The Spirit of Place: U.P. Ghost Towns

Copper and iron mining provided a livelihood for many people in the Upper Peninsula. Eventually, though, their settlements went from boom to doom, leaving in their wake haunting reminders of a long-vanished time

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Central

Photograph by Manfred W. Wenner

3. Wilson

West of Escanaba on Route 2 sits Wilson, where you can check out the old tavern, built by the Menominee Brewing Co. in 1902. Wilson was established as a stop along the Chicago and North Western Railroad route from Green Bay to Escanaba. The town boomed in 1881, when Frank D. Wilson built a large sawmill; it eventually grew to be home to about 500 people. Most of the homes and businesses are abandoned, but make for an interesting self-guided tour nonetheless. Check out the brick mansion built by general-store owner August Enfield. 

4. Caspian

This iron-mining town doesn’t fully qualify as a ghost town, though it likely soon will. Located on Highway 189, Caspian is nestled among green hills and dense woods, part of a once-flourishing iron-mining region. Caspian’s mine shut down decades ago, and its downtown has its share of boarded-up homes and businesses, though newer homes are still occupied. An old mining complex houses the Iron County Museum, and the old mine super-structure is still intact and worth exploring.

5. Phoenix

This town lies on the beautiful Keweenaw Peninsula, which is home to numerous old copper mining towns. Several of its buildings are now owned by the county, which ensures their preservation. Because of that, it offers more to see than many other abandoned copper communities. In Phoenix, you’ll find a lovely church that now functions as a museum. The church is actually the oldest remaining building from the neighboring copper ghost town of Clifton. When mines closed, Clifton residents moved the church to the still-populated town of Phoenix. The town offers a functioning general store, where visitors can buy a cold beer or an ice cream. A defunct blacksmith shop also still stands. 

6. Central

The copper town of Central, situated along Highway 41 just past Phoenix, got its start in 1858 and is still inhabited today, especially in the summer. Every July, the town hosts a reunion at its restored Methodist church. Lawrence Molloy, a member of the church who gives town tours, says that at the beginning of each regular service, attendees yell out the last name of any friend or relative with connections to Central. “It’s kind of a hair-on-your-arm thing, hearing all these names come back,” he says. Check out the visitor center, where artifacts include pictures of a beautiful three-story school that no longer stands. Visitors also can tour two historic homes furnished with period furniture and drive by others still used as residences, including the saltbox houses once occupied by miners.

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