Marquette, Michigan
—  City  —
File:Marquettefromthemountain.jpg
Location of Marquette within Marquette County, Michigan
Coordinates: 46°32′47″N 87°24′24″W / 46.54639°N 87.40667°W / 46.54639; -87.40667Coordinates: 46°32′47″N 87°24′24″W / 46.54639°N 87.40667°W / 46.54639; -87.40667
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Marquette
Government
• Type	Commission-Manager
• Mayor	John Kivela[1]
• City Manager	William Vajda[2]
Area
• City	19.4 sq mi (50.2 km2)
• Land	11.4 sq mi (29.6 km2)
• Water	8.0 sq mi (20.6 km2)
Elevation	666 ft (203 m)
Population (2010)
• City	21,355
• Density	1,723.9/sq mi (665.3/km2)
• Metro	67,077
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	49855
Area code(s)	906
FIPS code	26-51900[3]
GNIS feature ID	0631600[4]
Website	http://www.mqtcty.org

Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County.^[5] The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern Michigan University. The city of Marquette averages about 141 inches of snow per year, making it the fifth snowiest city in the United States among those cities large enough to be reported.^[6] In 2012, Marquette was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the U.S. by CBS Money Watch.^[7]

History[link]

Statue of Jacques Marquette in Marquette

The land around Marquette was known to French missionaries of the early 17th century and the trappers of the early 19th century. Development of the area did not begin, however, until 1844, when William Burt and Jacob Houghton (the brother of geologist Douglass Houghton) discovered iron deposits near Teal Lake west of Marquette. In 1845, Jackson Mining Company, the first organized mining company in the region, was formed.^[8]

The village of Marquette began on September 14, 1849, with the formation of a second iron concern, the Marquette Iron Company. Three men participated in organizing the firm: Robert J. Graveraet, who had prospected the region for ore; Edward Clark, agent for Waterman A. Fisher of Worcester, Massachusetts, who financed the company, and Amos Rogers Harlow. The village was at first called New Worcester, with Harlow as the first postmaster. On August 21, 1850, the name was changed to honor Jacques Marquette^{[citation needed]}, the French Jesuit missionary who had explored the region. A second post office, named Carp River, was opened on October 13, 1851 by Peter White, who had come there with Graveraet at age 18^{[citation needed]}. Harlow closed his post office in August 1852. The Marquette Iron Company failed, while its successor, the Cleveland Iron Mining Company, flourished and had the village platted in 1854. The plat was recorded by Peter White. White's office was renamed as Marquette in April 1856, and the village was incorporated in 1859. It was incorporated as a city in 1871.^[9]

St. Peter Cathedral

During the 1850s, Marquette was linked by rail to numerous mines and became the leading shipping center of the Upper Peninsula. The first ore pocket dock, designed by an early town leader, John Burt, was built by the Cleveland Iron Mining Company in 1859.^[10] By 1862, the city had a population of over 1,600 and a soaring economy.^[8]

In the late 19th century, during the height of iron mining, Marquette became nationally known as a summer haven. Visitors brought in by Great Lakes passenger steamships filled the city's hotels and resorts.^[10]

South of the city, K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base was an important Air Force installation during the Cold War, host to B-52H bombers and KC-135 tankers of the Strategic Air Command, as well as a fighter interceptor squadron. The base closed in September 1995, and is now the county's Sawyer International Airport.

Marquette continues to be a shipping port for hematite ores and, today, enriched iron ore pellets, from nearby mines and pelletizing plants. About 7.9 million gross tons of pelletized iron ore passed through Marquette's Presque Isle Harbor in 2005.^[10]

The Roman Catholic Bishop Frederic Baraga is buried at St. Peter's Cathedral, which is the center for the Diocese of Marquette.

Postal and philatelic history[link]

In addition to the Marquette #1 Post Office there is the "Northern Michigan University Bookstore Contract Station #384".^[11]

The first day of issue of a postal card showing Bishop Frederic Baraga took place in Marquette on 29 June 1984, and that of the Wonders of America Lake Superior stamp on May 27, 2006.^[12]

Geography[link]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.4 square miles (50 km²), of which, 11.4 square miles (30 km²) of it is land and 8.0 square miles (21 km²) of it (41.09%) is water.^[3]

The city includes several small islands (principally Middle Island, Gull Island, Lover's Island, Presque Isle Pt. Rocks, White Rocks, Ripley Rock, and Picnic Rocks) in Lake Superior. The Marquette Underwater Preserve lies immediately offshore.

Marquette Mountain, used for skiing, is located in the city, as is most of the land of Marquette Branch Prison of the Michigan Department of Corrections.^[13] Trowbridge Park (an unincorporated part of Marquette Township) is located to the west, and Marquette Township to the northwest of the city.

