Copper Harbor, photo by Christopher’s eye.

The Copper Harbor history page from the official website of Copper Harbor says:

When Michigan became a state in 1837, 32-year-old Douglass Houghton was appointed as the first State Geologist. Houghton began a comprehensive geological exploration of the state to determine the extent of its mineral resources, visiting the Upper Peninsula in 1839 and 1840. This report to the Michigan legislature noted the probable extent of copper deposits in the Keweenaw Peninsula and stimulated new interest in Northern Michigan.

Publication of Houghton’s report of the mineral-rich Keweenaw Peninsula awakened the attention of eastern businessmen. The nation’s escalating need for brass (an alloy of copper and zinc) prompted further exploration of the area for exploitable copper resources….

Many of the earliest travelers to Keweenaw Point stayed only until their dreams of quick riches disappeared. But some stayed on to settle the area and a few of the current townfolk and shop owners are descendants of those first rugged settlers. Early Copper Harbor became the administrative center for a group of remote copper mining locations spread through the forst of Keweenaw Point. Later, the Harbor rang to the sound of axes and crosscut saws as the growing region required vast quantities of pine logs to support mine shafts and provide housing for a growing influx of immigrants. Today the Harbor still has the feeling of its frontier origins.

Here’s more about the history of copper mining at Copper Harbor and you can check out the official site for things to see and do around Copper Harbor in the present day.

Check this out bigger in Christopher’s slideshow and also have a look at the Copper Harbor slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr!