Bessemer, Michigan - 49911

Photos courtesy of:
Ken Huisjen

Bessemer is the county seat for Gogebic County, the western-most county in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It is situated on the iron range which runs from northern Michigan to Minnesota. This picturesque city is nestled below some bluffs lying to the north, which are characteristic of the reddish/brown color of iron ore in the area. Richard Langford, a hunter/trapper, discovered iron here in 1880, which started the boom. By 1884, Charles L. Colby had a mine established, and the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad had built a line to the area. The railroad’s president, F. H. Rhinelander, named the town after Sir Henry Bessemer, (1813-1898), discoverer of the smelting process. It was incorporated as a village in 1887 and as a city two years later.

Today, Bessemer has become a significant tourism area, being adjacent to Copper Peak, (12 miles to the north), many lakes, waterfalls and streams. It contains several small businesses and also functions as a commuter city to the greater Ironwood area.

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Bessemer, Michigan - 49911

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