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Just as the penny in your pocket has touched many lives and places, so has the copper of the Keweenaw.
From over 7,000 years ago to the 1960s people have quarried or mined the rich copper deposits of the Keweenaw. First, it was Native peoples that fashioned the copper into tools and trade items. Much later came the eastern investors and immigrants in one of the nation’s first large mineral rushes.
Copper built thriving industries and cosmopolitan communities in this remote, wild land. Mining companies like Calumet & Hecla and Quincy left a lasting mark on the land, communities and people. When the mines closed, their loss brought hardship and heartache.
Today, Keweenaw National Historical Park preserves the history and heritage of copper mining. The park also preserves the many stories associated with copper: stories of human struggle, ingenuity, vision and conflict.
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