Demographics[link]

At the 2000 census^[14], there were 19,661 people, 8,071 households and 4,067 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,723.9 per square mile (665.3/km²). There were 8,429 housing units at an average density of 739.1 per square mile (285.4 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95% White, 0.8% African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population. 15.5% were of German, 12.6% Finnish, 8.9% French, 8.5% English, 8.2% Irish, 6.8% Italian and 6.7% Swedish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 8,071 households of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.6% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.81.

Age distribution was 16.8% under the age of 18, 25.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

The median household income was US$29,918, and the median family income was US$48,120. Males had a median income of US$34,107 versus US$24,549 for females. The per capita income for the city was US$17,787. About 7.2% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Business[link]

Along with Northern Michigan University, the largest employers in Marquette are the Marquette School System, Marquette General Hospital (a regional medical center which is the only Level 2 Trauma center in the Upper Peninsula), Marquette Branch Prison, Pioneer Surgical Technology, and Charter Communications.

Marquette in film and literature[link]

The Marquette County Courthouse was used for the courtroom scenes in the film Anatomy of a Murder.

Robert Traver (John Voelker) set his novels Anatomy of a Murder (1958) and Laughing Whitefish (1965) in Marquette. The film version of Anatomy of a Murder, dramatizing an incident that happened in the area, was partly filmed in Marquette and Big Bay. Much of it was filmed in the Marquette County Courthouse in Marquette. Traver's Danny and the Boys (1951) is a collection of short stories set in and around Marquette.

Philip Caputo set his novel Indian Country (1987) in the Upper Peninsula and several scenes depict Marquette.

Jim Harrison's novel True North (2005) tells about a Marquette family whose wealth is based on exploiting Upper Peninsula timber.

Jeffrey Eugenides' Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Middlesex (2002) refers to Marquette by name, in addition to other locations in Michigan.

A large portion of the acclaimed graphic novel Blankets, by Craig Thompson, takes place in Marquette.

Marquette was the site of many key events in the investigation of a murder in Dave Distel's The Sweater Letter, a true story of a murder that occurred near Ontonagon.

Parks, sports and recreation[link]

The city of Marquette has a number of parks and recreational facilities which are used by city and county residents. Presque Isle Park is Marquette's most popular park located on the north side of the city. It includes 323 acres (131 ha) of mostly forested land and juts out into Lake Superior. The park was designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted, the same Olmsted that designed Central Park in New York. Amenities include a wooden band shell for concerts, a park pavilion, a gazebo, a marina, a concession stand, picnic tables, barbecue pits, walking/skiing trails, playground facilities, and Moosewood Nature Center.

The city has two popular beaches, South Beach Park and McCarty's Cove. McCarty's Cove, flanked by the red U.S. Coast Guard Station lighthouse on its south shore, serves as a reprieve from hot summer days, where city and county residents alike take advantage of the cool, but tolerable, water temperatures and the cooling effects of the lake-generated sea breeze. Both beaches have picnic areas, grills, children's playgrounds and lifeguard stands.

Other parks include Tourist Park, Founder's Landing, LaBonte Park, Mattson Lower Harbor Park, Park Cemetery, Shiras Park, Williams Park, Harlow Park, Pocket Park, Spring Street Park and Father Marquette Park.

There are also numerous other recreational facilities located within the city. Lakeview Arena is best known for its use as an ice hockey facility, but it also hosts a number of public events. Gerard Hailey Memorial Baseball field home of the Marquette Blues and Reds. A skateboard park is located just outside of the arena and open during the summer. Lakeview Arena was home to the Marquette Electricians and Marquette Senior High School's Redmen hockey team. In 1974, the arena replaced the historic Palestra, which had been located a few blocks away.

The Superior Dome.

Marquette has the largest wooden dome in the world, the Superior Dome – unofficially but affectionately known as the YooperDome. (The second largest, located in Japan, is just one square foot smaller.) During the football season, the Dome is used primarily for football on its newly renovated astro turf field. The turf was installed in July 2009. Northern Michigan University holds its home football games in the Dome, as does the Michigan High School Athletic Association with the upper peninsula's High School football playoffs. The dome also hosts numerous private and public events which draw in thousands from around the region.

The Marquette Golf Club has brought international recognition to the area for its unique and dramatic Greywalls course, opened in 2005. The course features several panoramic views of Lake Superior and winds its way through rocky outcroppings, heaving fairways and a rolling valley, yet is located less than two miles (3 km) from the downtown area.

Marquette also has an extensive network of biking and walking paths throughout the city. The city has been gradually expanding the paths and has been promoting itself as a walkable and livable community. Cross Country ski trails are also located at Presque Isle Park and the Fit Strip.^[15]

Camping facilities are located at Tourist Park.

Live theatrical productions are provided through Northern Michigan University's Forest Roberts Theatre and Black Box Theatre, Marquette's Graverate School Kaufman Auditorium and Lake Superior Theatre, a semi-professional summer stock theatre.

The combination of hilly terrain (a 600-foot (180 m) vertical difference from top to bottom) and large area snow falls makes downhill skiing a reality on the edge of town.^[16]

Panorama of Lower Harbor and downtown Marquette, from Lower Harbor Park. The Lower Harbor Ore Dock is no longer in operation.

Transportation[link]

Marquette is served by American Eagle and Delta Air Lines out of Sawyer International Airport with daily flights to Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis, as well as Traverse City, Michigan and Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Marquette is served by a private transportation bus system called the "MarqTran" that runs through the city and to nearby places such as Sawyer International Airport and Ishpeming.

Marquette has freight rail service by the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad. The Canadian National Railway also serves nearby Negaunee, Mich.

Highways[link]

• US 41 is a major highway continuing westerly and northerly toward Calumet and southerly toward Escanaba.
• M-28 travels westerly to Wakefield and easterly toward Sault Ste. Marie.
• M-553 provides a direct connection to Sawyer International Airport.

The city is also known for fishing for deep water lake trout, whitefish, salmon and brown trout.

Museums, galleries, lighthouses[link]

The Marquette Maritime Museum is located along the Lake Superior shoreline near the U.S. Coast Guard Station. The museum is open during the summer season and offers an extensive collection of maritime artifacts involving the maritime history of Marquette. Tours of the historic Marquette Harbor Lighthouse are also available;^[17] and just to the north of Marquette, the Big Bay Point Light is operated as a bed and breakfast.^[18]

The Upper Peninsula Children's Museum is located along Baraga Avenue. Those familiar with Marquette's past will recognize the former Bunny Bread sign that is located on the outside of the building. The museum features hands-on exhibits for children to learn and have fun doing so. The museum is open year-round.^[19]

Old hematite specimen from the Marquette iron range

The Marquette County History Museum features many exhibits and artifacts of Marquette County's past. The museum includes a library and gift shop and is open year-round.^[20]

The DeVos Art Museum is the art museum at Northern Michigan University.^[21]

The Oasis Gallery for Contemporary Art is an ongoing project of the Marquette Arts Council.^[22]

• 

  Front Street around 1909. The Marquette County Savings Bank Building clocktower in the background still stands today.

• 

  The Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad Ore dock, in Upper Harbor, is still in use.

• 

  Peter White Public Library

• 

  Northern Michigan University

• 

  City Hall

• 

  Old City Hall Building; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Climate[link]

Education[link]

Public schools[link]

• The City of Marquette is served by the Marquette Area Public Schools. The district is the largest school district in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Wisconsin, with about 3,100 students and 420 Faculty and Staff.
• Marquette Senior High School, Grades 9-12 (Marquette Area Public Schools)
• Bothwell Middle School, Grades 5-8 (Marquette Area Public Schools)

[1]

• Graveraet Alternative High School (Marquette Area Public Schools)
• Cherry Creek Elementary (Marquette Area Public Schools)
• Sandy Knoll Elementary School (Marquette Area Public Schools
• Superior Hills Elementary School (Marquette Area Public Schools)
• Vandenboom Child Development Center (Marquette Area Public Schools)
• North Star Academy (Public Charter School)

Private schools[link]

• Father Marquette Elementary School
• Father Marquette Middle School
• Crossroads Christian Academy

Universities[link]

• Marquette is home to the Upper Peninsula's largest university at just under 10,000 students, Northern Michigan University.

Public libraries[link]

• Peter White Public Library

Media[link]

Multiple media outlets provide local coverage of the Marquette area.

• Newspaper: The Mining Journal, The North Wind, and Marquette Monthly
• Television: WLUC-TV, WBUP-TV, WZMQ, WNMU-TV and WJMN-TV
• Radio: WNMU-FM, WHWL-FM, WUPK-FM, WFXD-FM, WUPT-FM, WUPX, WJPD-FM, WUPZ-FM, WKPK-FM, WUPG-FM, WGLQ-FM, WRUP-FM, WNGE-FM, WKQS-FM, WCMM-FM, W291BH, WMQT-FM, WDMJ-AM, WIAN-AM and WZAM-AM

Suburbs of Marquette[link]

• Harvey
• Chocolay Township
• Trowbridge Park
• Marquette Township

Accolades and Awards[link]

