YE OLDE ALMANAC

Ontonagon County
(see Michigan State data half-way down the page)

Size: 3,741 square miles
Elevation: 600-1800 Feet
Physiography: lake-border plains, hilly uplands

Growing Season: 60-120 days
Annual Precipitation: 31-35 inches
Average Snowfall: 160 inches - part of "Big Snow Country"
Forest Type: aspen-birch, maple-hemlock
Fall Colors: late September

 

The Ontonagon River played a major role for explorers, missionaries and Indians. It was the storehouse and distribution center for the early miners, lumber industry, fishing industry, and even today coal is transported by water to the local paper mill.  The Ontonagon formed a major avenue for water traffic through the village of the same name, but it also formed an impediment to overland traffic on its two sides. One of the village’s first official acts was authorization of a bridge across the river in 1891.

To the native Ojibwa people, the well worn chain of mountains rising from the waters of Lake Superior reminded them of Kag, the woodland Porcupine. They called the mountain range 'Kag-wadjjiw' - the Porcupine Mountains.  Fifteen years before the Civil War, miners searched for copper in the Porcupine Mountains. Lumbermen followed, cruising the forests for pine and cedar.  Porcupine Mountains State Park was established in 1944 to protect the last extensive tract of old growth forest remaining in the Midwest. The terrain of this mostly undeveloped wilderness is considered both rugged and beautiful. At nearly 60,000 acres, it is Michigan's largest state park, and one of the largest wilderness areas in the Midwest.

 

Ontonagon County has over 1,300 square miles of forests, lakes, streams and Lake Superior shoreline.  In addition, the county boasts over 100 waterfalls. 

 

Ontonagon is the least populated county in the state.  Population statistics:

Michigan got its name from the Indian word "michi-gama," meaning "Great Lake." This state touches on all but one of the Great Lakes and has 40,000 square miles of water within its boundaries. Woodland Indians lived in the land when French explorers and fur traders first came to it.  Once the timber, minerals, and fertile soil were discovered, settlers flocked to Michigan. They stayed to make this state first in production of automobiles, breakfast cereals, furniture, cherries, cucumbers, navy beans, and seedling pines.

Population is ranked 8th (in US) at 9,549,353 (1995 estimate)

Total area - 96,791 square miles [including water areas]

Greatest length [north to south] - 310 miles

Greatest width [east to west] - 400 miles

Highest point - 1,980 feet

Lowest point - 572 feet

Highest recorded temperature - 112 degrees

Lowest recorded temperature - -51 degrees

Michigan is the only state that touches four of the five Great Lakes.

3,126 miles of Great Lakes shoreline (more fresh water coastline than any other state)

38,575 sq. mi. of Great Lakes water area

40 of Michigan's 83 counties touch at least one of the Great Lakes.

Anywhere in Michigan, you are within 85 miles of one of the Great Lakes.

18.4 million acres of forest

The State Trunkline System totals 9,607 miles. All are toll free.

Principal cities - Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Dearborn, Lansing

White pine is the state tree

Robin is the state bird

Apple blossom is the state flower

Petoskey is the state stone

Isle Royale greenstone is the state gem

Brook trout is the state fish

State song is "Michigan My Michigan"