The History of Downtown Ishpeming
Ishpeming's history is rooted in the discovery of Iron Ore in the 1840's. In 1846,a Chippewa Indian named Madji-Gesick led explorer, Philo Everett, to a shining mountain. What Everett found was a mountain of ore measuring 180 feet high and 1,000 feet wide. This historic spot was named Jasper Knob--known today as the World's Largest Gemstone.
Up until 1862, this area was referred to as The Lake Superior Location, but the settlers saw it fit to give the City an official name. Translating the Chippewa Indian name for "on the summit", the settlers gave the name of ISHPEMING to the newly formed City. The name proved to be fitting for a City that is situated upon the dividing ridge between the waters of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan and 850 feet above Lake Superior.
"Ishpeming" - The name is a Chippewa Indian word meaning "high or elevated ground". When talking about the history of the downtown area, you have to realize that everything was linked to iron mining. But people are what really makes up a community.
- In the fall of 1856, Henry Ely employed the Longtime brothers of Marquette to clear the land and build the first permanent building, a boarding house (located in the SE corner of our now downtown area). Up to this time workers lived in tents and in the summer had to camp by smudge fires at night to prevent the giant mosquitoes from eating them alive not even mentioning the winters around here that speak for themselves.
- In 1860, the first store was established by Robert Nelson. This business occupied part of his boarding house, which by that time was called "The Ishpeming House."
- Three years later (1863) a post office was established in the same building.
Ishpeming was incorporated as a village in the fall of 1869 and the first town elections were held. In 1873 the village of Ishpeming was granted a charter. Things were changing, a quote from a book written 1883 about Ishpeming states - "In 1873, the village had gained a population of over 6,000 inhabitants and was granted a city charter. Mine Captain E.P. Mills (Lake Superior Mining Co.) was elected the first mayor and John Mills (mayor's brother) familiarly called "Honest John" was re-elected as Marshall. These times were most favorable and everyone prospered. The city was in its infancy, and in the influx of people who came were many disagreeable characters, some who came to practice their cleave, yet illegal professions. It was in those days that the name "Hell Town" was applied to it by the neighboring cities, but this page of history is nothing more than a repetition of the early days of every mining city."
- Ishpeming was a boom town like gold rush towns in California, only iron, not gold was their objective.
- A lot of money in the area and that brought in special characters.
- In 17 years (1856 to 1873) Ishpeming grew from its first building to population of 6,000.
No person in the past was more important to shaping Ishpeming's history than Robert Nelson. In 1869, Mr. Nelson, who can rightly be called the "Father of Ishpeming", purchased the surface rights of the area now known as the original plat of the downtown area from the Iron Cliffs Company for $470. This area was the middle of a large cedar swamp, but Mr. Nelson made the land usable by getting the waste rock from the Cliff Mine and used it as fill. Once filled in, the lots sold rapidly, within 4 months, there were 10 businesses on Division Street and 7 on Main Street.
In 1870, Nelson also bought a parcel of land on Strawberry Hill from the Marquette & Bay De Noc Company for $200, platted it for residence purposes (he made significant dollars in this investment and his original house still stands overlooking the downtown area).
In the early 1870's Ishpeming was growing fast and the need for a hotel was obvious.Of course it was Nelson to the rescue. The Barnum House was build in 1875 by Mr. Nelson. It was an impressive structure for those days; however ii was destroyed by a fire four years after it was opened. The Nelson House rose from the ashes to replace it, with Robert Nelson the owner. This hotel, built of solid brick with 40 guest rooms,was the show place of the Midwest. It existed for 48 years before it too was razed by fire in 1928 and the Mather Inn (even a grander structure that is still impressive today!) was built in its place.
Robert Nelson, who can rightly be called the father of Ishpeming, died In June 1895. His obituary in "The Daily Mining Journal" stated that religious services were held at the Nelson House, and interment in Marquette where his wife was buried.
The first permanent building in the downtown was built in 1656. The building was a boarding house to serve the miners.
In 1893, a granite building was constructed on Front Street and served as a dry goods warehouse. The building currently is a window/door business with an art gallery on the second floor. The business serves as a regional anchorfor its clientele stretch from Keweenaw County to Alger County.
The Braastad Store/H.W. Gossard garment factory was built in 1904. It was a showplace. In a news article from 1904, it was reported that at times 2,000 to 3,000 people were in the building. On opening day, 10,000 people toured. In 1920, the building became the Gossard Garment Factory and employed as many as 500 workers at one time in its 40+ years as an Ishpeming business.
In 1933, the U.S. Congress passed the 21st Amendment (the repeal of prohibition). Louis Bonetti applied and was granted one of the first liquor licenses in Ishpeming and named his business in honor of the U.S. Congress. In the late 1950's, Guido and Geno (Louis's sons) made a decision that would literally change our city for generations to come for the brothers went into the 'pizza business'. One tradition that will always stay true to natives of Ishpeming is the unique, unchangeable taste of Congress Pizza.
The Barnum House/Nelson House/Mather Inn; First built by Robert Nelson, was known throughout the Midwest as a first class establishment. When in 1928, fire destroyed the Nelson House, William G. Mather (longtime president of Cleveland Cliffs Mining Company) was an important person in erecting a new building from the ashes of the Nelson House and Ishpeming would once again have a hotel to rival any in the area. The Mather Inn is undergoing a slow re-use effort by its new owner. The building is being converted to condominiums with shops on the first floor. The hotel is the site of many scenes from the movie, Anatomy of a Murder, featuring director Otto Preminger and starring Jimmy Stewart, Lee Remick and Ben Gazzara.
Ishpeming's downtown served as a regional hub for the western portion of Marquette County and the eastern end of Baraga County. It still does, however, like every downtown, the advent of the mall and more recently, the box stores, downtown Ishpeming is having to reinvent itself. In the 1990's, a gradual loss of occupied storefronts and by 2000, the deteriorating condition of historic buildings, has contributed to the need for a revitalization effort.
In 2003,the business community, DDA and the City launched its own Main Street program, hired a consultant and a full time director. Through public meetings, the following vision was created and implementation begun.
