<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What has more than 20 buildings, 100 plus exhibits, and two art galleries spread across nine\u00a0 acres of scenic Upper Peninsula parkland?\u00a0 The answer lies in the title of their Museum Guide book:\u00a0 \u201cWe tell it like it <\/span>was<\/span> at the Iron County Museum.\u201d\u00a0 In July of 2025, my wife and I traveled to Iron County to see the Ozark Mountain Daredevils perform on one of the last stops on their farewell to touring jaunt.\u00a0 Though the concert was held at the Crystal Theater in Crystal Falls, Michigan, we spent a night at the Chicaugon Lake Inn.\u00a0 Our sight seeing the next day was interrupted by a downpour that rolled through the area.\u00a0 Having had our exploration of the Biwabic State Park washed out, we decided to return this past July to finish what we had started the summer before. \u00a0 After our return trip, it turns out we still have only scratched the surface of the sights and sounds of Iron County.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Biwabic State Park does maintain a modern campground, but many of the structures still in use today date back to Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).\u00a0 The 315-acre public recreation area on the shores of Fortune Lake features nature trails, tennis courts (the only ones found at\u00a0 any state park in Michigan), a swimming beach, and a boat launch with direct access to the Fortune Lakes Chain.\u00a0 Fishing for perch, bass, bluegill, and walleye attracts sportsmen as does the park\u2019s proximity to motorized ORV trails.\u00a0 We took time out to hike the trail that circles a little peninsula adjacent to the swimming beach.\u00a0 They call it an \u2018island\u2019 as an artificial channel was carved across the neck of the peninsula back in the day and a wooden bridge spans this swampy channel today.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As we scanned the brochures at the Inn to plan our second day of exploring, we discovered the Iron County Museum located in Caspian.\u00a0 The description of the museum\u2019s grounds (mentioned above) caught our attention but once we got there, we found it did not fully prepare us for what we found.\u00a0 As long time \u2018cat volunteers\u2019 at the Ontonagon Country Animal Protection shelter, we knew the sign on the front door was a good indication that we were going to enjoy our visit.\u00a0 The sign warned visitors to take care to \u2018not let the museum cats out\u2019 and sure enough, we were not even twenty feet inside the main building when we were greeted by Buck.\u00a0 We never saw the other two feline volunteers, but this personable black furred greeter put on quite a show to welcome us.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We arrived when the doors were first opened and during our two hour stay, we encountered a family of four who arrived after we did.\u00a0 They also got the royal welcome from Buck the greeter cat.\u00a0 Our first stop was the LeBlanc Wildlife Art Gallery attached to the Bernhardt Cultural Center.\u00a0 Artist Lee LaBlanc (1913-1988) graduated from Iron River High School in 1931.\u00a0 He studied art on the East Coast before moving to Hollywood to work as a freelance animator.\u00a0 Leblanc\u2019s motion picture career began as an animator for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons.\u00a0 On display are several panels he created for his best known film production <\/span>Ben Hur<\/span><\/i> (1959) though he is also known for his work on <\/span>Cat on a Hot Tine Roof <\/span><\/i>(1958) and <\/span>North By Northwest <\/span><\/i>(1959).\u00a0 From 1941 to 1956, Leblanc worked as an artist for Twentieth Century Fox and he later became the administrative head of the MGM Special Photographic Effects Department.\u00a0 When he retired as the Art Director for MGM in 1962, he returned to his hometown and began painting wildlife.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We were astounded by the sheer volume of paintings in the Leblanc Gallery.\u00a0 Many of his creations earned awards and some were used for National Duck and Turkey (hunting) Stamps as well as the National Bass Stamp.\u00a0 He later expanded his work into calendar art and book illustration.\u00a0 Leblanc\u2019s works are highly prized when offered at art auctions and he was famous for donating his paintings to help raise funds for a variety of projects.\u00a0 The Leblanc Gallery at the Iron County Museum was built in 1990 and is a fitting memorial to one of Iron County’s most famous artists.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Iron County Museum Society was founded in 1962.\u00a0 The Caspian Mine site where the museum is located was deeded to the County in 1963 and the first exhibits opened in 1968.