Weekly speaker series returns to Iron Industry Museum  

“Afternoons at the Museum,” a seven-part series examining the Upper Peninsula’s storied industrial and cultural heritage, will kick off Tuesday, July 10, at 2 p.m., at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee Township.
 
Over the program’s seven weeks, guest speakers will discuss topics ranging from Henry Ford’s camping experiences at Cloverland and the history of Negaunee’s Jackson Mine, to the “Yooper dialect” and archaeology on the Yellow Dog Plains.
 
“We have an exciting line-up of speakers and topics this year, with fun, interactive presentations designed to appeal to a general audience of all ages,” said museum historian Troy Henderson. “The series will offer a wide-ranging glimpse into the history of the Upper Peninsula, including the mining heritage that runs deep in local communities, but also the more recent transition from industrial to tourism-based economies.”
 
Local historian Robert Dobson will lead-off the series during Negaunee’s Pioneer Week celebration, with his presentation “We are Going to the Jackson: Negaunee’s Jackson Mine.” Dobson’s presentation will cover the Jackson “Section One” Mine from 1845 to present day, including the formation of “Old Towne” Negaunee.
 
The remaining programs in the Afternoons at the Museum series include:
 
July 17 – “The 1868 Scientific Expedition to Lake Superior in 3D,” Don Balmer, Marquette
July 24 – “Sounding Yooper: How History, Tourism, and the Media Have Shaped the Idea of Dialect,” Dr. Kathryn Remlinger, Grand Valley State University
July 31 – “Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Yellow Dog Plains,” Dr. John Anderton, Northern Michigan University
August 7 – “Camping in Cloverland with Henry Ford,” Guy Forstrom, Quinnesec
August 14 – “Anatomy ’59,” John Pepin, Marquette
August 21 – “The Making of ‘Iron Spirits: Life on the Michigan Iron Ranges,’” John Major, Marquette
 
All programs begin at 2 p.m. in the museum auditorium. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. The museum entrance is located on U.S.-41E, one mile west of Junction M-35, in Negaunee Township.
 
The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Michigan Historical Center, an agency within the Department of Natural Resources. It overlooks the site of the Carp River Forge, a pioneer industrial site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The recently expanded museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information about upcoming events at the museum call 906-475-7857 or visit www.michigan.gov/ironindustrymuseum