Exhibit focuses on the U.P.’s copper strike

Mining in the Upper Peninsula has a rich and deep–rooted history, and that history is on display.

The Michigan Tech Archives and Copper Country Historical Collection have put together an exhibit on one of the biggest strikes in Michigan history.  It is called “Tumult and Tragedy: Michigan’s 1913–1914 Copper Strike”.

The historical display of the Copper Strike on loan to the Beaumier Upper Peninsula Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University.

The display chronicles one of the confrontations between organized labor and mining companies.  It features photographs, newspaper clippings, songs and artifacts from the strike.

“Because so many people focus on the tragedy on December of 1913, they don’t know the whole story of everything else that was going on at that time and why that was such an important event,” Director of the Beaumier Heritage Center Dan Truckey said.  “For us, we deal with the whole U.P. here.  It’s not just Marquette or the Central U.P. so we’re trying to bring in these things from the U.P., these stories that will give people a better view of what the whole region is like.”

“Tumult and Tragedy” will be on display until September 27.