 161 families. The population density was 3,630.0 people per square mile (1,401.6/km²). There were 512 housing units, with an average density of 2,560.0 per square mile (988.4/km²). The racial makeup was 96.8% White, 0.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 2.5% of the population.

Out of 376 households, 21.5% had children under 18 living with them, 23.4% were married couples, 14.6% had a female householder without a husband, 4.8% had a male householder without a wife, and 57.2% were non-families. 48.9% of households were single individuals, and 20.5% had someone 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 1.93, and the average family size was 2.78.

The median age in the village was 40.4 years. 20.4% of residents were under 18, 11.4% were 18 to 24, 22.5% were 25 to 44, 27.6% were 45 to 64, and 18.2% were 65 or older. The gender distribution was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

As of the 2000 census, the village had 879 people, 387 households, and 136 families. The population density was 4,524.2 people per square mile (1,746.8/km²). There were 491 housing units, with an average density of 2,527.1 per square mile (975.7/km²). The racial makeup was 98.98% White, 0.23% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 35.7% were of Finnish ancestry, 10.3% German, 9.3% Irish, 7.1% United States or American, 7.0% French, and 6.5% Italian. 95.7% spoke English, 3.0% Spanish, and 1.2% Finnish as their first language.

Out of 387 households, 20.2% had children under 18, 19.9% were married couples, 12.4% had a female householder without a husband, and 64.6% were non-families. 58.1% of households were single individuals, and 25.8% had someone 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 1.85, and the average family size was 3.12.

In 2000, 20.0% of the population was under 18, 24.8% were 18 to 24, 21.8% were 25 to 44, 15.8% were 45 to 64, and 17.5% were 65 or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.

The median household income in 2010 was $17,404, and the median family income was $22,750. Males had a median income of $21,667, while females had $18,125. The per capita income was $12,111. About 29.0% of families and 35.0% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 50.5% of those under 18 and 18.9% of those 65 or older.

Attractions

Some of the notable attractions in the village include:

• The Calumet Theatre, which opened in 1900, is one of the first theaters built by the local government in the United States.
• The old 1898 Red Jacket Fire Hall on 6th Street is a Keweenaw Heritage Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built using Jacobsville Sandstone from the Keweenaw Bay. Today it houses the Copper Country Firefighters Museum.
• The Calumet and Hecla Library at 101 Red Jacket Avenue had more books in its collection than the Michigan state library.
• The Calumet Visitor Center, a museum about the region’s mining history operated by the Keweenaw National Historical Park, is located in an old Oddfellows lodge.
• The Keweenaw Storytelling Center, located in a historic Woolworth’s building in the Calumet Historic District, is where The Red Jacket Jamboree variety show is recorded.
• The Calumet Historic District is listed as a National Historic Landmark District of the United States and is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Calumet Colosseum is the oldest continuously operating ice rink in North America.
• Lions Park is a park with views of a lake, walking trails, and a disc golf course.

Notable people

• Hunk Anderson, head football coach of Notre Dame and Chicago Bears
• Rip Bachor, football player
• Carmen L. Browne, author and illustrator
• Bill Burich, Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies
• Ferdinand J. Chesarek, United States Army general during the Second World War and Purple Heart recipient
• Anna Clemenc (aka "Big Annie"), labor activist and regional heroine
• Brian Despain, artist associated with Dungeons & Dragons
• John Entenza, architect known for his modernist designs
• Jeff Finger, professional ice hockey player who resides in Calumet during the summertime
• Norm Harvey, football player
• Bill Ivey, former chairman of Country Music Hall of Fame and National Endowment of the Arts
• Fred "Ojay" Larson, football player
• Jack Lester, heavyweight boxer
• Allan MacRae, theologian and co-founder of the Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania
• Russ McLeod, football player
• Stanley Muirhead, football player
• Joseph G. Pinten, Catholic bishop of Superior, Wisconsin
• Jack Real, aerospace pioneer and associate of Howard Hughes
• Paul D. Rogers, U.S. Army Major General and Michigan's 34th State adjutant general
• Percy Ross, self-made multi-millionaire
• John Sherf, 1st U.S.-born Stanley Cup Champion
• Albert Joseph Smith, Marine and Medal of Honor recipient
• Paul J. Smith, music composer; wrote compositions for Disney
• James Tolkan, actor, known for his roles in films Back to the Future and Top Gun
• Charlie Uksila, professional hockey player
• Dominic Vairo, football player for the Green Bay Packers
• Rudy Zunich, ice hockey player

Gallery

• A view of historic Fifth Street from 2017
• The Calumet Theater on 6th Street in 2004
• The location where the Italian Hall once stood, now demolished. This was the site of the Italian Hall disaster, one of the saddest events in American labor history and the most intense part of a violent and stressful strike. The event had a lasting impact on the Keweenaw region.
• A view of the Village of Calumet in 2016
• The Miscowaubik Club of Calumet in 2011
• Calumet Colosseum, the oldest indoor ice arena still in use
• A Christmas window display at the Keweenaw Storytelling Center
• The Keweenaw Storytelling Center located on 5th Street (2020)
• A view of 6th Street looking north
• The interior of the Calumet Theatre on 6th Street