\u00a0 Named for the Caspian Sea, the Caspian Mine was operated by the Verona Mining Company from 1903 until its closure in 1937.\u00a0 The headframe still stands above the original 539 foot shaft (which is now flooded) and is considered the oldest of its kind still standing in Michigan.\u00a0 The Caspian Mine produced 6,623,320 tons of iron ore during its lifetime.\u00a0 The museum\u2019s notations about the structure states, \u201cIt is a rare and significant piece of mining heritage.\u00a0 Unfortunately, without a major influx of cash and labor, it will continue to deteriorate and eventually disappear from our landscape.\u201d\u00a0 The original 1921 Engine House is home to many of the mining displays and has had various additions added to expand the exhibit space.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There are many heritage sites one can visit where the history is displayed right where it unfolded.\u00a0 The historic settlement at Victoria in Ontonagon County and the Hanka Homestead in Baraga County are good examples.\u00a0 The Iron County Historical Society has taken a different and very challenging route to preserving their county\u2019s history.\u00a0 The first addition to the 1921 Engine House (the Peterson Mining Hall) was added in 1970.\u00a0 Over the rest of the 1970s, many of the historic buildings on the museum grounds were moved to that site from other locations.\u00a0 Among these additions are the Brule Cabin (moved in 1971), the Beechwood Homestead circa 1890 (1972), the Stager Depot (1972), the Johnson Homestead (1973), the Sharrad Lumber Camp (the last one standing in Iron county – moved to the grounds in 1973), the Soderquist Barns (from Bates Township – moved in 1976) and the Carrie Jacobs-Bond home (moved from Iron River in 1978).\u00a0 Jacobs-Bond, a songwriter known for compositions like <\/span>I Love You Truly,<\/span><\/i> was not an Iron County native but always said the seven years she and her husband lived in Iron River were, \u201cThe happiest of my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The 1980s were no less busy as the Museum continued to expand their on-site attractions.\u00a0 Beginning in 1983 with the barn re-assembled from the Kline House, more ambitious relocation projects were undertaken.\u00a0 These included:\u00a0 The \u2018Shops\u2019 area (added in 1985), the Puotinen log barn circa 1900 (added to the homestead area in 1987), the Baumgartner Pioneer Schoolhouse (moved to the grounds in 1988), and the Maki Sauna (which became part of the Log Cabin collection in 1989).\u00a0 Perhaps the most ambitious project completed in 1989 was moving the St. Mary\u2019s church.\u00a0 Built in 1911, the church was moved from Gaastra to the museum grounds and today is preserved as a monument to the many churches the mining communities supported back in the days when the region played host to 78 operating mines.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As we made our way out of the Leblanc Gallery, we found ourselves in the very large Bernhardt Cultural Center.\u00a0 This large open room has a stage along one long wall and is used for various performances (concerts, plays, etc).\u00a0 The guidebook does not put a date on the Cultural Center\u2019s construction, but it was built after the Heritage Hall which dates back to 1975.\u00a0 The Heritage Hall was the first area used as a meeting space and where most of the museum activities took place.\u00a0 At first, this open-air space had a hard packed dirt floor that was eventually replaced with a concrete floor.\u00a0 The roof came next before the space was enclosed by walls.\u00a0 By 2024, the concrete slab had begun to buckle and Connor Sports Flooring donated the hardwood floor that gives the Heritage Hall a bright, cheery appearance.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As we passed out of the Cultural Center, we found the newest display on the premises.\u00a0 Installed in 2025, this new exhibit honors local radio station WIKB and the Iron Range Amateur Radio Club (IRARC).\u00a0 Just as the legendary Jan Tucker graced the airwaves from Ontonagon for several decades, WIKB host Jay Barry dedicated 44 years to their equivalent of the<\/span> Jan Tucker Show<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 It was called \u2018<\/span>Telephone Time<\/span><\/i>\u2019 and became a community institution as soon as it went on the air on January 5, 1965.\u00a0 This display features studio equipment from WIKB and many pieces of vintage radio gear assembled\u00a0 by IRARC.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Passing from the radio display into the Heritage Hall, we were greeted by a collection of exhibits highlighting the Ojibwe people who made the area their home many years before the onset of iron mining.\u00a0 Natural materials have been used to construct replicas of a traditional Ojibwe home and a spirit house.