Ontonagon County, Michigan

Ontonagon County is situated in the northwest corner of Michigan�s Upper Peninsula. It was named by the Indians after the bowl-like shape of the mouth of the Ontanagon River at Lake Superior, a center of transportation and traffic. The name was originally discovered written on a Jesuit map in 1672.

Copper was discovered in the late 1700�s, which included the Ontonagon Boulder a short distance up the river - then an Indian shrine and place of worship. It contained over a ton of the pure metal and was eventually brought to the Smithsonian Institution where it can viewed today. This brought a surge of settlers to the area to start mining, first began by Englishman Alexander Henry in 1772, and cumulating by the late 1800�s.

After that, lumbering flourished in the area until the turn of the century. Today, paper-manufacturing and tourism remain the county�s primary economic resources.

With over 24 waterfalls, dozens of rivers and inland lakes, not to mention the Lake Superior coastline, fishing and hiking top the list of recreational attractions.

The Porcupine Mountains State Park, featuring Presque Isle Falls and Lake of the Clouds, is the number one place to visit, and definitely make coming here a worth-while experience!

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