Iron County - Crystal Falls, MI - Michigan Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Located in front of the Court House in Crystal Falls, the plaque describes how Iron County came to be formed in 1885. It also tells of the construction of the court house a few years later.

A short history of the formation of Iron County:

In 1851, Surveyor Harvey Mellon found "a ledge of red granite" (iron ore) along the banks of the Maple (Iron) River. Loggers came to harvest the white pine. In September, 1885, Iron County was set apart from Marquette County. Iron River was designated the temporary County seat until the next general State election.
However, the distinction of being the County Seat was too much of a prize for some. So, on the very snowy night of February 15, 1887, while a high-stakes poker game at the Boyington Hotel was staged to distract the Iron River folks, the County records were clandestinely moved by East Siders Frank Scadden and H.J. (Burt) Hughitt from Iron River to Crystal Falls on a freight car. When the theft was discovered, the Iron River citizenry were incensed and talk of forcibly recovering the records was proposed. But Sheriff David Lockwood and his deputies swore to guard the records with their lives. Reason won out, and Iron River was convinced that they would prevail when the matter was brought to a vote. However, at the 1888 election, Crystal Falls won by just five votes! It was said many lumberjacks voted more than once. In February 28, 1889, a resolution was adopted to remove the County Seat to Iron River and that the matter be placed before the electors again. The dispute was resolved in April, 1889, when the election determined Crystal Falls to be the winner: 1,050 favoring removal and 1,142 against.

Source: Iron County Courthouse Tour booklet, available at https://ironmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IronCountyTour.pdf

Description: Front) This county was set off in 1885 from Marquette and Menominee counties. Iron ore deposits which gave the new county its name were the first on the Menominee Iron Range to be discovered. Shipping of ores began in 1882 when the railroad came in. Iron River was the first county seat, but in 1889, after a celebrated struggle, the government was shifted to Crystal Falls. Logging, which began in 1875, has been second only to mining in Iron County’s economy. (Back) J.C. Clancy designed this Richardsonian Romanesque Style building which was completed in 1891. Constructed of regional materials, including reddish stone columns quarried from the nearby Paint River and yellow clay bricks, the courthouse commands a view of the city’s main street and the valley below. The structure, featuring a domed courtroom with original furnishings, continues to serve a county built from “the iron and the pine.” Parking nearby?: yes D/T ratings: website: [Web Link] Registered Site #: L0179 Historical Date: Not listed Historical Name: Not listed

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