\u00a0 Harold and Marcia Bernhardt and George and Mary McGeshick did much of the pioneering work for this display area.\u00a0 The museum continues to collaborate with local families and the Lac Vieux Desert Tribal Historic Preservation Office to obtain and update artifacts reflecting Ojibwe culture.\u00a0 The large mural depicting the lives of the Ojibwe from the past and to the present are beautifully done as is the ceremonial dance regalia that has been donated for display.\u00a0 The newest additions to the Ojibwe exhibit include descriptions of the various dances done by men and women at the many Pow Wows held in the Great Lakes region.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Mining Hall was named in honor of Harry and Cecelia Peterson who made generous contributions when this part of the museum was expanded.\u00a0 Harry, who served as an engineer at the Caspian Mine, is credited with designing the first underground ventilation system which advanced mine safety and operations.\u00a0 The mining gear and mineral displays could easily consume hours to properly absorb everything in this area of the museum.\u00a0 As we passed into the Mining and Mineral exhibits, we examined an area that has been set aside as a memorial to those who went to war.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Besides the mining industry, lumbering has played a big role in the county.\u00a0 Artifacts from the lumbering era are plentiful but the one that we were very interested in was the expansive diorama in the Logging Hall.\u00a0 I am going to lean on the museum guidebook here and let it tell the story of this display:\u00a0 \u201cIn the Lumbering Hall, you\u2019ll find the Monigal Miniatures Loggin Camp – a diorama of a logging camp and the largest of its kind in the world.\u00a0 It was built by William Monigal, who spent eight years carving the model figures after a sawmill accident injured him.\u00a0 If you start viewing this diorama from the left, you can loosely follow camp life from sun-up to sun-down.\u00a0 See if you can answer questions such as:\u00a0 Why was logging primarily done in the winter time?\u00a0 How did logs get to market?\u00a0 Why did loggers make up such outlandish vocabulary words to describe everyday items and tasks?\u00a0 Do you recognize the tall man and his ox painted on the large doors facing the beginning of the diorama?\u201d I literally had to sit down and get at eye level to take in the whole scene.\u00a0 It took an amazing amount of work to carve all of these figures by hand.\u00a0 It does not surprise me at all that they were displayed all over the world before they found their permanent home at the ICHM.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0To put it simply, my wife and I are already looking forward to our next visit.\u00a0 In this overview of what we found, it was impossible to describe all of the exhibits.\u00a0 Walking the grounds and seeing the dozens of pieces of farming, mining, and logging equipment in storage is mind boggling.\u00a0 Of the 29 display buildings shown on the museum grounds map, we were only able to visit five of them.\u00a0 Local fire departments, business, churches, and governmental units are all part of the displays along with detailed descriptions of their role in the local historical time line..\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Since the first visit my elementary class made to the Marquette County Historical Museum back in the early 1960s, I have been fascinated by the Upper Peninsula\u2019s rich history.\u00a0 During my 43 years in the classroom and 30 years serving on the Ontonagon County History Museum Board of Directors, it became my mission to see that our students were given the same opportunity to get excited about history the same way I did back in the day.\u00a0 I have never been to a museum that I have not enjoyed visiting.\u00a0 With that said, the Iron County Historical Museum is unlike any other facility of its kind that I have had the pleasure to explore.\u00a0 The ICHM is open year round and a quick visit to their website will fill you in on the times and the cost of admission.\u00a0 If you stop by for a visit, be sure to give Buck a scritch on the head for us.<\/span><\/p>\n Top Piece Video:\u00a0 As long as the Ozark Mtn Dare Devils started this adventure, it seems fitting to let them get the last word – from 1977 . . .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What has more than 20 buildings, 100 plus exhibits, and two art galleries spread across nine\u00a0 acres of scenic Upper Peninsula parkland?\u00a0 The answer lies in the title of their Museum Guide book:\u00a0 \u201cWe tell it like it was at the Iron County Museum.\u201d\u00a0 In July of 2025, my wife and I traveled to 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