• 2010 Distinctive Destination – National Trust of Historic Preservation (Voted #1 Fan Favorite^[24])
• 2008 Top 10 Winter Family Getaways – Weather Channel
• 2008 #7 Best Place to Live for Hunters and Anglers – Outdoor Life Magazine
• 2008 #7 in Mid-West in Rural America – Progressive Farmer
• 2005, 2007, 2008 One of the 100 Best Communities for Young People – America's Promise: Alliance for Youth
• 2006 #7 Place to Build a Vacation Home – Men's Journal
• 2005 Top 10 Summer Vacation Destination – Sherman Travel
• 2004 Most Livable Community – Partners for Livable Communities
• 2004 Michigan Cool City – Governor Jennifer Granholm
• 2003 All America County – National Civic League
• Tree City for 30 Years
• Top micropolitan area- Site Selection Magazine

Festivals and events[link]

• Art on the Rocks – An art festival originally held at Presque Isle Park, but moved to Ellwood Mattson Lower Harbor Park in 2009.
• Hiawatha Music Festival Traditional music festival at Tourist Park (30th Annual 18–20 July 2008)
• Marquette's 4 July Celebration^[25]
• Superior Bike Fest^[26]
• Ore to Shore Mountain Bike race.
• All Nation's Club International Food Fest
• Seafood Fest
• UP 200 Dog Sled Race^[27]
• Noquemanon Ski Marathon^[28]
• Marquette Area Blues Fest^[29]
• Marquette Scandinavian Midsummer Festival and Wife-Carrying Contest^[30]
• U.P. Fall Beer Festival- hosted by Michigan Brewers Guild ^[31]

Sister cities[link]

Marquette has two sister cities.^[32]

• Higashiōmi (Japan) since 1979
• Kajaani (Finland) 1997

See also[link]

• Big Bay Point Light
• Joe Fine, mayor of Marquette 1964–1965 and prominent businessman
• Shipwrecks of the 1913 Great Lakes storm

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Marquette, Michigan

• City of Marquette
• National Weather Service WFO Marquette, Michigan
• Marquette Senior High School Alumni
• Marquette, Michigan at the Open Directory Project

v t e Municipalities and communities of Marquette County, Michigan, United States County seat: Marquette Cities Ishpeming Marquette Negaunee Charter townships Chocolay Marquette General law townships Champion Ely Ewing Forsyth Humboldt Ishpeming Michigamme Negaunee Powell Republic Richmond Sands Skandia Tilden Turin Wells West Branch Unincorporated communities Arnold Austin Big Bay Gwinn Harvey K. I. Sawyer AFB Little Lake Michigamme National Mine New Swanzy Palmer Republic Trowbridge Park West Ishpeming Indian reservation L'Anse Indian Reservation

v t e  State of Michigan Lansing (capital) Topics Index Congressional delegation Geography Governors History Islands Legislature Lieutenant Governors Lighthouses Museums National Historic Landmarks National Register of Historic Places listings People State Historic Sites State parks Supreme Court Tallest buildings Timeline Topics Visitor attractions Regions Upper Peninsula Copper Country Keweenaw Peninsula Gogebic Range Lower Peninsula Central Michigan Southern Michigan Flint/Tri-Cities The Thumb The Greater Tri Cities Michiana Northern Michigan Southeast Michigan Metro Detroit West Michigan Largest Municipalities Alpena Ann Arbor Battle Creek Bay City Bloomfield Township Canton Township Chesterfield Township Clinton Township Commerce Township Dearborn Dearborn Heights Detroit East Lansing Eastpointe Farmington Hills Flint Flint Township Georgetown Township Grand Rapids Holland Jackson Kalamazoo Kentwood Lansing Lincoln Park Livonia Macomb Township Meridian Township Midland Muskegon Novi Pontiac Portage Redford Rochester Hills Roseville Royal Oak Saginaw Saginaw Township St. Clair Shores Shelby Township Southfield Sterling Heights Taylor Troy Warren Waterford Township West Bloomfield Westland Wyoming Ypsilanti Township Counties Alcona Alger Allegan Alpena Antrim Arenac Baraga Barry Bay Benzie Berrien Branch Calhoun Cass Charlevoix Cheboygan Chippewa Clare Clinton Crawford Delta Dickinson Eaton Emmet Genesee Gladwin Gogebic Grand Traverse Gratiot Hillsdale Houghton Huron Ingham Ionia Iosco Iron Isabella Jackson Kalamazoo Kalkaska Kent Keweenaw Lake Lapeer Leelanau Lenawee Livingston Luce Mackinac Macomb Manistee Marquette Mason Mecosta Menominee Midland Missaukee Monroe Montcalm Montmorency Muskegon Newaygo Oakland Oceana Ogemaw Ontonagon Osceola Oscoda Otsego Ottawa Presque Isle Roscommon Saginaw Sanilac Schoolcraft Shiawassee St. Clair St. Joseph Tuscola Van Buren Washtenaw Wayne Wexford